Grain Transportation And Admiration Of Water God In Ming And Qing Dynasties

Due to south-north canal being flowed, grain transportation being transferred, the business along the canal was booming. Otherwise, government officials promoting, frequent droughts and floods and other factors, "water god hot" had risen up across the country in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Shandong province is in the middle of canal, which is controlled the capital in the north and connected the Jianghuai in the south. As a result, the admiration of water god was especially prevalent in this region. This article mainly puts admiration of water god along Shandong canal in Ming and Qing Dynasties as a studying point for research. The full text is divided into three parts: introduction, body and conclusion.The introduction mainly discusses the research status of admiration of water god. The relation between Shandong canal and grain transportation, admiration of water god, grain transportation and admiration of water god in Ming and Qing Dynasties is systematically expounded respectively. Otherwise, the introduction also elaborates reasons, significance and research methods of the subject.The body is divided into four parts. The first part discusses the background of belief of water god along Shandong canal in Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition to government officials promoting, frequent droughts and floods, businessmen disseminating and other public factors, it focuses on the influence of geographical environments and special value of Shandong canal. The second part aims at the object of belief of water god. It elaborates belief circumstances of Jin Long Si Da Wang, Mazu, Dragon Lord, River God and other personified water god. It also summarizes the construction situation of al kinds of water god temples. Therefore, we can illustrate that belief of water god along Shandong canal had become a very common phenomenon. The third part is based on the former, and then probes into the subject of belief of water god. Belief of water god had spread to officials, labors on a river engineering project, the army of grain transportation, businessmen and the general public, etc. It formed a wave through their various activities to promote the prosperity of belief of water god. The last part explores the local characteristics and influences of belief of water god along Shandong canal in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Local characteristics were reduced to three aspects:with water features, the tempers located in the important dock and dam along the canal and with regional historical and culture characteristics. Prevailing and diffusing of belief of water god had created a profound impact, which included feudal autocratic monarchy, business activities, the local social order, social customs, sacrificial rites, literature and so on.The conclusion draws a summary to the whole article:belief of water god along Shandong canal had bright local characteristics. They inherited the gene of canal culture and reflected the long-term interaction between beliefs and regional culture.