Folding Yuanbao:Rural Women's Belief Practice And Daily Life In The Southern Area Of Jiangsu Province

Folk belief research has always been a hot and difficult issue in folklore.During the period of social transformation,the current status of folk beliefs and their role in social life are the focus of current research.Folk belief activities are rich in forms in the southern area of Jiangsu Province,and a large number of Yuanbao(??,paper ingot)need to be used and incinerated in various ceremonies.As the paper product of traditional ritual,Yuanbao usually folded by women and it is an indispensable material medium for human-deity interaction.Many new Yuanbao were born to meet people's changing needs,while some that no longer adapt to lives were abandoned.Therefore,the history of the change of Yuanbao is a microcosm of the development of folk beliefs.The survey began in February 2018 and ended in February 2020.The research methods used in this paper include participatory observation and in-depth interviews,with the field point in Santang Village in Changshu,where is rich in folk belief ceremonies and a large variety of Yuanbao.This paper shows the existing types of Yuanbao and reveals the rigorous logic of belief behind the Yuanbao.Meanwhile,the complex interactions between Yuanbao and local women are also mentioned,which is in order to show the subjective construction process,true life style and psychological needs of middle-aged and elderly women who are faith practitioners.There are six parts in this article.The first part is an introduction,which mainly explains the origin of the research,the related literature review,research methods and innovation.The first chapter mainly describes the belief situation of Santang Village and focuses on the ceremonial paper products and rural women who produce Yuanbao from the historical and synchronic dimensions.Chapter 2 describes and analyzes the shape,classification,production,use and incineration of the existing Yuanbao in Santang Village in detail,these Yuanbao reveal the belief hidden behind the ceremonial paper products.Chapter 3 explores the role of ceremonial paper products for women by deeply analyzing the process of women's study the folding methods of Yuanbao,and the significance of folding Yuanbao for rural women in everyday life.Try to answer the questions of continuous inheritance and innovation of Yuanbao in Santang Village.Chapter 4 is introduced by the question of how new Yuanbao are produced.By describing and analyzing the different roles and deep motives played by the women in the creation,popularization and acceptance of new Yuanbao.This process shows the subjective construction of women.The last part is the conclusion,analyzes and summarizes the mutual construction relationship between folk belief and rural women,and discusses the changes in the status of rural women in life and the relationship between this change and the subjective construction of women in folk belief.End with a description of shortcomings in this paper.The dichotomy between "Hun-Su" Yuanbao and "Ancestral-Deity" Yuanbao presents the true duality of Chinese belief.The imaginary world of deities is a world of hierarchy,order and pattern,which imitates the secular world but also separates from the real world.Furthermore,the ceremonial paper products and the woman as producers are mutually constructed.On the one hand,the daily behavior of folding Yuanbao actively has been constructing women's gender roles,spiritual world,and social life.On the other hand,in the process of constructing the subjectivity of rural women,new Yuanbao are constantly being created,popularized,improved,or abandoned.While women actively participate in the construction of local beliefs,they have been constructing their own subject,improving and enhancing the status of women in rural life.