A Study Of Clan Ancestral Halls In Southeastern Guizhou In Modern Times

The superior environment in Qiandongnan has attracted the migration of Han immigrants.They brought the clan culture of the Han.Since the Song Dynasty,they have promoted ethnic integration in long-term interactions with ethnic minorities and created conditions for the birth of the ancestral temple.The Qiandongnan ancestral temple emerged in the early Ming Dynasty and maintained a continuous development trend in modern times.Its distribution is more general but uneven;it is hierarchical in type;the building is medium in size and generally consists of the gate,the middle hall and the dorm.The rise and development of the ancestral temple provided a place for the clan to carry out various activities.The ancestral temple's economic foundation mainly includes cemeteries,forests and Jitian.There are multiple sources of cemeteries,and ancestral heritage and purchase are the main methods.Forest is one of the important ancestral properties,because of the wide distribution and large number.Jitian,as a regular economic source of the ancestral temple,has a limited scale and it is difficult to reach the development level of some Han areas.Judging from the sources of funds for the purchase of various ancestral properties,there are mainly clan donations,fines,and loans to earn interest.The Qiandongnan clans established the clan property management organization with the patriarch as the core,but the emergence of the clan association system showed that the clan management began to transition from the patriarch's responsibility system to the collective responsibility system under individual leadership,and the democratization within the clan gradually developed.In addition,the traditional Zhai Lao and Li Lao in Miao Dong society also played a certain role in the management of ancestral affairs.The clan took corresponding measures at various stages from the establishment,existence,and invasion of the clan property,realizing the active interaction between the clans,villages,and officials,and strengthening the protection of the clan property;promoting the development of the clan property through effective management,conditions have been prepared for the ancestral temple worship and other activities.The ancestral temple worship is the most solemn activity.In modern times,the clans in Qiandongnan ensured the ancestral temple worship smoothly by formulating strict sacrifice rules and carrying out various rituals in an orderly manner.At the same time,the Miao and Dong's unique ancestor worship ceremonies are also popular here.The parallelism of various ancestral rituals,mainly ancestral sacrifice,reflects the mutual absorption and common development of the Han,Miao and Dong in cultural exchanges.In addition,the Qiandongnan ancestral temple strived to relieve the poor and actively advocated for mutual relief;through various ways such as running schools,granting scholarships,and advising the clansmen to learn,the clansmen were encouraged to study and create conditions for their children to study.This will not only help maintain the stability of the clan,but also help the development and growth of the clan,so that it can play a greater role in local society.In modern times,on the one hand,the Qiandongnan clans were opposed to disputes and lawsuits and try to do stop it through some effective measures,and actively cooperated with the government to organize civil corps;on the other hand,they donated funds to run schools and build local infrastructure,which effectively maintained the stability of local society and promoted the development of local public welfare.However,the negative impact of clan weaponry on local society can not be ignored.The above research shows that the contemporary government needs to strengthen the management of the clan,actively guide it to use the ancestral temple to play a positive role,and avoid negative effects.Especially in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities,the ancestral temple should play a greater role in promoting ethnic integration and common development of all ethnic groups.