Research On Fei Shan Belief In Guizhou Province During Ming And Qing Dynasties

The Feishan belief originated in Jingzhou,Hunan Province,in the early Song Dynasty.Yang Zaisi was the immortal people believed in.From “the leader of Shi Dong” to “a hero deity”,it was a transformation from a human to consciousness.From the construction of the first Feishan Temple in Jingzhou,Hunan Province,to the emergence of Feishan Temple in Liping,Guizhou Province,the development of Feishan belief spans regions and ethnic groups,and then gradually spreads to the border areas of Hunan,Guizhou and Guangxi,becoming a popular local folk belief.The belief of Feishan spread to Guizhou in the Ming Dynasty.In the 19 th year of Hongwu,the first Feishan Temple was built in Liping,and later,Feishan temples were successively built in other areas of Guizhou.In the Ming Dynasty,Feishan Temple was established in the four areas developed earlier of Guizhou Province.The strengthening of its legitimacy laid the foundation for the vigorous development of Feishan belief.In the Qing Dynasty,the number of Feishan temples in Guizhou was more than three times that in the Ming Dynasty,covering all prefectures and counties along the border of Hunan,Guizhou and Guangxi in Guizhou,which was the peak period of the development of Feishan belief.There are three reasons for the changes in the development of Feishan Temple in Guizhou during the Ming and Qing dynasties.First,Guizhou is a military powerhouse in the southwest,which is a place gathering for ethnic minorities.The Miao minorities in this place were fierce and the Ming and Qing dynasties attached great importance to it.In addition,it was adjacent to Jingzhou,which provided convenience for Guizhou Fei Shan belief.Second,the central government of Ming and Qing Dynasties wanted to consolidate frontier defense in southwest China,and implemented a series of political,military and cultural policies in Guizhou.Forced military activities and the penetration of Han culture brought about huge conflicts and frictions with ethnic minorities.In order to quell the war and educate the Miao people,Feishan Temples became the carrier of moral education.Third: the promotion of the Yang family and the squires had become a powerful driving force for the development of Fei Shan belief.From the beginning of Liping to all prefectures and counties along the border of Hunan,Guizhou and Guangxi,the Feishan belief in Guizhou is a process from the center to the edge,from internalization to externalization.In this process,the collision and integration of foreign religions and local beliefs made Fei Shan belief constantly endowed with new characteristics.In different historical periods,the social function of Fei Shan belief is not the same.Ming and Qing dynasties,the development of Guizhou,seedling disorder frequent.In order to pacify the town and quell the rebellion,Fei Shan belief became a tool of local governance.Later,when Feishan belief developed to a certain scale and the character of Feishan immortal was in line with the religious psychological needs of the masses,many people built Feishan Temple on their own accord.The Feishan immortal gradually became the protection god for folk to seek happiness and health and maintain the nostalgia.So far,the Feishan belief gradually changed from national politicization to local folk.