CONTENTS 



Page 



Preface iii 



Aclcnowledgments v 



Background i 



Geography and climate i 



History 8 



The people 12 



Economic life 15 



Social life and customs 27 



The family and filial piety 27 



Amusements 29 



Some special social customs 30 



Birth, engagement, marriage, death, and burial 32 



Religious background 45 



Early religion of Qiina 45 



The great religions 48 



Confucianism 48 



Taoism 52 



Buddhism 56 



Mohammedanism 62 



Christianity 63 



The lesser religions 68 



Non-Chinese 68 



Ch'uan Miao 68 



The Lolos or Nosu 74 



The Ch'iang 89 



The Tibetans and Lamaism 93 



The Chinese 102 



The Ju T'an, or Altar of the Scholars 102 



The Wu Chiao, or Religion of Magic 104 



The T'ung Shan She, or Society for Cooperation in Good- 

 ness 105 



The International Union of the Religions of Six Sages, or 



The Mother Religion 106 



The popular or folk religion of southwest China 109 



Yin-yang and jengshui, or mysterious potency , no 



Ancestor worship 119 



Demons 123 



Ceremonies to obtain sons 129 



Ceremonies to cause or to stop rain 131 



Divination and fortunetelling 134 



Incantations and charms 139 



The Chinese lunar festivals I44 



Festivals on the birthdays of the gods 153 



Oaths, vows, prayers, sacrifices, and offerings i55 



