NO. 2 FOLK RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST CHINA — GRAHAM I5I 



a god. Incense and candles are lighted and spirit money is burned, 

 and moon-cakes, round like the moon, are offered to the moon, after 

 which they are eaten by members of the family. Quantities of these 

 cakes are made and sold by the candy shops, and every family buys 

 some to eat and some to give away. The origin of this is as follows : 

 One night at the close of the Yuan dynasty, on the 15th of the 8th 

 moon, every family was given a round biscuit, inside of which were 

 written characters instructing the people to rise and kill the Yuan 

 dynasty rulers. As a result the Yuan dynasty fell. Since then the 

 biscuits have contained sugar instead of written characters. 



On the ninth day of the ninth moon is the Ch'ung-yang-chieh. On 

 this day the people who can spare the time go up on the hills and 

 mountains where they enjoy the scenery and fresh air, drink wine 

 made of chrysanthemum blossoms, and write poetry. It is said that 

 some of the best Chinese poetry was written on this day. There is a 

 legend that centuries ago a man was warned by a god to leave his home 

 on this day, for a great calamity was coming on his home. He spent 

 the day on a nearby mountain, and when he returned he found that 

 during the day evil spirits had visited his home and killed all his 

 chickens and pigs. 



On the ist day of the loth moon is a festival called sung-han-i, or 

 "give winter clothing." Paper clothing is made and burned as a 

 means of giving it to the deceased ancestors; otherwise they would 

 suffer from cold during the coming winter. The ancestors are wor- 

 shiped, incense and candles are lighted, and spirit money is burned. 



To an agricultural people like the Chinese, the coming of spring 

 is very important. They have a festival called ying-ch'tin, or welcom- 

 ing spring, which is observed near the end of the old year and the 

 beginning of the new. The object is to induce spring to come and to 

 bring prosperity to the farmers. 



In the following words Adam Grainger (1921, p. 49) describes 

 this custom as he found it in Chengtu : 



The solar period known as the Beginning of Spring commences about Feb. 5. 

 On the first day preparation is made for the ceremony. Very early next morn- 

 ing a large paper effigy of an ox drawing a plough is exhibited on the Ox-beating 

 Ground somewhere inside the city. The magistrate attends in person accompanied 

 by actors representing the Star of Literature and his monkey Sen. After some 

 mountebank performances with the monkey the Star of Literature exclaims — 



"May the land and the people be peaceful : 

 May the wind and the rain be propitious : 

 May the fruits of the earth be abundant." 



The magistrate thereupon arises, puts his hand to the plough, and waves the 

 ox-goad. This is the signal for a general assault on the ox, which is torn to 



