154 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



and laymen marched in the procession. It was truly a thriUing sight, 

 which was followed by a feast in the temple for the principal leaders 

 and worshipers. 



I described such a birthday festival as follows (Graham, 1935, 

 pp. 425-427) : 



On August 2, 1930, at the town of Li-t'o, west of Yachow, the writer wit- 

 nessed a T'u-tsn-hui (-f^|j^-^), or a festival on the birthday of the god of 

 earth, or the Lord of Earth. There was a procession along the city streets, 

 which were literally packed with sightseers and worshipers. Along the way 

 there were many offerings of pork and beans, and much lighting of candles and 

 incense and burning of spirit money. Many who participated in the parade had 

 their faces painted with odd streaks of gold, and black and white paint, and 

 wore caps on which mottoes were written. People of both sexes and of all 

 ages marched in the parade, some of them carrying small sticks of decorated 

 wood. It is believed that the festival causes the crops to prosper, heals diseases, 

 and wards off calamities. 



In the parade were two pavilions in which were hats, shoes, candles, and 

 many dresses and gowns. Then came a large, red-faced god, with a fan in his 

 hand, carried in a pavilion or large sedan chair on the shoulders of coolies. 

 Three bombs, or short guns, were occasionally set off to announce the coming 

 of the god, and a band played typical Chinese music. Following the god were 

 scores of common people, each carrying a wooden placard. As the god passed 

 by, he was loudly hailed by the spectators, some of whom carried in their arms 

 infants whom they wished the god to bless and protect. Following those who 

 carried the placards were musicians with gongs, timbrels, and horns. Next 

 came Ch'uan Chu, the Lord of Szechvvan, who was dressed in yellow silk em- 

 broidered garments. In the center of his forehead he had a third eye which 

 enabled him to see good and evil, and such invisible creatures as demons. As 

 Ch'uan Chu passed along, people bowed their heads to the ground in reverent 

 worship. After the god came a squad of soldiers to preserve order. 



In the parade were people who were strikingly dressed ; some had their faces 

 painted. They participated in the procession in performance of vows. When they 

 were sick, or were faced with some dreadful calamity, they prayed to the god 

 for relief, and promised that if they were helped they would participate in this 

 way in the procession on the birthday of the god. The number of people who 

 thus took part in the procession each year seems to the common people to 

 prove the efficacy of the god. 



A witness of this procession could see clearly that the people were emotion- 

 ally thrilled and deeply impressed ; that emotions of reverence, awe, and wonder 

 were aroused ; and that unconsciously the people received a vivid impression 

 of the greatness of the gods, and were made more loyal to them, the priests, 

 and the religion. The techniques used are admirable for making such impres- 

 sions on the minds of the simple people, and are evidently the result of centuries 

 of experience. 



It is evident that financial reasons had much to do with the dis- 

 continuance, before China became Communist, of the great festivals 

 on the birthdays of the gods. It is also evident that the weakening 



