NO. 2 FOLK RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST CHINA — GRAHAM I95 



would hear a Chinese say, "Many of the Chinese do not beheve in 

 the gods any more." 



To me it seemed that the religious changes taking place in China 

 were very important and ought to be studied and interpreted. It also 

 seemed that one of the best ways to make this study, if not the best, 

 was to study the temples of West China. I therefore made a year's 

 study of the temples of Suifu in 1929, and two more of the temples 

 of Suifu at later periods. During World War II I first, with the 

 help of three university students, made a 3-years' study of the tem- 

 ples of Chengtu. After this I studied for shorter periods the temples 

 at Ya-an, Hung-ya, Chia-chiang, Lo-shan, Ch'ien-wei, and a few 

 smaller places. The entire account would fill a large book, but I 

 will record only what I regard as most important. 



EFFECTS 

 A SURVEY AND STUDY OF THE TEMPLES OF CHENGTU 



GENERAL INFORMATION 



When I returned to Szechwan very early in 1940, the religious 

 changes and their effects on the temples of Szechwan were so evident 

 and so important that I decided to make a careful study of the tem- 

 ples of Chengtu and of as many other towns and cities in West China 

 as possible. I planned not to make this a mere collection of statistics, 

 however important that might be, but to supplement such studies with 

 inquiries that would throw light on religion in general as it existed 

 in West China. 



The temples of the Chinese are vitally important in the lives of the 

 people, forming one of the main centers of social life. Times of 

 religious worship, whether on a small or a large scale, are also times 

 for meeting and talking with friends and neighbors and for drinking 

 tea and talking with priests and nuns. Every large city had a number 

 of temples named after localities outside of Szechwan. These were 

 constructed and used by people who came from the localities for which 

 the temples were named. In these temples the people owning them 

 held social gatherings, feasts, and theatricals, and often conducted 

 business transactions, and there, of course, they also worshiped. Im- 

 portant religious festivals included feasts and were followed by the- 

 atricals for the enjoyment of the worshipers and also of the gods. 



The temples are also the homes of the priests or nuns. There they 

 work, worship, and sleep, and there the older priests and nuns train 

 the initiates. There they worship the gods, chant the sacred books, 

 drink tea, and chat with their friends and with each other. 



