Tujia Religious Beliefs in Zhangjiajie
Although the Tujia people have been deeply influenced by the Han in religious beliefs and have adopted Han deities and spirits, the dominant force in Tujia religion remains their own folk religion. The Tujia have no single fixed religious model but have long practiced polytheism. Most prominent are...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Tujia Religious Beliefs
Although the Tujia people have been deeply influenced by the Han Chinese in terms of religious beliefs and have also adopted and worshipped the gods and spirits revered by the Han, the dominant position in the overall religious beliefs of the Tujia people still belongs to their own ethnic folk religion. The Tujia have no single fixed religious model, but have long believed in multiple gods, making it a polytheistic religion. What stands out is their superstition regarding ghosts and spirits, and their worship of ancestors. Among all the deities they believe in, there are two major categories. The first category is ancestral gods, divided into recent ancestors and distant ancestors. Recent ancestors are the successive generations of forebears who passed away not long ago; distant ancestors refer to clan founders and prestigious upper-class rulers or ethnic heroes. Recent ancestors are mainly household ancestral spirits—when an elderly family member dies, they are honored as a deity, and each household establishes a shrine for them, also called a spirit tablet altar, where successive generations of ancestors are enshrined and worshipped. On every New Year festival and on occasions of weddings and funerals, they must be honored, expressing reverence for the ancestors. Among the distant ancestral gods, those more commonly retained are the Tuwang (Tujia kings), the Eight Tribes Great Gods, the Xiang King, the Wu King, the Tian King, and others. The second category is nature gods. In the long process of understanding and transforming nature, the Tujia people produced a large number of nature gods, expressing their worship of natural forces. These mainly include the Meishan God, Ami Mama, the White Tiger, and Posongga (a female evil spirit that entangles children), among others.
Passing Through the Underworld
This refers to shamanistic activities in which a person enters the underworld without dying. When a ritual master performs a certain magic, this technique is required: several people are selected from the crowd, their heads and faces covered with black cloth, facing east with their backs to the west, seated on stools. The ritual master chants incantations before them, dancing while chanting, and also sprays magical water on the blindfolded ones, pointing a ritual knife at a circular talisman. Before long, the blindfolded ones enter a trance state, as if a spirit has possessed them, and gradually their whole bodies begin to tremble and they dance and gesticulate—this means they have "entered the underworld." It is said that those who pass through the underworld, though blindfolded, can still discern direction and act according to the ritual master's instructions. They can answer any question about matters in the underworld, and people can get answers from them about whatever they wish to know, and can also seek methods of exorcism and resolution. The ritual master uses magic to direct them to do various things. After a certain time, the ritual master uses incantations to call them back, and under his direction they gradually return to the world of the living and awaken. If one or two cannot return, the ritual master doubles his magic upon them, pointing his knife at them and chanting incantations and drawing talismans, forcibly commanding them to return. After those who passed through the underworld awaken, the ritual master removes their blindfolds; at this point they all look pale and their gaze is dull, as if they have suffered a serious illness. The ritual master then applies restorative magic to gradually bring them back to normal. After recovery, they completely forget the events of the underworld.
Some of the images above are from the internet, and their sources are unknown. Authors, please contact this website.