Folk Beliefs In The Shanghai Area Chenghuang: Change (1369-1930)

This paper from three aspects,discussed the evolution of the belief of town gods in Shanghai district in the Ming & Qing dynasties,and the mutual relation among town god,social economy, and political culture.At first,this article clarifies the confusion of the town god of Shanghai district,through the first in Shanghai through careful textual research.From the construction of the temple of town god and the recourse of town god,we could conclude the prototypes into four types:consoling for citizens,and protecting the city;resisting foreign aggression,and defending for public security; incorruptible functionary and pleading for the people;as one sanctuary and asylum of citizen. In short,the origin of different town god is diverse,but as time goes on the memory of town god attributed to the same gradually.The prototype of town god is faded gradually,but the function of town god has been emphasized.Secondly,the paper explorers the spatial distribution of town god through the time series,and found that belief behind has economic drivers.Commercialization and urbanization of Yangzi River Delta promote the prevalence of tow god for protecting the city Since the middle of Ming Dynasty.The hallmark of the expansion of belief is the temple construction,and the continuation of the repair,and the pursuit of town god fervently.With the expansion of spiritual belief,the meaning of town god was extended.Temple fair centered as belief of town god shows the interaction between the economic activities and spiritual faith.Moreover,this paper emphasizes on belief patterns among the political and cultural,national and local factors.Canonization of the early Ming dynasty has been given a strong ideological and political arrangement.This arrangement was continued in the Qing Dynasty,but gradually faded,especially accompanied by more and more popular participation of populace,and the belief of town god has been the common cultural destination gradually.Whether religious rituals,or day-to-day activities,both officials and populace could find their place.The temple of town god and the belief has gradually become a common platform,a sense of the common cultural space.