History And Process Of Transmission Of Twin Loyalty Belief In Chaozhou Area

Popular religion is a promising starting point of study of folk history, and also plays a significant role on comprehending grassroots society. In this dissertation, Belief of Twin Loyalty(Shuangzhong) primarily comprises Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan who are remembered as loyalists. There are numerous temples for Twin Loyalty in the Southeast of China.At the beginning of spreading into Chaozhou area (in the period of Song and Yuan dynasty), depending on historical data of Yuan dynasty, Belief of Twin Loyalty was closely associated with Taoism, might spring from Temple of the Eastern Peak (Dongyue Miao) set up at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty in the Eastern Mountain, Chaoyang, and later occupied a Buddhist temple nearby renamed Temple of Divine Power (Lingwei Miao) by the Emperor. By the year of 1312, with the initiation of local literati named Zhao Sizhu, the reconstruction of Temple of Divine Power had been accomplished, which offered a unique temple for Twin Loyalty Belief.From Yuan Dynasty, local officials and the literati repeatedly emphasized that Wen Tianxiang who led an army to resist Yuan Dynasty, and once fought in Chaoyang County had ever made a pilgrimage to Temple of Divine Power and written Qinyuanchun Ci.After that, Twin Loyalty Belief disseminated gradually. During the late Ming Dynasty, there were 13 sites worshipping Twin Loyalty Belief now known, which were mainly constructed in the early mid-Ming. Moreover, these points distributed along the Lianjiang River located in Chaoyang County, and concentrated highly, especially in the county seat of Chaoyang.By the late of Yongzheng Dynasty, the figure increased to 29, and half of them were located in Chaoyang. To my knowledge, there were 69 sites (approximately 50 temples) at the end of the Qing Dynasty.On the whole, Chaoyang County as the cradle of Twin Loyalty Belief was the most prevalent area in Chaozhou, whose number of points was amount to that of Jieyang County and Haiyang County.Furthermore, local officials and the literati had erected at least a Twin Loyalty Temple in most county area of Chaozhou, which indicates their sanction of its characteristic function of blessing city and edifying the local populace as well as identification of culture area of Chaoshan, and is a comprehensive outcome of physical geography, culture and administrative division.Since Ming and Qing Dynasty, local officials, the literati and the local populace had continuously retold the original legend of Belief of Twin Loyalty carried by Zhongying during the period of Xi’ning in the Northern Song Dynasty, which added and enriched its contend and created material proof, for the purpose of reconstruction of the origin of this belief. During this period, Twin Loyalty Belief disseminated gradually. I harbor the viewpoint that the ancestral temple in Eastern Mountain has limited impact on the precess of spread. By constrast, newly built temples affect other countrysides. Furthermore, some lineages integrate themselves with that belief, and their activities promote its transmission, which is a momentous fashion of spread of popular religion and cultural interaction among countrysides.In Chaozhou area, part of local officials in history led the reconstruction of temples of Twin loyalty and sacrifice. Meanwhile, they aired the spirit of loyalism. Those behavior as one of national edifying methods also could be thought of instilling official ideas into the village, which is not swift and has internal diversity. To my understanding, they exerted the influence over the center area of county.