The Research On Village Temple Fair Of Dongniu Village In Central Hebei Province

Embedded in local society,Temple fair has been the most important public activity for quite a long time.However,the reciprocity between humans and gods,as well as the stable structure for the continuity of temple fair has been impacted deeply due to the development of modern society.As a result,all temples in many villages of central Hebei Province had disappeared,left no worship place for local people.The temple fair lost its religious function,which means that it is no longer a mediation between humans and gods.Nevertheless,by virtue of temple fair's structure and social functions,the inheritance of temple fair has never been interrupted;it still plays an significant part in local people's daily life This thesis is a case study about the temple fair of Dongniu Village in central Hebei Province.It aims to figure out its earth-bound logic through the analysis of structure and functions of village temple fairs.Since almost every village has its village temple fair,the village temple fair is quite symbolic.Furthermore,the temple fairs often exist in clusters,which is a vital cause of its inheritance.For local villagers,the village temple fair is a comprehensive event with economic function,social function and entertainment function.It helps them get out of everyday life and enjoy the moment.Meanwhile,the social relationship is able to be maintained by the temple pairs year by year.The thesis is made up of five parts.Part 1It introduces the significance of this thesis,literature review and research method.Part 2It explains the background of the temple faris in Dongniu Village,including the local history,geography,social economy and cultural life.Part 3based on the fieldwork and related literature,this part introduces the historical changes of the temple fair in Dongniu Village,analyzing the cultural mechanism of temple fairs from the angle of the structure.Part 4According to the first-hand data from the fieldwork,this part give a full introduction of the structure of Dongniu temple fairs,including the structural collapse of the reciprocity between humans and gods,the disappearance of the gods in daily life,the secularization supported by the organizer,activities and participants in the temple fairs and the inheritance of Dongniu temple fairs thanks to the network structure of this area.Part 5It analyzes the earth-bound logic from the aspect of the functions of temple fairs.