Countryside To City,the Spread And Development Of Xiangtou Religion

As a kind of folk belief activity in Chifeng,Inner Mongolia,Xiangtou has a certain regional uniqueness.Xiangtou has two meanings in this study.The first meaning refers to this folk belief in general,and the second refers to a special group of people with certain psychic abilities that can help others to treat diseases,predict the unknown,solve difficulties,and bring good luck.This article examines and analyses Xiangtou culture and its adherents by using the observation method and in-depth interview method of field investigation and discussing from the perspective of communication,based on the theoretical framework of religious markets and mass communication.In addition,this article focuses on the transmission strategies and channels from rural areas to urban areas,from farmers to the middle class,and explores the evolution of Xiangtou under the background of modernization.The research shows that Xiangtou belief in Chifeng is a “rational” choice,which meets the common needs of the people and realizes the followers' pursuit and interpretation of the meaning,thus promoting the spread of Xiangtou.With the development of urbanization,a large number of rural populations have moved to cities and towns.Therefore,with the migration of people,the Xiangtou religion has shifted to cities and middle classes.When these rural residents settled down in cities and towns,starting communication with their neighbors,the second dissemination of Xiangtou occurs at the same time.The Xiangtou can be widely spread in cities,which has a lot to do with the middle class anxiety.To spread it more legally in cities and towns,Xiangtou packed itself into Buddhism and used Buddhism as a protective umbrella to realize the transition from almost nobody cares about Xiangtou to it becomes very popular among people.