World Natural Heritage World Geopark The First National Forest Park of China
shuire@gmail.com ZJJOnine

Tujia Religion and Beliefs

Culture 2010/11/23 View:3692

The primitive religions of the Tujia people were quite miraculous in nature and were expressed in four ways; worship of nature, veneration of ancestors, adoration of totems and belief in the Tima.

Today, among the folk people of Zhangjiajie, primitive polytheistic religion is still prevalent, and there remains the notion that everything has its own spirit. The Tujia believe that all things in nature have their own attendant god: mountain god, water god, caves god, tree god, and so on. They worship nature and have special regard for the god who is in charge of the land.

The objects of ancestor worship can be divided into three categories: ancient ancestors, family ancestors, and chieftains of the primitive tribes. The Tujia minority regards the chieftains of the primitive tribes. The Tujia minority regards the chiefs of the eight tribes as their more recently- deceased family elders, as their ancient ancestors. They venerate these heroes, but also enshrine their more recently- deceased family elders, as these worshippers set up sacred altars and memorial tablets with their ancestors name and blessings inscribed on them. The so-called chieftains refer to the heads of the local governing institutions in this minority region, which were designated by the central government as local governors-men such as Hero Tian and Chief Qin Hou. Established since the days of the Yuan dynasty, the central government set up seven local institutions of this kind in order to effectively control the minority people in the Zhangjiajie region. The chieftains embodied the authority of the tribe, the local administration, and the religious beliefs of the people into one person. They became sort of local emperors, and in order to strengthen their rule over the inhabitants, they were also enshrined as gods. Nowadays, many temples and shrines exist in their honor among the numerous Tujia villages.

The special totem of the Tujia people is the white tiger. It is commonly reported that ba wuxiang, the first ancestor of Tujias, was upheld as the chief of the entire tribe in ancient times. As he was passing away, his spirit ascended to heaven and was transformed into a white tiger. Even since, the Tujia people have regarded this splendid animal as uniquely worthy of veneration. In fact, its form was engraved or painted on Tujia weapons of veneration. In fact, we can see traces of the white tiger everywhere in their daily life: its form was engraved or painted on Tujia weapons such as daggers, swords and spears in former days; now it is knitted on the childrens shoes and caps by their parents, and images of the white tiger are carved on the doors and doorframes of Tujia homes. It is especially noteworthy that the tiger which the Tujias worship is of two kinds: family tiger and evil tiger. Regarded as the family god, the former should be worshiped on all happy occasions. The evil tiger, on the other hand, is viewed as being outside the family and is considered and evil god. When the children get sick, for example, the family fears that they have offended him, and so they must call for a wizard to employ his magic to drive away the evil tiger.

TheTima, called tu lao shi by the Maio nationality, is the person charged with performing religious rites among the Tujia people. He is a wizard and corresponds to the more modern concept of clergyman. These men are regarded as the ones who intercede between the common people and the gods, and they perform two types of clerical functions: redeeming the vows made to the gods and driving away evil spirits, redeeming a vow refers to an expression of the Tujias gratitude to the god for the good fortune and family prosperity which mainly includes following ritual steps: settling the altar, asking for help from the wizards master, asking for help from god, etc. driving away the evil spirit means dispelling the harass of some bad fortune, which also in involved with following processes: asking gods help, sending out the ghosts, climbing the ladder of swords, when someone has encountered bad luck or suffered from poor health, he or she needs to ask the Tima to drive away the evil spirit. In addition to these two important actions, the Tima usually instructs and takes charge of wedding ceremonies and funerals; some wizards also function as a singer or doctor.

Reading
  • Introduction of “Summer Begins”

    Introduction of “Summer Begins”

    Introduction of “Summer Begins”:“Summer Begins” comes on May 5 or May 6 every year. When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45 degrees, it’s the beginning of the summer season. Usually people consider this period as the time when crops’ growth enters into the peak season.
    2017-05-06 08:46 View:3656
  • Qingming Festival

    Qingming Festival

    Qingming Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.
    2017-04-05 21:35 View:2825
  • The Beginning of Winter

    The Beginning of Winter

    The Beginning of Winter is the time when winter officially arrives. When vegetation withered away, the weather becomes colder. Everything in the natural world falls into this cycle. In ancient agricultural society, the beginning of winter, spring, summer and autumn are called the “Four Beginnings.” They are all important days. For our ancestors, the beginning of winter is not just the start of a cold season but also a time to rest, a time when living things witness a period of dormancy and self-renewal.
    2016-11-11 11:01 View:3357
  • Zhangjiajie Taboo Custom

    Zhangjiajie Taboo Custom

    As the saying goes: “Different wind in ten-li, different custom in hundred-li.” “Asking taboo, asking custom into countryside.” Every nation and even every family and every profession, has its own different taboo content, it can not only reflect a full of Platonic superstitious cultural mentality, but also infiltrate the times scientific connotation, and reflect the developing trend of the nations constantly marching towards progress and amalgamation.
    2017-01-19 16:22 View:2944
  • Tujia Minority jumping funeral dance

    Tujia Minority jumping funeral dance

    Jumping funeral dance is also called as “Jumping funeral drum” and called "Saerhe" in Tujia language, it is an ancient funeral ritual dance of Tujia Minority people of Ba people’s descendants, with strong local color. It is mainly popular in Tujia Minority area of Qingjiang River basin, and corresponding to the popular region of Shaking Hand Dance, so called “Shaking Hand at south Jumping funeral dance at north”.
    2017-04-10 16:21 View:3389
  • Tujia spending the New Year of three times

    Tujia spending the New Year of three times

    Tujia people spend the New Year of three times, namely spend “Having Caught Up With Year” on 29 (or 28) Lunar December, spend “June Year” on 25 Lunar June, spend “October Year” on 1 Lunar October. When spending “Having Caught Up With Year”, kindle the bonfire at village barnyard, Tujia people dance the Shaking Hand Dance and sing the New Year song around the bonfire.
    2016-12-30 16:20 View:3029
  • Western Hunan Temple Fair

    Western Hunan Temple Fair

    Recorded in “Juan Family Genealogy”: Dayong Tujia Minority and Bai Minority, “Believing the wizard to exceed the God Willing, bugling the ox horn to exceed the battle drum, there are much more laughter persons, but there are a few of persons to have the knowledge. Thus, Cili records is said that: not know the years outside Maohuajie.”
    2017-01-04 16:19 View:2810
  • Miao Minority Autumn Harvest Festival

    Miao Minority Autumn Harvest Festival

    Autumn Harvest Festival is a large folk festival activity of Miao Minority for entertainment, trade, youth exchange to celebrate the future harvest before autumn harvest or autumn beginning.
    2016-11-23 16:18 View:2833
  • Zhangjiajie Tujia Drip Bed

    Zhangjiajie Tujia Drip Bed

    The Tujia bridegroom shall make a “Drip Bed” before marriage.The drip bed does not drop, just like the drip from the eaves. Usually it is divided into a pass drip and two pass drip. Two-drip bed is also called as the “One step” bed, engraved with dragon and phoenix, it is very exquisite and it is a special skill in Tujia.
    2017-01-18 16:17 View:3309
  • Tujia Shaking Hand Dance

    Tujia Shaking Hand Dance

    Tujia Shaking Hand Dance is a large-scale dance with most influence in Tujia Minority, and with a strong religious color. The song is produced along with dance and the dance is named along with the song.
    2017-02-22 16:16 View:2796