The Spread and Impact of the Guan Gong Belief in Border Regions
During the Ming and Qing dynas-ties,with the formation and development of a uni-fied multi-ethnic country,the territory continued to be expanded,and the border and ethnic minority regimes were incorporated into the direct rule of the central dynasty.What is more,the belief in Guan Gong likewise extended into remote ethnic minority areas and merged with local folk and reli-gious beliefs,becoming a common cultural symbol among all ethnic groups in China.Firstly,the belief in Guan Gong has been widely spread in ethnic minority areas.Originating from regions like Dangyang,the belief in Guan Gong spread widely through population mobility to China's Mongolian region,Northeast region,Xin-jiang region,the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,South-west region,and Central South region.In these ethnic minority areas,the image of Guang Gong in-tegrated with local hero figures,adapting to differ-ent social environments.Results further suggest that,gradually,the belief in Guan Gong became deeply integrated into the local ethnic belief sys-tem,transforming him into a protective deity and cultural hero worshipped by the entire nation.It could be said that the dissemination process of the Guan Gong faith from inland China to its border-lands paralleled the continuous expansion of the state power,further centralization of authority,and formation and development of a unified multi-eth-nic country.Based on this,this study believes the worship of Guan Gong has played a subtle role in border stability,political cohesion,military suc-cess,commercial development,and ideological u-nity.Secondly,the spread of the Guan Gong faith in ethnic minority areas has shown to utilize diverse channels.This dissemination of the Guan Gong Belief seemed to primarily occur through the con-struction of temples and ritual practices,accolades in literary works,portrayal in theatrical perform-ances,artistic representations,and festival cele-brations,all of which deeply embedded this belief in the hearts of various ethnic groups.The con-struction of the Guandi Temple served as a tangible conduit,where ceremonial rites became the prima-ry way to spread the reverence for Guan Gong,re-presenting a most direct,infectious,and culturally resonant way of transmission for believers.Further-more,literary works,especially rap literature,and widespread folk legends,alongside theatrical pres-entations,vividly depicted and celebrated the im-age of Guan Gong,thereby amplifying his influ-ence among various ethnic groups in China.Finally,it can be concluded that the diffusion of the Guan Gong faith in ethnic regions has had a profound social impact.The dissemination of the Guan Gong Faith arguably has promoted literary and artistic creativity among ethnic minority peo-ples,enriched their spiritual lives,reinforced a brave and tenacious national spirit,deepened com-munication,interaction,and integration among va-rious ethnic groups,promoted the formation of shared values and beliefs across the Chinese na-tion,and maintained social stability in ethnic mi-nority areas,thereby playing a constructive role in the formation,development,and consolidation of a unified multi-ethnic country.
belief in Guan Gongspreading regionstransmission pathinfluence of communi-cation
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