Historical Memory,Cultural Representation,and Social Identity from a Multidimensional Construction of Guandi Beliefs in Xinjiang during the Qing Dynasty
The reunification of Xinjiang by the Qing Dynasty triggered a massive influx of immi-grants from inland regions,leading to the wide-spread dissemination of Guandi beliefs across the region;this resulted in the construction of numer-ous temples in both the northern and southern Tianshan Mountains.These temples not only exem-plified the Qing Dynasty's effective governance in Xinjiang but also catalyzed interactions and inte-grations among diverse communities,fostering measures of emotional consensus and cultural iden-tity.They emerged as pivotal vehicles for transmit-ting the historical memory of the Chinese national community.However,current research on Guandi beliefs in Xinjiang tends to be fragmented,with a scarcity of in-depth,micro-level analyses of the Qing Dynasty period.This raises important ques-tions:How did Guandi beliefs evolve locally in Xinjiang?What was their spatial distribution?How deeply were they integrated into local society?And what role did they play in fostering internal cohe-sion and centripetal force in the formation of the Chinese national community?Drawing upon an exhaustive examination of local historical literature of Xinjiang during the Qing Dynasty,this paper delves into Guandi be-liefs across three interconnected dimensions:Tem-poral,spatial,and social.The temporal dimension aims to uncover the origins,development,and e-volution of Guandi beliefs in Xinjiang,showcasing their profound historical heritage in the multi-eth-nic region through imperial edicts,manifestation deeds,and ritual ceremony designs.It underscores their role in facilitating ethnic communication,in-teraction,and integration.The spatial dimension meticulously maps the extensive distribution of Guandi temples,elucidating the dynamic expan-sion of their influence across Xinjiang.Micro-level analysis seeks to reveal how these temples integrat-ed into the daily lives of various ethnic groups,in-tertwining with village settlement spaces to create an"interlocking"social fabric,reflecting an"in-terlocking fusion"of beliefs and cultures.The so-cial dimension conceivably highlights Guandi be-liefs as a cornerstone of emotional bonds and social identity:It seems they regulated rituals,promoted virtues,harmonized social order,and consolidated value identities in Xinjiang's social governance.This synergy united individuals'prayers for peace and security with the Qing court's pursuit of stabili-ty and order,thereby enhancing societal cohesion.Ultimately,Guandi beliefs functioned as an integration mechanism intertwining historical mem-ory,cultural representations,and emotional identi-ties.This mechanism appeared to facilitate a con-nection between individual destiny choices and na-tional political needs,satisfying both the Qing government's political aspirations of promoting eti-quette,morality,and social stability in Xinjiang,and the practical demands of pluralistic communi-ties for exchange and joint construction.This"in-tegration mechanism",furthermore,seemed to embody the Chinese nation's historical cognition of"great unity"as well as the values of"benevo-lence,righteousness,loyalty,trustworthiness,and goodness,"arguably becoming a cohesive pursuit for all ethnic groups in Xinjiang today.Its manifes-tation not only laid a solid cultural and social foun-dation for Xinjiang's long-term stability but also strengthened the cohesion of the Chinese nation as a whole.Thus,the prevalence of Guandi beliefs in the Qing Dynasty in Xinjiang plausibly exemplified a profound cultural integration and resonance a-mong its ethnic groups under the"rule by literacy"policy.As a cultural bond,Guandi beliefs appar-ently tightly connected Xinjiang's diverse ethnici-ties,fostering social stability,ethnic harmony,and cultural identity.They propelled cultural and political identification with the Qing Dynasty,thereby consolidating Qing rule and the construc-tion of national identity,thereby facilitating the formation and development of the Chinese national community.
Xinjiang during the Qing dynas-tyGuandi beliefsmultidimensional constructionhistorical memorycultural representationChi-nese national community consciousness
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
