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Shvoong Home>Business & Economy>The Religious Worship of the Gods of Trades in the Modern History of Beijing Summary

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The Religious Worship of the Gods of Trades in the Modern History of Beijing

Article Summary by: TsingHua    

Original Author: Journal of Beijing Union University(Humanities and Social Sciences)
This abstract was translated from 近代北京的行业神崇拜
In the end of the 1920s there were about seventy temples of the gods of trades in Beijing city. These religious places of
worship of the gods of trades were divided into two kinds. One kind was a traditional religious temple. Another kind was the guild hall of industry and commerce. This tradition that Beijing's guilds of industry and commerce offered sacrifice to the gods of trades was a source of the pluralistic religious consciousness. This consciousness was foundation of Chinese culture that “honor ancestors and respect forebears” and “esteem morality to require utility”. All trades worshipped their own gods. Many gods protect one trade or one god may protect many trades. In modern Beijing the religious worship of the guilds of industry and commerce reflected the developing trend of Chinese traditional culture. This is the historical trend in which the Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are flowing together since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The religious consciousness of the members of guild expressed a strong nature of utilitarianism and pragmatism. Along with the developing and turbulence of modern Beijing's society, the utility function of religion was weakened day by day. At the same time the religious belief of these people was more apathetic with each passing day.
Published: March 20, 2005
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