THE SOCIAL MEANING OF FOLK BELIEF AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS SACRED RELATIONSHIP--A STUDY OF THE BELIEF RELATIONSHIP BASED ON “XIADI ANCIENT VILLAGE” IN THE EASTERN GUANGDONG

Xiadi located in the eastern Guangdong province is a simplex clan ancient village with a history of over 700 years. There are four Huang’s ancestral halls, one Xuan Tian Ancient Temple (folk belief), one Buddhist Lodge and other places of worship in this village. The present situation of multiple beliefs in this village and the simplex clan relationship provide a great example for discussing the social meaning of folk beliefs and its construction of sacred relations. Distinguished from the emphasis of Max Weber, C.K.Yang and other scholars on the institution of Chinese religious belief, such as its faith-based organizations and meaning system, this paper will exam the social meaing of folk belief, which seems to be full of worldly and utilitarian colors but also involves the fundamental problem of its sanctity, with the understanding of Durkheim’s religious belief and the concept of Li Xianping’s “Relationship-Belief” model.