Fenxiang (分香), literally the incense division, is a term that defines both hierarchical networks of
temples
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
dedicated to a particular
Deity or Deities in
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
, and the ritual process by which these networks form.
Networks
Networks of affiliated temples dedicated to the cult of a specific
God or Deity can proliferate extensively. These networks are economic and social bodies, and in certain moments of history have even taken military functions. They also represent routes of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
, with communities of devotees from the affiliated temples going up in the hierarchy to the senior temple. One notable example will
Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage
The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage () is usually held annually between lunar January and April in the western plains of Taiwan, a major Taoist religious event since 1863. After every lunar new year, the Mazu statue of Gongtian Temple () at Baishatun, T ...
in Taiwan.
Ritual of creation of a new temple
When a new temple dedicated to the same Deity is founded, it enters the sacred network through the ritual of division of incense. This consists in filling the incense burner of the new temple with ashes brought from the incense burner of an existing temple. The new temple is therefore spiritually affiliated to the older existing temple, and back in the hierarchy to the very first temple dedicated to the Deity.
See also
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Jingxiang
Jìngxiāng (敬香 "offering incense with respect"), shàngxiāng (上香 "offering incense"), bàishén (拜神 "worshipping the Gods"), is a ritual of offering incense accompanied by tea and or fruits in Chinese traditional religion. In anc ...
, incense worship
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Miaohui
Miaohui (), literally temple gatherings or translated as temple fairs, also called yíngshén sàihuì ( "collective rituals to greet the gods"), are China, Chinese religion, religious gatherings held by Miao shrine, Miao shrines for the worshi ...
, temple gathering
Footnotes
References
Sources
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Chinese folk religion
Taoist priesthood
Taoist temples
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