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Hydraulic Religion: ‘Great King’ Cults in the Ming and Qing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1999

Randall Dodgen
Affiliation:
Sonoma State University

Abstract

In the middle years of the Ming (1368–1644) dynasty, temples dedicated to the Fourth Son Golden Dragon Great King (jin long si da wang) began to appear on dikes and in administrative centers along the Yellow River and the Grand Canal. The Golden Dragon cult originated as an ancestral cult dedicated to an apotheosized Southern Song (1127–1280) patriot from the Hangzhou area. It later became popular with boatmen and merchants who travelled on the Grand Canal. Beginning in the sixteenth century, hydraulic officials promoted the cult as an adjunct to their administration of the Canal and the Yellow River.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Copyright 1999 Cambridge University Press

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