Lord Guan Cult and Lord Guan Performance in Southern Shanxi

Abstract

This thesis examines the cult of Lord Guan (Guan Gong) and its associated ritual and theatrical performances. In particular, it probes how Lord Guan is worshipped and why his cult is so popular in China, exploring the significance and status of the cult in China’s popular belief system. I argue that the cult of Lord Guan is the spiritual source of various forms of Lord Guan performance and, at the same time, is enriched and shaped by them. By examining Lord Guan performances and rituals based on my fieldwork and archival research in southern Shanxi (Jinnan), this study provides insight into the complexity of the rituals, the grandeur of the temple fairs, the bustling nature of the performances and the immersive engagement of the participants. These events also present an opportunity to explore the dynamic relationship between ritual and theatre. This thesis is a multidisciplinary study that involves religion, ritual, anthropology, ethnography, social history, sociology, archaeology, architecture and, above all, theatre and performance studies. By conducting extensive fieldwork in Lord Guan temples and participant observation of ritual performances in southern Shanxi, this thesis demonstrates the continued vitality of the Lord Guan cult in the present day and its unique cultural phenomenon, unparalleled by any other deity in China.