Secularization, sacralization and the reproduction of sacred space: exploring the industrial use of ancestral temples in rural Wenzhou, China

Abstract

This paper offers a nuanced understanding of different social groups’ roles in the reproduction of sacred spaces. Drawing on the analysis of the transformation of sacred ancestral temples into private factories in rural Wenzhou, China, it problematizes the underlying division of ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’ actors and their opposite roles. It shows how lineage groups and factory owners, in spite of their distinctive social identities, work together and facilitate the secularization and sacralization of temple landscapes. On the one hand, both groups of people deploy discursive strategies and re-interpret the significance of ancestral temples and economic production, thereby rationalizing and prompting the conversion of temple spaces. On the other hand, traditional sacred temples are constantly reproduced through lineages’ ritual performances and factory owners’ worship and daily protection. As such, the roles of lineage communities and factory owners are diverse and change in specific contexts. This paper foregrounds the multiple and flexible agency of different social actors in relation to the production of the complex sacred–secular entanglement, and reflects on the changing traditional cultural landscape in rural China.

Résumé

Cet article propose une appréhension nuancée des rôles de différents groupes sociaux dans la reproduction de lieux sacrés. En s’inspirant de l’analyse de la transformation de temples ancestraux sacrés en usines privées dans le Wenzhou rural en Chine, il présente la problématique de la division implicite des acteurs « sacrés » et « laïques » et de leurs rôles opposés. Il montre comment les groupes de lignage et les propriétaires d’usines, malgré leur identité sociale distincte, travaillent ensemble et facilitent la laïcisation et la sacralisation de paysages de temples. D’une part, les deux groupes de personnes déploient des stratégies discursives et ré interprètent l’importance des temples ancestraux et de la production économique, avec pour résultat la rationalisation et la conversion des espaces des temples. D’autre part, les temples sacrés traditionnels sont constamment reproduits à travers les rituels de lignages et les dévotions et la protection quotidienne des propriétaires d’usines. En fait, les rôles de communautés de lignage et des propriétaires d’usines sont divers et changent dans des contextes particuliers. Cet article souligne l’influence multiple et flexible des différents acteurs sociaux concernant la production de l’enchevêtrement complexe du sacré et du laïque et se penche sur le paysage culturel traditionnel changeant de la Chine rurale.

Resumen

En este trabajo se ofrece una visión más matizada de los diferentes roles de grupos sociales en la reproducción de espacios sagrados. Sobre la base del análisis de la transformación de los templos sagrados ancestrales en fábricas privadas en la Wenzhou rural, China, se problematiza la división subyacente de los actores 'sagrados' y 'seculares' y sus roles opuestos. Se muestra cómo los grupos de linaje y propietarios de fábricas, a pesar de sus identidades sociales distintivas, trabajan juntos y facilitan la secularización y la sacralización de los espacios del templo. Por un lado, los dos grupos de personas utilizan estrategias discursivas y reinterpretan el significado de los templos ancestrales y la producción económica y, de ese modo, racionalizan y provocan el cambio de los espacios de los templos. Por otro lado, los templos sagrados tradicionales son constantemente re-producidos a través de las actuaciones rituales de los grupos de linaje y del culto y la protección diaria de los propietarios de fábricas. Como tales, las funciones de las comunidades de linaje y de los propietarios de fábricas son diversas y cambian en contextos específicos. En este trabajo se pone en primer plano la acción múltiple y flexible de los diferentes actores sociales en relación a la producción del complejo entrelazamiento entre lo sagrado y lo secular, y se reflexiona sobre la evolución del panorama cultural tradicional en la China rural.

Keywords:

• Sacred space
• secularization
• sacralization
• ancestral temple
• Wenzhou
• rural China

Mots clés:

• lieu sacré
• laïcisation
• sacralisation
• temple ancestral
• Wenzhou
• Chine rurale

Palabras clave:

• espacio sagrado
• secularización
• sacralización
• templo ancestral
• Wenzhou
• China rural

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Acknowledgements

I am extremely grateful to Prof Lily Kong for her valuable comments and guidance for earlier drafts. Many thanks also go to three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and helping me to shape the theoretical direction. I also owe great debts to editor Robert Wilton for his suggestions and personally editing the manuscript, to Dr Choon Piew Pow for his comments to the first draft and to Jingfu Chen, Jingwen Chen and Rachel Bok for their suggestions for earlier drafts.

Notes

1. Xincheng Town has been integrated into the urban development of Ruian city – a county-level city of Wenzhou – and has officially been renamed as Xincheng district. Yet, this paper still use the previous name – Xincheng Town – which is in line with what local people currently call their own living place in everyday life.

2. Lineage elites are those who are retired local cadres, teachers and entrepreneurs as well as those who are ordinary members but actively involved in lineage activities.

3. In Xincheng, the rent of a formal industrial plant amounted to US$ 34–39 per square meter in 2014; the exchange rate of Yuan to US$ is currently about 0.16.

4. The lineage committee is made of a group of male lineage elders, including several lineage elites and the lineage head (i.e. the eldest member with the highest seniority in the lineage).

5. The Qingming Festival is an important Chinese traditional festival on the fifteenth day after the Spring Equinox. On this day, Chinese people visit the graves of their ancestors and departed ones, sweeping the tombs, offering sacrifice food, burning joss paper, and praying for protections and blessings.

6. It is a Chinese traditional festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. During this festival, some Chinese members also visit the ancestral tombs to pay respect to their ancestors.

7. Due to the great demand from private industries, lineage elites rent out ancestral temples mainly based on the consideration of rental income, although they try to give priority to factory owners from their own lineage. It is usually those who afford higher rent that have higher chances in getting the temple spaces. In this way, most renters are non-lineage members. According to my fieldwork in 2014, only three ancestral temples were rented by people from their own lineages.

8. The family tree is a crucial component of lineage culture; it records lineage origin, history and rules as well as the seniority, birth dates, kinship relations of each member.

9. It is on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when rural people worship their deceased ancestors.