Chapter Seven. Temples, Monasteries And Processions

Abstract

In some villages in recent years, much larger and sometimes quite ostentatious Buddhist monasteries and nunneries have been built, usually with Overseas Chinese funding. As for Daoist temples, the term is no longer relevant in Putian, as nowadays Daoist ritual masters work out of their homes, where they have altars dedicated to Daoist deities. Contemporary temples in the Putian plains serve as cultural centers and centers of political and economic decision making. Each village has its own system of selection of members of the temple management committee. Village temples in Putian organize impressive processions of the gods over the Yuanxiao festival and on the birthdays of the gods. Urban has led to the elimination of almost every trace of traditional architecture in Putian and Hanjiang cities, with the exception of a few temples, monasteries and historic buildings.Keywords: Buddhist monasteries; Daoist temples; god; processions; Putian plains; urban renewal