Deifying Communist Soldiers: The Coastal Defence Culture and the Continuation of Apotheosis in Contemporary China

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the history and cultural significance of the Chongwu Army Temple in Fujian Province, which is dedicated to the religious worship of 27 Chinese Communist soldiers. Placing this temple in the context of the coastal defence culture of southeast China, the article argues that the deification of fallen Communist soldiers is not a modern invention and is not as incongruous as it may at first appear. Rather, it is a continuation of the tradition of ‘apotheosis’, or the elevation of great people to divine status, which continues to flourish in grassroots religious life in Chinese society and elsewhere. While the military and government treat the temple as a political resource, it remains a site of active worship for local people, and the religious and political dimensions may sometimes align in a mutually accepted narrative. Thus, local cultural history and religious traditions, as well as the complexities of local politics and civil–military relations, are highly relevant to the study of China’s grassroots religious revivals.