Du Zhifang - Inheritor of  Religious Rites - exercising Etiquette in Fumin County， Chuxiong

Personal Information
Du Zhifang (杜芝芳), male, Han Chinese, was born in 1931 in Fumin County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province (originally Fumin Town, Chuxiong Prefecture). He is recognized as a second-batch provincial-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Yunnan, specializing in religious ritual arts. Today, he resides in Fumin County.

Though Fumin County is home to a large population of ethnic minorities (2024 census: 152,806 residents, including Yi 14,208; Miao 8,513; Bai 1,272; Hui 630; and other minorities 2,202), Du Zhifang, as a Han ritual artist, plays a unique role in preserving local cultural traditions.

Training and Growth
Du Zhifang’s ritual arts come from family inheritance:

• Early Initiation: As a child, he was instructed by his grandfather and father in ritual practices.

• Skill Development: He systematically learned chanting myths, beating the flat drum, drawing tunkou symbols, and painting deity images.

• Mastery: After his father’s passing, he had mastered the full set of skills and ritual rules, able to carry out ceremonies independently and explain their origins.

• Practical Application: As a “xiangtong” (乡通, Han ritual specialist), he was active in presiding over ceremonies and community rituals.

Growing up in Fumin, Du was nurtured in a diverse religious environment, surrounded not only by Han folk beliefs but also by Buddhism (e.g., Xihua Zen Temple, Qingshou Temple), Daoism (e.g., Sanjiao Hall), and Christianity.

Artistic Features and Style
As a xiangtong, Du’s ritual arts combine multiple dimensions:

His role parallels the Yi people’s xiangtong (香通), ritual masters who also preside over ceremonies using drums while chanting. Yet, while xiangtong among the Yi belongs to their ethnic religious system, Du’s identity as a Han xiangtong reflects cultural distinctiveness within interethnic exchanges.

Ritual Practices and Cultural Context
The ceremonies Du presided over were integral to Han folk beliefs in Fumin:

1. Main Types of Rituals

• Family Worship: New Year, Qingming, October tomb rites, Mid-Yuan Festival, Lunar New Year’s Eve, with offerings and paper burning.

• Blessings and Exorcisms: Community rituals to pray for good fortune and ward off misfortune.

• Funerary Rites: Presiding over funerals, comparable to Tang-style rites led by Daoists in other Han areas of Yunnan (e.g., Zhaotong).

1. General Ritual Process (based on Han practices in Yunnan)

• Opening: Initiation of the altar ceremony.

• Offerings: Presenting food and incense, chanting scriptures or myths.

• Exorcism and Blessings: Chanting and ritual gestures to drive away evil and invoke protection.

• Closing: Concluding with chants, thanking the deities, and putting away ritual tools.

1. Cultural Background

• Rooted in ancestor and nature worship, with records dating back to Qin dynasty practices.

• Functioned as expressions of belief, as well as strengthening community bonds and social harmony.

• Han residents in Fumin often observed Buddhist customs such as vegetarian offerings on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month.

• His work integrated elements of Buddhism, Daoism, and folk faiths, reflecting Yunnan’s cultural pluralism.

Notably, recent local policies promote “civilized, low-carbon” worship—flowers, tree planting, and online memorials—posing new challenges to traditional ritual practices.

Transmission and Contribution

1. Transmission Status

• Lineage: Grandfather → Father → Du Zhifang.

• Crisis: “No descendants are learning the craft.”

• Age: At 94 (as of 2025), his advanced years limit active participation.

• Cultural Change: Modern entertainment and evolving values weaken ritual demand.

• Policy Impact: Anti-superstition campaigns and promotion of civilized worship constrain traditional practice.

1. Cultural Contributions

• Skill Preservation: As a provincial inheritor, he safeguards Han ritual arts.

• Academic Value: His practice offers rare living material for research on Han folk religion in Yunnan.

• Cultural Transmission: His ceremonies conveyed the depth of Han ritual traditions to the broader public.

• Historical Witness: His lifetime embodies the transformation of religious culture in Fumin.

1. Local Heritage Protection Efforts

• Policy guidelines emphasize “protection first, rescue as priority, rational use, and transmission through development.”

• Initiatives include local intangible heritage listings (e.g., Bench Dragon Dance, Buckwheat Dance).

• Training centers and periodic performances support minority heritage, though Han ritual arts receive less focus.

Conclusion
Du Zhifang, as a provincial-level inheritor of Han ritual arts in Fumin, has contributed significantly to safeguarding and showcasing Han folk religious traditions. His artistry—chanting myths, drumming, drawing ritual symbols, and painting deities—embodies the spiritual life of the community and enriches Yunnan’s multi-ethnic cultural landscape.

Yet, as the last bearer of his family’s lineage, his craft faces extinction. This loss is not only personal but also cultural. The challenge lies in reconciling the preservation of such intangible heritage with the realities of modernization and shifting social practices, ensuring that traditions like Du Zhifang’s are not forgotten in the currents of change.