Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China
This article examines the influence of local government on the folk rituals of Rebgong in China’s Amdo Tibetan region, by highlighting the example of Wutu, a tiger festival held in one Tu minority village. In particular, it encapsulates the impact of local government intervention through the changed...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| author | Hugh Battye |
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| description | This article examines the influence of local government on the folk rituals of Rebgong in China’s Amdo Tibetan region, by highlighting the example of Wutu, a tiger festival held in one Tu minority village. In particular, it encapsulates the impact of local government intervention through the changed meaning of the “magic” bread in the ritual. Originally, the dough was rubbed on sick parts of the villagers’ bodies, and the bread was subsequently removed from the village by the Wutu performers as a medium for the elimination of sickness. In recent years, however, the bread has become one of the important positive symbols of the festival, and, during one dance performance in the 2018 ceremony, was actively promoted for consumption as “healthy for old people and good for healing diseases!” This intervention on the materiality at the heart of the festival has influenced its meaning away from that of a negative shamanic rite concerned with the expulsion of evil towards a more positivist celebration of China’s minority ethnic cultural heritage. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9c1bfa4e48bf4ff8a0285663d4abd065 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-9c1bfa4e48bf4ff8a0285663d4abd0652025-08-20T02:33:48ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-04-0116554710.3390/rel16050547Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, ChinaHugh Battye0Independent Researcher, Oldbury-on-Severn, Bristol BS35 1QB, UKThis article examines the influence of local government on the folk rituals of Rebgong in China’s Amdo Tibetan region, by highlighting the example of Wutu, a tiger festival held in one Tu minority village. In particular, it encapsulates the impact of local government intervention through the changed meaning of the “magic” bread in the ritual. Originally, the dough was rubbed on sick parts of the villagers’ bodies, and the bread was subsequently removed from the village by the Wutu performers as a medium for the elimination of sickness. In recent years, however, the bread has become one of the important positive symbols of the festival, and, during one dance performance in the 2018 ceremony, was actively promoted for consumption as “healthy for old people and good for healing diseases!” This intervention on the materiality at the heart of the festival has influenced its meaning away from that of a negative shamanic rite concerned with the expulsion of evil towards a more positivist celebration of China’s minority ethnic cultural heritage.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/5/547ChinaAmdoRebgongTuTibetan Buddhismfolk religion |
| spellingShingle | Hugh Battye Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China Religions China Amdo Rebgong Tu Tibetan Buddhism folk religion |
| title | Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China |
| title_full | Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China |
| title_fullStr | Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China |
| title_short | Transformative and Transformed: The Changing Meaning of the Magic Bread in the Wutu Festival of Nianduhu Village, Rebgong, China |
| title_sort | transformative and transformed the changing meaning of the magic bread in the wutu festival of nianduhu village rebgong china |
| topic | China Amdo Rebgong Tu Tibetan Buddhism folk religion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/5/547 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hughbattye transformativeandtransformedthechangingmeaningofthemagicbreadinthewutufestivalofnianduhuvillagerebgongchina |