Daoist priests of the Li family

By Stephen Jones

Subjects: Taoism -- China -- Yanggao Xian -- Rituals -- History -- 21st century, Rituals, China, religion, China, social life and customs, Taoism, Li, Qing, 1926-1999, Religious life and customs, Taoism -- China -- Yanggao Xian -- Rituals -- History -- 20th century, Li family, Yanggao Xian (China) -- Religious life and customs, History, Li, Manshan, 1946-

Description: "Along with Jones' moving film Li Manshan : Portrait of a Folk Daoist, this engaging and original book describes a hereditary family of household Daoist priests in rural north China. It traces the vicissitudes of their lives--and ritual practices--over the turbulent last century through the experiences of two main characters: Li Manshan (b.1946), and his distinguished father Li Qing (1926-99). The story anchors changing ritual practice in the ethnography of ritual specialists and their patrons as they negotiate new challenges, giving a unique flavor of rural life in China today. A vivid portrait of a rapidly changing society, the work will fascinate anthropologists, scholars of Daoism and folk religion, world-music aficionados, and all those interested in Chinese society"--Publisher's description.