The Book of Chinese Beliefs - Frena
Bloomfield
Ghost weddings, passports to Heaven, getting on the right
side of spirits - are just a couple of the topics covered in this 1983 book, a
readable overview of how the Chinese integrate the supernatural with everyday
life. The main chapters discuss feng-shui, gods, major holidays, mediums
talking to spirits, spells, healing, and fortunetelling. The chapters at the
end are about things non-Chinese are interested in: the role of the Tong Sing
Farmer's Almanac, etiquette (the advice on gift giving is especially useful),
food and drink, and secret societies. Anybody interested in how the
extra-mundane influences ordinary Chinese people in their lives should read
this book. Sure, the book was published in the early Eighties but it is not
like these ancient beliefs have changed in the last 30 years.
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