The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos

The Feitao ritual [肥套仪式] is a religious performance of the Maonan ethnic group [毛南族] in China. It has been challenged in its role as a traditional religion under the globalized phenomenon of heritagization, state intervention, and commercial investment. Contemporary interpretations of the Feitao rit...

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Main Authors: Yixing, Liu, Ow, Wei Chow
Format: Article
Published: Common Ground Research Networks 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119278/
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author Yixing, Liu
Ow, Wei Chow
author_facet Yixing, Liu
Ow, Wei Chow
author_sort Yixing, Liu
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Feitao ritual [肥套仪式] is a religious performance of the Maonan ethnic group [毛南族] in China. It has been challenged in its role as a traditional religion under the globalized phenomenon of heritagization, state intervention, and commercial investment. Contemporary interpretations of the Feitao ritual have become a purified and re-imagined expression of renowned Maonan cultural heritage, striving to find a balance between commodification and heritage preservation. This article analyzes the function of masks in the ritual, which not only symbolizes a connection with the divine but is also instrumental in the interaction between the divine and secular worlds. Masks as part of the ritual undergo a dynamic process of transformation of divine religious practices into secular performances. The authors support the notion of preserving the religious essence of the Feitao ritual in practical and constructive ways, as they observe its tenacious role in radiating the divinity of the community’s beliefs and blessing for the sustainability of the Maonan’s religious lineage in the secular world.
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institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-15T14:44:12Z
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publisher Common Ground Research Networks
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spelling upm-1192782025-08-13T03:48:50Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119278/ The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos Yixing, Liu Ow, Wei Chow The Feitao ritual [肥套仪式] is a religious performance of the Maonan ethnic group [毛南族] in China. It has been challenged in its role as a traditional religion under the globalized phenomenon of heritagization, state intervention, and commercial investment. Contemporary interpretations of the Feitao ritual have become a purified and re-imagined expression of renowned Maonan cultural heritage, striving to find a balance between commodification and heritage preservation. This article analyzes the function of masks in the ritual, which not only symbolizes a connection with the divine but is also instrumental in the interaction between the divine and secular worlds. Masks as part of the ritual undergo a dynamic process of transformation of divine religious practices into secular performances. The authors support the notion of preserving the religious essence of the Feitao ritual in practical and constructive ways, as they observe its tenacious role in radiating the divinity of the community’s beliefs and blessing for the sustainability of the Maonan’s religious lineage in the secular world. Common Ground Research Networks 2024 Article PeerReviewed Yixing, Liu and Ow, Wei Chow (2024) The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, 20 (1). pp. 119-143. ISSN 2327-008X; eISSN: 2327-2554 https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/the-feitao-ritual 10.18848/2327-008x/cgp/v20i01/119-143
spellingShingle Yixing, Liu
Ow, Wei Chow
The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title_full The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title_fullStr The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title_full_unstemmed The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title_short The Feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the Maonan cosmos
title_sort feitao ritual: masquerading between divine and secular ethos in the maonan cosmos
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119278/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119278/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119278/