Ancestor Worship of Pula People of the Yi Minority in Southern Yunnan: Taking Beige Villlage, Kaiyuan City, Yunnan Province as an Example

摘要

Beige refers to Pula Village of Yi minority in southern Yunnan Province and the area distributed with the most centralized population. The harsh natural environment and the backward means of livelihood make Pula people mainly rely on the worship of nature and ancestors and deities for a good harvest. Ancestor worship has always been prevailing in the local area. The ancestor worship of Pula people builds on the faith that the souls of parents are immortal. Up to now, they still maintain a set of funeral ceremony that pleases souls of the dead. Besides, a variety of ceremonies of sacrifice and praying for souls of ancestors are annually conducted in special festivals such as the Spring Festival, the Mid-July Days and the Winter Solstice Festival.