ABSTRACT

The chapter describes small town in southwest China, examining the religious and ethnic revival in the area by visiting its history – near and far – and its vibrant activities centered on religion and ethnicity. Dali, as an ethnic prefecture at China's periphery, is a place of diverse religious practices with deep historical roots. Religious life in Dali starts when one gets old, a stage devoted to alterity. Men and women would leave the family for "cultivation," engaging in two major forms of congregations: the GSA and the OWA. The most important destination is the Capital of Gods, where the famous Gwer Sa La festival stages its staple scene. Religious practices are revived when the socially-old people leave the household for congregations, when ordinary villagers visit distant temples, and when power elites negotiate a religio-sphere for ritual activities, in a word, when people set out to connect with transcendental alterities.