ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Jinxiang Guard, Zhejiang, as a case study to explore the ways in which temples and rituals in the Guards initially served to represent the power of the state, and how they were transformed through their interaction with local interests, becoming part of local society and culture. It focuses on several temples, including the Qidao temple, the temple to the God of the Wall, the temple of Duke Yan, the Daoist Green-girdled Belvedere, and the Auxiliary Temple of Old Man Yang to discuss the proliferation of religious practices in Ming Guards. Official military rites were an important element of Ming imperial rule. In the 8th lunar month of 1368, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty personally specified the basic structure of the canon of military rituals. At the beginning of the Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented strict policies concerning religion, including limits on the number of Buddhist and Daoist temples.
