China Exclusive: North China province purges superstition

Though living in the poverty-stricken outskirts of Taiyuan City, north China's Shanxi Province, Zhang Fanian can bring in up to 100,000 yuan (16,092 U.S. dollars) for the deals he makes in a day.

Unlike his fellow villagers, who spend their days toiling in field, Zhang is one of a few feng shui masters in the area who make a living by telling others' fortune. It's a lucrative business, Zhang said, as people believing in the practice usually bring exorbitant money and materials in exchange for his fortune-telling services.

"Sometimes I can even make a million yuan out of a single deal," Zhang recently said.

But feng shui experts like Zhang may soon have to bid farewell to their high-income lifestyle after Shanxi's provincial government launched a two-month-long purge of feudalism and superstition in rural areas. The campaign specifically targets feng shui masters, local shamans and witches as the province attempts to eliminate "superstitious activities".

Governmental inspection teams will go on surprise visits in the countryside, looking for anything that violates China's religion policies, particularly commercial activities. If discovered, these activities will be recorded and relative personnel will be punished in line with the newly published guideline by the Shanxi provincial Civilization Office.

Meanwhile, a variety of pro-science events will be held in Shanxi's rural areas to popularize scientific knowledge and improve local residents' ability to reason against superstition.

Many believe that the crackdown could mean a big blow to local feng shui practitioners. Feng shui, which translates to "wind and water" and involves the study of geomantic omens, usually in buildings and cemeteries, has been widely practiced in China for thousands of years, but it has been observed as superstition rather than recognized as a cultural phenomenon. Feng shui experts are usually consulted before the construction or renovation of a building. Though the government has never banned the practice officially, feng shui is defined in Chinese dictionaries as "superstitious beliefs in ancient China".

The topic is being heatedly discussed on the Internet, with a post about the case having drawn more than 20,000 comments as of 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Chinese netizens are divided on this issue. While many say feng shui is superstitious, others argue differently, saying that even the construction of government buildings often involves feng shui techniques.

Experts said while anti-superstition is quite necessary, authorities should be careful in differentiating between superstition and cultural activities.

Chang Sixin, deputy head of the China Folk Literature and Art Society, said there have been rampant fraud cases in the name of fortune telling, adding significance of the latest government move. But he emphasized the necessity of defining feudalism and traditional culture and religious beliefs to avoid backfire.

Tan Kejian, deputy head of the sociology department of Shanxi's Academy of Social Sciences, also cautioned that authorities should respect normal cultural and religious activities when the campaign is conducted.

The researcher said people should learn to differentiate superstition and traditional culture, and that the government should ramp up science and education levels in the countryside to get rid of feudalism and improve people's livelihood. Endi