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Theassociations of good-doing (Chinese:行好的;pinyin:Xínghǎode) are organised groups of theindigenous religion ofHebei province (河北民间宗教;Héběi mínjiān zōngjiào or河北民间信仰;Héběi mínjiān xìnyǎng), or the "Pear Area" ofChina.[1] The Congregation of the Dragon's Name (龙牌会;Lóngpái Huì) is one of these movements of good-doers.[2][3]
Xinghaode associations organise temple festivals and pilgrimages for the worship of certain deities, as well as other types of collective activities.[4] Their purpose is to makerènào (热闹), that is "social living" or "social harmony".[5]
The designation ofXínghǎode (行好的), literally "good-doers" or "those who act well", originated with the spread of theCatholic Church in the Pear Area over the last two hundred years.[6] Local Chinese following the native faith adopted the name in contrast with Catholics, who in the area were calledFèngjiàode (奉教的).[7] Catholics nowadays remain less than 3% of the population of the Pear Area.[8]
In Hebei folk religion, people who have the ability to mediate with the gods are known asxiāngdàode (香道的), "practitioners of the way of incense", and they cooperate with good-doing groups.[9] The major ritual practice ofxiangdaode is provide communities of good-doers with "incense reading" (看香;kànxiāng), "incense watching" (瞧香;qiáoxiāng) or "incense kindling" (打香;dǎxiāng).[10] They are mostly female and are also called by the general termsshénpó (神婆) orxiāngtóu (香頭; "incense heads").
In the Pear Area, one can acquire the ministry of the way of incense either through afflatus (or vocation,仙根;xiāngēn) or acquisition (ordination from another specialist).[11] Often they claim that they are spiritual disciples (童儿;tónger) of the Four Great Gates, whose specialists operated inBeijing in the 1940s, thus connecting their practice with the shamanism of northeast China.[12]
The deities (神;shén) of good-doers are divided into two classes:[13]
The Horse god (Mǎshén or马王;Mǎwáng) has a particular importance in the religion of good-doers.[14][15] Gods that are believed to be particularly powerful are dedicated independent worship halls (仙家堂;xiān jiā táng) or altars (仙家坛;xiān jiā tán), that often start from the house and congregation of popularxiangdaode (shamans).[16][17]
