Beliefs

The reverence for deities is the core of the legacy of witchcraft in Xiangxi. In the old days, the deity belief system of people from Xiangxi was huge and mixed.  Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and witchcraft were mixed into one. There are not only totem worship and ancestral spirit beliefs, but also the deities of all things and of various religious sects. Therefore, people from Xiangxi believe that deities exist in everything and there are different forms of worship for different deities.
The Miao ethnic group in Xiangxi migrated from the Yellow River Basin. In ancient times, it was one of the most powerful tribes of the Chinese nation and was known for the beliefs in ghosts and witchcraft. Despite all the hardships, the Miao people created their own cultural beliefs in the long history of their civilization evolution. They worship many deities such as the so-called thirty-six gods and seventy-two ghosts. They also believe in ancestors like Pan Piao, Chi You and Emperor Bai.