Writing a Place for Rites—The Value of “Old Customs” in Modern Wenzhou

This paper examines elite memories of religious life in modern Wenzhou 溫州 by focusing on a lengthy account (two volumes exceeding 100,000 Chinese characters) entitled Historical Materials on Wenzhou’s Old Customs (Wenzhou jiusu shiliao 溫州舊俗史料), compiled during the Great Leap Forward. In order to assess this work’s historical significance, I trace the identities of the elites who composed it as well as their motivations in doing so. Consideration is also given to the text’s place in modern historical writing about local society and the categories used to classify different types of so-called “old customs” (jiusu 舊俗). The paper’s conclusion argues that while the modern Chinese state has long been concerned about the persistence of religious activities it labels “superstition” (mixin 迷信), many local elites have striven to legitimize their religious cultures, including in the realm of historical writing.