Shanxi schools under fire for superstitious rituals  

山西五臺多校領導做“法事” 學生課間疊紙元寶

五臺縣位于山西省忻州市境內，因有著名的佛教名山五臺山而得名。近日，新京報記者調查發現，在五臺縣，校園內盛行舉辦“謝土”儀式，校領導焚香點蠟，甚至下跪祭拜。逢每年一度的這種儀式前，老師要湊份子，自備紙元寶送到學校。多名當地中學生稱，學校“謝土”前，老師還會給學生發紙，讓他們在下課期間疊紙元寶。[查看全文]

(ECNS) – Several schools in Wutai county, Shanxi province, have stirred criticism by holding superstitious rituals on campus, the Beijing News reports.

On the afternoon of Jan 3, a rite was held at Wutai Experimental Elementary School. Several teachers made a fire on campus and threw piles of paper-made ingots into it. In front of the fire was an altar made of desks where fruits and desserts were placed.

The rite is called "Xietu," meaning thanks to the Earth God, and is usually held after a construction project is finished, said Zheng Jianzhang, headmaster of the school.

Zheng explained that the rite was a prayer for students and teachers' safety. "We don't do it for personal promotion and wealth," he added.

A school employee said a large fire indicated a better future, and that the paper ingots made by students had been required by the school.

"Such a rite is held on campus every year," the staffer added.

One student's parent said it's improper for a school to hold such an activity: "Whenever I hear about the school holding rituals, I keep my child at home."

The Xietu ritual is common at schools in China, however. Yan Haijun, a high school student, said his middle school and high school carried out the ritual every December or January, and that students were required to fold paper ingots in classrooms.

Wang Pengfei, headmaster of Yan's high school, responded that the rite was "definitely not held by the school," but was allowed to be held by a construction crew on campus.

The school wouldn't require students to fold paper ingots, so that may have been some teachers' personal decisions, Wang added.

Wutai county is the location of one of the most sacred Buddhist sites, Wutai Mountain, and the rite "Xietu" has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage.

Wang Guanghong, who works at the local publicity department, said the rite can help ward off evil spirits and "benefits both students and schools."

According to Wang, such a ritual has been held by the local county government as well.

Wang said the government held the ritual last September when breaking ground to build a park, and that a golden "dragon" appeared on the western sky, a good omen.

"I know the practice is against regulations, and that public institutions are forbidden to hold superstitions, but it's not illegal," Wang added.

Government provisions require schools to resist superstitious practices on campus, along with gambling and drinking. The Ministry of Education has required teachers not to propagate superstition or pseudoscience.

Zhong Liansheng, a national intangible cultural heritage expert, said even though customs vary in different places, holding religious rites on campus is "definitely improper."

An investigation into the practice by the Shanxi provincial education department has been underway.