Yuhuan City is one of the key counties, cities (districts) for religious work at the provincial and municipal levels, with a total of 861 folk belief activity sites within its jurisdiction. In recent years, Yuhuan City has vigorously promoted the project of “controlling quantity and improving quality” of folk belief activity sites, with a three-pronged approach of investigation and rectification, standardization and value remodeling, demolishing 64 places, merging 10 places, and reducing the total number of places to 791, which not only effectively controlled the overall number of places, but also improved the management level of folk belief activity sites.
- Investigate and rectify, promote the rational layout of the place, and change disorder into order. Set up a leading group for the rectification of religious activity sites among citizens in Yuhuan, carry out carpet inspections of folk belief activity sites in their jurisdiction, and establish “point by point” for the 861 folk belief activity sites identified in accordance with the principle of “unblocking and combination, categorical guidance, and standardized management”, and through methods such as “demolition, merger, modification, and retention”, 64 illegal sites were demolished, covering an area of 13,000 square meters. Under the premise of respecting faith, the existence of “small and scattered” places is merged. For example, Huochakou Village, Damaiyu Street, originally had 5 folk belief activity sites, covering an area of about 780 square meters, and through the effective means of implementing “multiple temples into one”, the number of folk belief activity sites in the village was reduced to 2, saving 320 square meters of land, and the vacant land was used to improve the construction of surrounding residents’ living infrastructure.
Second, standardize the system, improve the level of site management, and change the symptoms into the root cause. Since 2015, Yuhuan City has registered 295 places of folk belief activities. In order to strengthen management, through the establishment of various systems such as the reporting system for venue activities and the financial supervision and management system, comprehensively promote and implement measures such as not holding banquets on the Liang Kaiguang of folk belief activity sites, and reporting in advance for plays, so as to comprehensively break outdated customs in the religious field. Promote the establishment of a financial management information platform for folk belief activity sites in batches, entrust accounting firms to carry out financial audits of folk belief activity sites, and further standardize the management of venues. At the same time, establish a “1+5” service group for folk belief activity sites, that is, five contacts in one venue – joint village leaders, village-based cadres, police officers, village cadres, and grid members, to undertake the “five guarantees” responsibilities such as package service guidance, activity supervision, safety inspection, violation control, and information collection. The service team regularly conducts weekly site visits and inspections, carries out various services according to the actual situation of the site, grasps the dynamics of the venue in real time, promptly eliminates all kinds of unstable factors, and effectively reverses the situation that folk belief sites are “unattended, unmanaged, and poorly managed”.
Third, value reshaping, transmitting the positive energy of folk beliefs, and changing other disciplines into self-discipline. Carry out in-depth the creation of “five into six have” folk belief sites, and achieve full coverage of the raising and hanging of the national flag at folk belief activity sites within their jurisdiction. Use new media such as online live broadcasts and mobile WeChat to vigorously carry out religious law popularization and patriotic education. For example, a number of folk belief activity sites, such as the Iron Dragon Head Chen Shiniang Palace and the Fuchang Ji Tianxian Mansion Temple, have become bases for patriotism education and law popularization education, effectively meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, and becoming the main positions against cults and feudal superstitions. Fully implement the “One Temple, One Story” folk belief value reshaping project, specially hire senior experts and scholars to reshape and upgrade folk belief stories, combine the original spirit of “harmony, goodness, loyalty, righteousness, filial piety, and benevolence” with the core socialist values, and publicize the positive energy of social civilization. Up to now, a total of 109 “One Temple and One Story” have been compiled. In addition, it also actively guides all folk belief activity sites to participate in social welfare activities and charitable undertakings, gives play to the positive energy of folk beliefs in poverty alleviation, education assistance, disability assistance, and elderly care services, and creates a social custom of friendship, mutual assistance, and mutual assistance. Since the beginning of this year, 58 folk belief activity venues in the city have actively participated in various donation activities such as “charity donation” and epidemic prevention and control, with a cumulative donation of more than 300,000 yuan.