The revival is occurring all over China, he said, but is most prominent in the southern coastal regions, where the economy has grown quickly and clan ties have remained powerful. In many villages in this part of Guangdong every household shares the same surname. In Xialing, for example, most villagers are named Zheng or Zeng. Now people have more wealth and more freedom how they spend it. But the people believe that donations to the temple will be repaid abundantly with good luck and wealth in the coming year.
Richer ones give more and poorer ones give less.
Even Xialing's 100 or so native sons who have gone to work in cities still send donations home. In some places the local religion has far outstepped the local government in its influence on people's lives. People from miles around went to pray and to ask the Black Dragon, a rain and water god, advice on matters large and small, he said. Petitioners buy slips of papers inscribed with historical parables or sayings from ancient scholars, which are supposed to yield clues that will aid in decisions. Over the years the Black Dragon Temple has become wealthy, even hiring traditional opera troupes to perform at its annual temple fair.