Myth Making on an Ethnic Frontier The Cult of the Heavenly Kings of West Hunan （ 1715 - 1996）（摘要）

Living in west Hunan during the Qing or Republican periods, one could not ignore the Three Kings-the White Emperor Heavenly Kings （Baidi tianwang） , to give them their full popular title. No other gods had a comparable presence. Their shrines dotted the landscape, and their worship bridged all ethnic groups. Villages and zhai （Miao hamlets） lacking their own shrines sought palanquin visits by the Kings＇ images. Mi- ao travelers away from home set up temporary altars in the open. At the great centers of worship, signs ordered riders and sedan passengers on the roads to alight and walk, out of respect for the Kings.