“本主”，意为“本身的主宰”、“大尊者”或“祖公”、“祖太”，通译为“本境福主”，是

每个村社所供奉的至高无上的保护神。本主崇拜是一种白族独有的宗教敬仰，它源于原始的多神崇
拜、英雄崇拜，但因其崇拜对象具有亦神亦人的特点而深深扎根于白族人心目之中，久盛不衰。各
村本主的身份不一，有南诏大理国的帝王将相、重大历史事件的重要人物、忠臣孝子、民族英雄或
在某些方面有功于人的平民百姓，以及源于图腾崇拜、自然崇拜的动物、山石等。本主崇拜虽然没
有系统的教义教规，但已形成全民族统一的信仰和系列的祭祀活动。本主节相当于汉族的春节，是
白族人民最盛大的节日。
Benzhu, literally interpreted as the Ultimate Ruler of Oneself, known as the Might Saint, Zugong (All-
Father) or Zutai (All-Mother), is reputed as the "Blessings Bringer of the Land", the supreme divine
protector enshrined in every village in Dali, Yunnan Province. The worship of Benzhu is a religious belief
unique to the Bai culture, originating from the primitive polytheism and hero cult. As most of the worshiped
objects possess the property of being anthropomorphic, the Benzhu worship, deeply inscribed in the hearts
of the Bai people, never fades away over time. The identity of each village’s Benzhu varies, with such great
figures in significant historical events as kings of the Nanzhao Kingdom, their loyal officials and warriors,
sons and daughters with overwhelming filial piety, heroes of ethnicities as well as commons with feats and
other animate and inanimate creations of Mother Nature. Despite lacking systematic doctrines to be
followed, it has formed a unified belief among the Bai people and produced a variety of ceremonial rituals.
It’s fair to say that the Benzhu Worshiping Festival, of equivalent significance to the Han people’s Spring
Festival, is the grandest of its kind in the Bai culture.
本主节举办日期因各村本主不同的身份和生辰而不同，一般以岁首或本主生日为节期，多选定
于春节期间或每年二、六、七、八月农事间隙期间。本主节又称为本主会，是一年之中最为隆重的
迎神社火，会期三至五天不等。包括迎神、祭神、颂神、娱神等活动内容。主要程序有“起驾、出
巡”、安置到“行宫”集中祭祀、社戏歌舞娱神等，最后送回本主庙。
首先“起驾、出巡”系将本主及其配神从本主庙里接出，安置在特制的神轿或彩车中，在长龙
般的仪仗队伍，包括唢呐鼓乐，化妆座骑、持香老人、霸王鞭舞队的护送下巡游进村，所过之处家
家摆香设贡，鸣放鞭炮以示欢迎。然后将本主及随从诸神安置在村中广场事先搭好的“行宫”彩棚
内。之后的连续两三天内，这里便成了村民纷纷前来烧香秉烛，唱念诵辞，祈神赐福的活动中心。
同时，全村人要在此耍狮耍龙、演奏音乐、唱歌跳舞，有的还在“行宫”前搭建戏台，演出地方戏
剧，娱神娱人，人神共乐。有的地方几个村子共奉一位本主，便按此程序迎送到各村轮流祭祀数日，
最后，才送回本主庙中供奉。
The Benzhu Worshiping Festival, beginning on the first lunar month or the birthday of the Benzhu,
mainly falls on the same month as the Spring Festival or at the intervals between agricultural activities,
varying in accordance with different standings and birthdates of Benzhu. Lasting for three or five days, the
Benzhu Worshiping Festival, or the Benzhu Worshiping Gala, is the most ceremonious worship activity of
the year with sing-and-dance performances and such ceremonial rituals as welcoming rites, sung praises, and
offered sacrifices and entertainments of Benzhu followed by the settlement of its idol in the shrine.
The festival proceeds by escorting the idols of Benzhu and inferior deities in a shrine-like litter or a
beautifully-embellished carriage from the Benzhu Temple. Accompanying the escort is a long procession of
Suona horn players, aged holders of lit incense, and dancers wielding Bawangbian (a hallow stick-shaped
instrument with beads inside, rustling to the dance). When the parade tours the village, villagers have
already lit up incense and readied the best dishes as sacrifices in their households, some igniting firecrackers
to greet Benzhu at their doorsteps. Following the tour, the idols of Benzhu and inferior deities will be placed
with reverence in the “residential palace”, another meticulously prepared temple for enshrinement. In the
next few days, all villagers come here to worship them with lit incense and red candles, more songs and
prayers to their praise and for blessings. Happiness and vitality are on full display with dragon-and-lion
dance performances, folk music concerts, and other recreations in the temple courtyard. Some villages can
even afford to build a stage in the courtyard where local dramas and operas are performed in ways that
please both the humans and divine spirits. It’s not strange that several villages may worship the same
Benzhu and that they will take turns to honor it for several days in line with such a procedure. When the
festival comes to the end, Benzhu will be paraded back to the home temple for everyday worship.