Chinese folk religion

====Sacrifices====
[[File:马降龙 04 - 猪肉盘.jpg|thumb|Tray for offering sacrifices, on display in [[Kaiping]]]]
[[Classical Chinese]] has characters for different types of [[sacrifice]], probably the oldest way to communicate with divine forces, today generally encompassed by the definition ''jìsì'' ({{lang|zh|祭祀}}).{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=173}} However different in scale and quantity, all types of sacrifice would normally involve food, wine, meat and later incense.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=176}}

Sacrifices usually differ according to the kind of deity they are devoted to.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=176}} Traditionally, cosmic and nature gods are offered uncooked (or whole) food, while ancestors are offered cooked food.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=176}} Moreover, sacrifices for gods are made inside the temples that enshrine them, while sacrifices for ancestors are made outside temples.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=176}} Yearly sacrifices (''ji'') are made to Confucius, the Red and Yellow Emperors, and other cultural heroes and ancestors.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=176}}

Both in past history and at the present, all sacrifices are assigned with both religious and political purposes.{{sfnp|Yao|2010|p=177}} Some gods are considered carnivorous, for example the River God ({{lang-zh|河神}} ''Héshén'') and Dragon Gods, and offering to them requires animal sacrifice.<ref name="Zavidovskaya, 2012. p. 189">Zavidovskaya, 2012. p. 189</ref>