| Summary: | In this fieldwork study of the 1975 Kam Tin jiao, Chapter 1 discusses the setting, showing the social system of Kam Tin, analysed in terms of genealogical and community aspects. The discussion of the genealogical aspects shows that Kam Tin does not conform to the standard model of the "lineage". The occupational structure of one of the Kam Tin villages is discussed, as well as the population of the local area. Finally, a brief introduction to the jiao, in Kam Tin a decennial ritual, is provided, showing the genealogical and community based aspects of its organisation and performance. Chapter 2 treats the history and mythology of the Kam Tin jiao, explaining the circumstances of the early Qing history which led to its foundation. Chapter 3 examines the organisation of the jiao in terms of committee membership, funding, and the ritual timetable. Chapter 4 discusses the background and organisation of the ritual practitioners. These are the Ritual Leaders (chosen through a block throwing competition in the temple associated with the jiao) and the Taoist priests. Chapter 5 discusses the preparatory rituals of the jiao, including the two rites of Memorial presentation. The relationship between the preparatory rituals and the main rites of the jiao is delineated. Chapter 6 discusses the arrangement of the ritual area before the jiao's major rites. Chapter 7 continues with a chronological description and analysis of the main rites of the jiao. Chapter 8 discusses the jiao rites taking place after the period of abstention from certain kinds of foods and sexual relations. This chapter discusses the rationale for the collection and return of divinities from specific sites during the course of the jiao. Chapter 9 concludes the discussion by analysing the Kam Tin jiao both comparatively and on its own terms. The jiao is shown to be a worship of deities and an act of salvation and/or placation for hungry ghosts, aimed at securing well-being and fortune for the community. On another level of analysis, however, the rites in Kam Tin are a re-ordering of an imperfect society.
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