Ritual Aspects of the “Sichuanese Mourn the Former Emperor” Incident in 1911: On the Ritual Symbols of Imperial Power in Chengdu Popular Culture

This article explores the ＂Sichuanese Moum the Former Emperor＂ incident that occurred in 1911 as part of the Railway Protection movement from the perspective of the social dimensions of ritual. The symbols deployed in the incident, such as the Palace of Imperial Longevity (wanshou gong), imperial dragon spirit tablet (longpai), festival for the emperor (huanghui) and state funeral (guosang), were all ritual symbols of imperial power that were embedded in Chengdu popular culture and that combined great and little traditions. In a ritual context, the integration of these symbols served to mobilize the masses to participate in and support the Railway Protection movement.