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Worship of the living
worshipping living people in East Asian culture / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Living worship, also known as seishi (生祀) in Japanese or shengci in Chinese, is a cultural practice in East Asia where living people are worshipped. In China, this practice takes place at sheng shrines (Chinese: 生祠, Shengci),[1] where two types of enshrinement occur. The first is the enshrinement of the spirit of a living person who has made a significant contribution. The second type is the enshrinement of one's own spirit.
The practice of living worship became associated with corruption in China after it was used by Wei Zhongxian, and subsequently declined.[2] In Japan, it was most prominent during the period of imperial State Shinto from the late 19th century until 1945, particularly in the worship of the Emperor.[3]
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