The article deals with religious traditions of the population of Northeast China of the Neolithic era. The article’s content is based on archaeological data, materials of field studies having been undertaken by the author, and other sources containing information of the most ancient period of history of the region. Religion played a large role in spiritual culture of the Neolithic population of Dongbei. On the basis of results of archaeological researches the author points out that in this region in the Neolithic era there was a cult of fertility and female deities – patronesses of fertility and worship of pigs, birds, stones (nephrite), mountains, and other objects of wild world and inanimate nature being allocated with religious consciousness and magic properties. Some of these magic beliefs were included into shamanism arose in Northeast China in the Neolithic. Neolithic religious traditions have formed the basis for further religious development of the peoples of Northeast China. Religious beliefs and ceremonies of medieval and modern peoples of this region have kept many remnants of Neolithic spiritual culture.

Key words: religion, Neolithic, Northeast China, fertility cult, animal worship, bird worship, mountain worship, stone worship, shamanism

About the author

Wang Yulang – Professor at Dalian University (People’s Republic of China),   Head of the Center for Northeast China History Studies of Dalian University,   Honorary President of Institute of Far Eastern Studies of Heihe University, Member of the Executive Board of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies of Kyoto University (Japan); wyulang1956@126.com.