What is fortune telling in Xuejia Village, Gansu?

Fortune telling in Xuejiawan Village, Gansu Province is a tool for Xuejiawan villagers to make a living.

Gansu Xuejiawan Village is located in Yongdeng County, Gansu Province, with about 170 households. In ancient times, people in the village did not make a living by farming, but relied on fortune-telling skills to travel around the world to make a living. This craft is passed down from generation to generation, and it is determined not to be passed on to outsiders. It is passed down from father to son, and from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. In this way, the craft has been passed down to this day. However, the four major families in the village with the surnames Liu, Gao, He and Liu intermarry with each other, and there are very few out-marriages or out-marriages.

The people of Xuejiawan Village use the Yongdeng dialect with local characteristics in their daily life, which is no different from nearby areas. But when it comes to fortune telling, they immediately use a special language "Shao Ju". This language is strictly forbidden in the village and has no written reference books. It can only be passed down by word of mouth. Xuejiawan Village worships the "God of Joy" every year and regards him as the master of divination and the supreme god.

Changes in Xuejiawan Village

Times have changed, and fewer and fewer people in Xuejiawan Village rely on fortune telling for a living. Young people have left their hometown to search for the vast world outside. way out. In the context of the country's advocacy of respect for science, the private market for fortune telling seems to be getting smaller and smaller. It is obviously a fantasy to make a fortune through fortune telling.

In 2013, Xuejiawan divination skills were included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Lanzhou City, and the skills were permanently preserved. In Xuejiawan Village now, probably only the elderly continue the tradition left by the previous generation and continue their fortune-telling business. However, it is also regarded as one of the characteristics of the tourism industry. After all, keeping in touch with the times is the basis for survival. .