From Spirit Mediums to Incense Associations: Expression of Contemporary Salvationist Religions at the Mount Tai

This study is based on fieldwork conducted between 2023 and 2025 around Mount Tai, with a particular focus on incense associations and spirit mediums, to examine the roles of contemporary religious groups in terms of practice, memory, and salvific functions. While Chinese salvationist religions have been widely studied, they are often seen as unique to the Republican and early PRC eras. This research argues that incense associations and spirit mediums continue to perform salvific functions akin to earlier groups, helping individuals navigate uncertainty amid social change. These groups offer spiritual solace and social support via ritual healing and community mutual aid. Furthermore, by reconstructing traditions and historical narratives, they reassert orthodoxy and legitimize their practices in contemporary society. Thus, they represent both a continuation of salvationist memory and a departure from their stigmatized past, illustrating the dynamic interplay of continuity and change in daily religious life under social transformation.