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As is well known, in traditional China a woman's role is defined by her attachment/ submission to three men - her father, her husband and her son-throughout her three stages of life: the period from birth to marriage (as daughter), married life (as wife), and old age (as mother). This Confucian moral code of "three attachments/obediences" (.sancong) has met fundamental challenges beginning in the early twentieth century, and it no longer holds absolute power over the lives of Chinese women today. However, patriarchal family values persist in China, especially in rural communities. Marriage and having a male heir are still perceived as ideal ways of life and the ultimate realization of happiness for many women. This paper is an ethnographic case study of a religious ritual, Jiezhu performed by the menopausal women in Ninghua, Western Fujian, China. It examines how Jiezhu endorses marriage as a woman's "ideal" destiny; and how the concept of "uterine family"1 is being reinforced in the ritual. A woman is expected to get married and to raise children (ideally sons) so that her mission would be accomplished.
Jiezhu Ritual
The ritual of Jiezhu is a major once-in-alifetime rite of passage performed by the menopausal women in Ninghua, Western Fujian, China.2 It is believed that when a woman reaches her menopausal age, she has to do Jiezhu, without which, her Amituofo recitation (chanting "ñamo Amituofo y* would not be efficacious. Jiezhu means literally "Receiving Buddhist Prayer Beads."4 It is also called Nazhu (accepting the beads),5 or Guozhu (passing on the beads).6 " Jie means to receive, "na means to accept graciously, and "guo " means to pass on to. Incorporating all these terms, Jiezhu can be described as a rite in which a woman accepts or receives the mala (prayer beads) which is passed on to her.7 There are two texts associated with Jiezhu and describe what the 108 beads represent: Fenzhu jing (Distributing the mala Scripture),8 and Guozhu jing (Passing on the mala Scripture).9
As a rite of passage that brings the initiate into the next stage of life, Jiezhu also carries religious taboos. It is believed that if one has not done Jiezhu, in addition to the suffering that one would have to face in the underworld, one would...