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Maonan Religion
Like other ethnic groups, the Maonan are polytheistic.
They pay homage to dozens of deities or
immortals on
various occasions. These icons include
 figures from myths, legends, celebrities of historical events,
divinities from Taoism or Buddhism, ancestors of the
family and so on.
All Maonan families have a wooden plate on the wall
facing the entrance of the front door. This part of the
wall is the shrine of the family. Written on the plate
are the namesof the deities they worship heaven,
earth, emperor, kinfolk, Confucius,  Samkai, shrine guarding angel, house guard, all immortals, etc. On the
bottom right of the divine plate is a list of the names
of the ancestors from the last five generations and
names of grandfather-in-law and grandmother-in-law.
During festivals and important days, articles of
tribute, such as food, incense, etc., are
placed
on the tribute-table. Near the kitchen stove, a piece of
red paper is glued
 on the wall for the purpose of
praying to the Kitchen god for the welfare of the
family. On the wall behind the front door, at knee
height, another piece of red paper is put up to pray to
the god of Earth for peaceful outdoor activities. At the
entrance of a village, there is often a small temple,
often built under a big rock, for General Li Guang who
is believed to be the protector of the village. Outside,
on the front door planks are glued
the portraits of Shentu and Yulei for protecting the
family and the house. Many
 families hang a mirror (the
monster-revealing mirror) above the front door to ward
off devils. Other gods and immortals worshipped are the
Thunder God, the Thunder Soldiers, the Guanyin, Mungguen
(an evil immortal), Luban (a master carpenter, a
historical figure), Lokgiu (the bridge builder, a
legendary figure), Biu (King of Yao, a legendary
figure), Nifansui (Goddess of Birth) and so on.
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