The Miao people used to believe in animism, worship nature, and worship their ancestors.

The "Drum Sacrifice Festival" is the largest sacrificial activity among the Miao people.

Generally, there is a small sacrifice every seven years and a big sacrifice every thirteen years.

It is held on Yihai day from October to November of the lunar calendar. At that time, a Guzi ox will be killed, the Lusheng dance will be performed, and the ancestors will be paid homage to.

Invite relatives and friends to gather together during meals in order to enhance feelings and family harmony.

The main beliefs of the Miao people include primitive religious forms such as nature worship, totem worship, and ancestor worship. The traditional Miao society is superstitious about ghosts and gods, and witchcraft is prevalent.

There are also some Miao people who believe in Christianity and Catholicism.

Very few Miao people believe in Buddhism and Taoism.

Traditionally speaking, the Miao people often regard some giant or strange-shaped natural objects as a manifestation of spirituality, so they worship them and offer wine and meat to them.

Among them, the more typical nature worship objects include huge rocks (strange rocks), caves, big trees, mountains and forests, etc.

In addition, the Miao people believe that some natural phenomena or natural objects have divine or ghost properties. The Miao language often does not distinguish between ghosts and gods, or the two words are used together.

In most cases, ghosts are considered to be abandoned or wronged souls and tools. They often bring disasters, illnesses, plagues or other misfortunes to humans, such as the so-called Eastern ghosts, Western ghosts, sow ghosts and hanged ghosts.

, tiger ghosts, etc. are called evil ghosts.

Spiritual natural phenomena are often considered to be good ghosts with certain divinities, such as mountain gods, valley souls, cotton gods, wind gods, thunder gods, rain gods, sun gods, moon gods, etc.

The Miao people also have different ways of offering sacrifices to good ghosts and evil ghosts.

Good ghosts are greeted and sent away, and sacrifices are more sincere. Evil ghosts must be bribed and coaxed until they are driven away.

In many areas, the Miao people also believe that there are many spirits in nature.

For example, cows cover themselves with dung or roll around in the stable, trample dung into circles, pigs eat piglets or lie in the trough, ducks eat duck eggs, tigers enter the field, encounter two snakes mating, and hens give out rooster sounds.

The tweets and other sounds are all related to the appearance of corresponding spirits.

In some Miao areas, man-made objects worshiped include the Earth Bodhisattva, Earth Milk, family gods, sacrificial bridges, wells, etc.

The Earth Bodhisattva is called Earth Ghost in the Miao language. It is generally made of several stones. The Earth House is mostly made of wood or three stone slabs. It is extremely simple and is located at the intersection next to the village or at a resting place for pedestrians on the roadside.

Belief in family gods exists among some Miao people in Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan dialects, that is, setting up idols of "house gods" in their homes.

Bridge sacrifice is popular in most areas of southeastern Guizhou.

The dragon is also an object of worship and sacrifice for the Miao people in various places.

Totem worship.

Many Miao and Yao people in the eastern region worship Panhu (a kind of divine dog).

They have told the story of "Goddess and Dog Father" from generation to generation, and regard Panhu as their ancestor.

Some Miao people in the central region believe that their ancestor Jiang Yang originated from the heart of the maple tree, and therefore regard the maple tree as a totem.

In other areas, the Miao people regard buffalo, bamboo, etc. as their totem worship objects.

Generally speaking, ancestor worship occupies a very important position in Miao society.

They believe that although their ancestors have died, their souls will always be with their descendants. They must offer wine and meat to their ancestors during festivals and festivals, and even their daily meals must be worshiped at all times.

Many areas hold ancestor worship ceremonies regularly or irregularly. In western Hunan there are "knocking stick pigs" and "spine cattle worshiping ancestors", in southeastern Guizhou there is "eating viscera", in central Guizhou it is called "knocking Balang", in northwest Guizhou

, Northeast Yunnan has the custom of beating old cows.

Among them, eating Guzang in southeastern Guizhou is still popular and is the most typical.

The Guzang Eating Festival is also known as the Drum Festival, Drum Society Festival, and Guzang (Guzang) Festival. It is held every seven or thirteen years based on the clan (drum society).

They believe that the souls of their ancestors reside in wooden drums, and the sacrificial drum is to beat the wooden drum to summon the souls of their ancestors to enjoy the offerings of their children and grandchildren.

The officiant is called Guzangtou, and the sacrificed Guzang cattle are specially raised for this purpose.

Each sacrificial event lasts for three years.

Most Miao people believe in witchcraft.

The main witchcraft activities include shamanism, divination, divine judgment, ghost sacrifice, etc. In addition, there are also Gu magic.

Witchcraft events are hosted by wizards.

Wizards are mostly non-professionals.

They play the role of host in the various primitive worship and witchcraft activities mentioned above. In some places, shamans also serve as village elders.

In addition to being familiar with sacrificial methods, most wizards can also tell about the genealogy of their sect, major historical events of their own nation, and migration routes. They are also familiar with various myths and legends, ancient songs, and folk stories. Some wizards are also singers.

and the functions of a dancer.

Therefore, wizards are important inheritors of Miao traditional culture and play the role of intellectuals in Miao society.

In addition, wizards also have certain medical skills and know some herbal medicines. While exorcising ghosts, they use scientific medical methods.

In addition to these traditional beliefs, since modern times, as Western missionaries have penetrated into the mainland of my country to preach, some Miao people have converted to Christianity in areas such as the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, Kaili in Guizhou, and Yuanling in Hunan. A few people in southeastern Yunnan have also converted to Christianity. The Miao people believe in Catholicism.

Especially in northeastern Yunnan and northwest Guizhou, the Christian faith once had strong momentum and great influence.

Foreign missions or missionaries have opened many primary and secondary schools, medical institutions, and even implemented some economic development projects in the Miao areas, which have played an indelible role in the progress of the Miao society and the improvement of their political status.

Famous pastors include Dang Juren, Bogeli, Zhang Daohui, Wang Shude, etc. from Anshun, the first two of whom died while serving in the Miao District.

After the founding of New China, the influence of Christianity and Catholicism declined for a time, but in recent years there has been a certain trend of recovery.