The Avoidance of Disasters: A Perspective on the Suburban Temple Songs of the Han Dynasty

Abstract

The story of the avoidance of disasters is a special perspective of Han dynasty suburban temple songs. This genre has a cultural basis in the Han dynasty’s concept of celestial induction, sutra, prophecy and agriculture. The Han dynasty suburban tem-ple songs and rhymes express their wishes for disaster avoidance with respect to astronomical, climatic, geological, and biological disasters. In terms of aesthetic value, the suburban temple songs from the perspective of disaster avoidance are characterized by a combination of poetry, music and dance, exuberant imagery and divinity.