Chinese religion in its communal expression involves the worship of gods that are the generative power and tutelary spirit (genius loci) of a locality or a certain aspect of nature (for example water gods, river gods, fire gods, mountain gods), or of gods that are common ancestors of a village, a larger identity, or the Chinese nation (Shennong, Huangdi, Pangu).

The social structure of this religion is the shénshè 神社 (literally "society of a god"), synonymous with shehui 社會, in which shè 社 originally meant the altar of a community's earth god, while 會 huì means "association", "assembly", "church" or "gathering".
This type of religious trusts can be dedicated to a god which is bound to a single village or temple or to a god which has a wider following, in multiple villages, provinces or even a national importance.
Mao Zedong distinguished "god associations", "village communities" and "temple associations" in his analysis of religious trusts.
In his words: "every kind and type of god [shen] can have an association [hui]", for example the Zhaogong Association, the Guanyin Association, the Guangong Association, the Dashen Association, the Bogong Association, the Wenchang Association, and the like.
Within the category of hui Mao also distinguished the sacrifice associations (jiàohuì 醮會) which make sacrifices in honour of gods.

These societies organise gatherings and festivals (miaohui 廟會) participated by members of the whole village or larger community on the occasions of what are believed to be the birthdays of the gods or other events, or to seek protection from droughts, epidemics, and other disasters.
Such festivals invoke the power of the gods for practical goals to "summon blessings and drive away harm".
Special devotional currents within this framework can be identified by specific names such as Mazuism (媽祖教 Māzǔjiào), Wang Ye worship, or the cult of the Silkworm Mother.

This type of religion is prevalent in north China, where lineage religion is absent, private, or historically present only within families of southern origin, and patrilineal ties are based on seniority, and villages are composed of people with different surnames.
In this context, the deity societies or temple societies function as poles of the civil organism.
Often deity societies incorporate entire villages; this is the reason why in north China can be found many villages which are named after deities and their temples, for example Léishénmiào village (雷神廟 "[Village of the] Temple of the Thunder God")  or Mǎshénmiàocūn (馬神廟村 "Village of the Temple of the Horse God").
Chinese religion in its communal expression involves the worship of gods that are the generative power and tutelary spirit (genius loci) of a locality or a certain aspect of nature (for example water gods, river gods, fire gods, mountain gods), or of gods that are common ancestors of a village, a larger identity, or the Chinese nation (Shennong, Huangdi, Pangu).
The social structure of this religion is the shénshè 神社 (literally "society of a god"), synonymous with shehui 社會, in which shè 社 originally meant the altar of a community's earth god, while 會 huì means "association", "assembly", "church" or "gathering". This type of religious trusts can be dedicated to a god which is bound to a single village or temple or to a god which has a wider following, in multiple villages, provinces or even a national importance. Mao Zedong distinguished "god associations", "village communities" and "temple associations" in his analysis of religious trusts. In his words: "every kind and type of god [shen] can have an association [hui]", for example the Zhaogong Association, the Guanyin Association, the Guangong Association, the Dashen Association, the Bogong Association, the Wenchang Association, and the like. Within the category of hui Mao also distinguished the sacrifice associations (jiàohuì 醮會) which make sacrifices in honour of gods.
These societies organise gatherings and festivals (miaohui 廟會) participated by members of the whole village or larger community on the occasions of what are believed to be the birthdays of the gods or other events, or to seek protection from droughts, epidemics, and other disasters. Such festivals invoke the power of the gods for practical goals to "summon blessings and drive away harm". Special devotional currents within this framework can be identified by specific names such as Mazuism (媽祖教 Māzǔjiào), Wang Ye worship, or the cult of the Silkworm Mother.
This type of religion is prevalent in north China, where lineage religion is absent, private, or historically present only within families of southern origin, and patrilineal ties are based on seniority, and villages are composed of people with different surnames. In this context, the deity societies or temple societies function as poles of the civil organism. Often deity societies incorporate entire villages; this is the reason why in north China can be found many villages which are named after deities and their temples, for example Léishénmiào village (雷神廟 "[Village of the] Temple of the Thunder God")  or Mǎshénmiàocūn (馬神廟村 "Village of the Temple of the Horse God").
Chinese folk religion