Tiger Worship in Religions of Southwest Ethic Groups in China

Worship of tiger had been prevalent in the tradition of Yi branch in the ethic groups of Southwest China.Nan-zhao Power built by the ancestors of Yi in Tang Dynasty's southwest area had carried out Big-Insect-Skin system which characteristic is worship of tiger.This paper compare and study the belief realities of tiger culture between southwest ethnic groups +and Central Plains,under the theory of Plural Patterns in One Whole Political Pattern,and thinks that worship of tiger is a general belief custom of Di-qiang ethnic group and that the legend of becoming tiger after death mirrors soul modes of thought in ancestors' religious belief.And this paper also points out the tiger worship among southwest ethnic groups has its characteristic of local-nationality in folklore belief system of Chinese tiger culture.