Ritualists and Rhetoric: The Proliferation of Nuosu-Yi Cosmology in Southwest China

Bimo ritualists in Liangshan (Nimu), Sichuan Province, are working to sustain and expand the Nuosu-Yi animistic cosmology amid rapid, state driven modernisation. Moving between mist shrouded or sun lit mountain landscapes, vibrant marketplaces, and bustling valley cities, bimo creatively negotiate with clients, state authorities, and academic elites to navigate the tensions brought by urbanisation. This ethnographic study throws new light on the rhetorical strategies ritualists creatively u...