Taoist rites known as "Dajiao" involve performing ceremonial prayers in certain Chinese villages. Farmers gather in the winter to thank the gods and pray for a big harvest the next year.

Ancient records show that Dajiao originally involved a series of feasts conducted by Taoists and monks who were thought to be able to communicate with ghosts and the gods. The scriptures chanted in prayer by Taoists at the time came to be known as Dajiao and it gradually became a popular activity as Taoism became more widespread during the Han Dynasty (206-220 B.C.).

Dajiao has continued as an important prayer ceremony in the impoverished area of Yulin, in the northern part of Shanxi Province. The ritual is performed from Nov. 11-21 of the Chinese lunar calendar; Dajiao is sponsored each year by one of the 48 villages in the region which participate in the activity.

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