There were gods and spirits of the natural world, presiding over rivers, mountains, winds, seasons, and the like. And there were gods and spirits who provided assistance and comfort to practitioners of Daoism, Buddhism, and popular religious sects. But the belief in ancestral spirits—and the ceremonial respect shown them—was dominant in Chinese society, widely shared by almost all people (including those who considered themselves Daoists and Buddhists), irrespective of social or economic status.
