抄録
From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, there existed a hierarchy in the population of the Jiangnan district. Specifically, the upper class, which included rich traders, the retired bureaucrat, and the landlords who lived in the city; the middle class, which comprised people with skills in commerce and industry; the farming class, and last in the hierarchy was the working class, which comprised the people who had no skills or were looking for work. These people had their own way of carrying out religious rituals, and these rituals were very important for the autonomy of the city. The family groups played an important role where the upper class was predominant, whereas. The ritual group played an important role where the middle class was predominant. However, the lower class sometimes caused some conflicts.
