Major landed wulin sects and agriculture

[Ken Cheng]

A number of major wulin sects such as Shaolin, Cheun Jen Sect, Mo Dong Sect, etc., controlled quite a large amount of land. This land included not only the sects' housing, study, ceremonial, and training facilities, but also fields where food crops could be grown (by sect members). Were most of the martial arts sects self-sufficient in terms of producing food to feed their members, or did they often need to supplement what they grew on their land with food supplies bought from wholesalers in nearby cities? If the sects grew a surplus crop, would they sell it to the public for extra money?

[sheraldine]

Were most of the martial arts sects self-sufficient in terms of producing food to feed their members, or did they often need to supplement what they grew on their land with food supplies bought from wholesalers in nearby cities? If the sects grew a surplus crop, would they sell it to the public for extra money?

Usually one read these people gathers and collects herbs elsewhere. Some vegetation is not suitable on moutainous climax or hillside soil. That is why we saw them carried a sack on their back to and fro, in between they got side track and the sack ended up nowhere.

As for xtra money, why not? But we dont see it in the series, nor history records them.

sheraldine

[Ken Cheng]

Some vegetation is not suitable on moutainous climax or hillside soil.

Yeah. I'd forgotten that most of these sects were based on mountaintops (or mountainsides), which pretty much precludes the possibility of rice paddies or wheat fields. On the other hand, tea plants should have been easy to produce.

[strife_au]

They must've had crop fields somewhere down the mountains.
I don't think they would have the riches to buy supplies on a daily basis to feed like thousands to practice martial arts and philosphy for free.
Nor would they be sponsored by the government I don't believe.


:]

[sheraldine]

[QUOTE=strife_au]They must've had crop fields somewhere down the mountains.
I don't think they would have the riches to buy supplies on a daily basis to feed like thousands to practice martial arts and philosphy for free.
Nor would they be sponsored by the government I don't believe.


Apart from the mountains, the fields below might not belong to them but to the common villagers or some valley lords. They might not have problem sharing fields or dealing supplies with the villagers but valley lords is another story altogether. On a curious note regarding their diet, sects like wudang disciples and emei students are not vegetarians like shaolin monks, right? if they are allowed to get married, eg chee yeok and mr sung in hsds, surely these sect followers are allowed to eat meat drink wine. And since members only coming down the mountain once or twice a year to collect supplies, and government do not sponsor their food, they can trap mountain animals and shoot migratory birds with what-their-name skills. Come to think of it, such consumption would greatly improve their strength and energy.

[CC]

Taoists/Buddhist sects have secular disciples with a day job. These non priest/monk types contribute money to their sect in exchange for secular membership.

[Ken Cheng]

Taoists/Buddhist sects have secular disciples with a day job. These non priest/monk types contribute money to their sect in exchange for secular membership.

Cash wasn't hard to come by, but not being able to grow food locally meant the inconvenience of regular trips to the nearest big town for supply runs.