The Influences Of Builds Large Statues On Religious Field By Long Fong Temple In Chu-Nan

• Main Authors: Tang,Yingni, 唐鶯妮
• Other Authors: Lin, Penhsuan
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/68223328815779289272

碩士 === 國立聯合大學 === 經濟與社會研究所 === 100 === There are about 44 temples in Chu Nan area, which occupy about 20% in the whole county. Many religious activities have derived from the temples. Like other cities near the seashore, in the folk customs of Chu Nan, worship of Matsu is the most enthusiastic religious activity. If you come to Chu Nan, you will find out that there are two big statues in this small town, which are built by Long Fong Temple in Hou Tsuo and Wu Gu Temple in Zaociao and Toufen, Chu Nan respectively. One large statue of them built by the Long Fong Temple in Hou Tsuo is the well-known sea goddess of Matsu, another statue worshiped in Wu Gu Temple in Zaociao and Toufen, Chu Nan is the topless Great Shen Nong with rice ear in his hand. For what reason do these temples build large statues? What is the function of building these statues? Does it work to build these statues? All of these are the focuses of this study. This research explored the influence of building the large statue on the religious field by Long Fong Temple in Chu Nan through four topics which are Study of Folk Beliefs, Competition of Religious Fields, the Sacred and the Secular as well as Capital Conversion. Methods of data collection, intensive interview and participant observation in qualitative research are utilized mainly. The research found out that due to the land development of Jhong Gang river basin and the interest conflict between Min and Hakka in Qing dynasty, the local temples in Chu Nan area which originally worshiped jointly split under the impact of worship conflicts and inter-ethnic fighting, gradually evolved into the ethnic boundaries for people with the same beliefs across townships and within the districts. The belief competition between Min and Hakka ethinic not only split the worship of Matsu, but also resulted in the inter-temple competition in the religious fields in Chu Nan area. Secondly, currently the decreasing ethnic awareness didn’t dilute the inter-temple competition, the ethnic competition between temples gradually evolved into incense competition. Hence, the temples have to utilize various possible methods to maintain the spiritual power, for example, building large statues, hosting local activities, agglomerating the local commitment, distributing calendars, feasting for fortune, strengthening the communication with friendly temples, “attracting” pilgrimage groups to the temples. During the lively worship activities, the disciples in the sacred field are influenced by the atmosphere, they begin to have confidence in the spiritual power of the gods and believe they are very powerful. Furthermore, the Long Fong Temple in Hou Tsuo established its “outstanding divinity” and “thriving incense” through “highest efficacy”, “orthodoxy” and “historical origin”, indicating the relevance between Matsu and local development as well as historical events to upgrade the position of Matsu in the area of Chu Nan. Recently, Long Fong Temple joined in the Matsu Temple Association which is led by Tachia's Chen Lan Temple and attempted to highlight the temple’s position, which makes the Long Fong Temple in Hou Tsuo more famous of “thriving incense” and “efficacy spreading far and wide”. Prayers crowd in and burn more incense in this field. Popularity of people needs management in some way, the popularity of gods is determined by people to a great extent. People play an important role in efficacious deeds, that is to say, no matter it is the popularity or the creation of efficacious deeds, both gods and people are necessarily involved.