| Summary: | 碩士 === 臺南師範學院 === 鄉土文化研究所 === 88 === This thesis discusses the establishment and development of mainland-Chinese communities around the Ping-lin river basin in Nantou County and their influence on the aborigine society. This study has been performed on a territorial basis in order to explore the construction process of mainland-Chinese society.
It has been found that the mainland-Chinese people began to immigrate into the plains and mountainous areas of the Ping-lin basis during the mid-Ch’ing period (1796-1850). These were so-called “second time immigrants” who have migrated to Shilo, Taichung, Changhua, and etc. from Changchou and are now moving again. The mainland-Chinese people settled and developed their communities by exploiting the land that they obtained from the aborigines through force or deception. Their population continued to grow with the construction of irrigation systems and the cultivation of rice in the area.
In the early days, the Chinese settlers were organized on the basis of common origin and local ties between individuals or small groups of people who arrived at the same time. The temples built by these people after the formation of settlements became the local socio-political center instead of the traditional ancestral halls. “Religious spheres” emerged around these temples and settlers in the area were gradually integrated through ritual activities, and thus temples near Ping-lin river also served as symbols of unity. The “Five Allied Villages”, centered around the local temples and the Matsu Nan Yo temple in Changhua, is such an example.
The social structure of the mainland-Chinese people have traditionally been based upon lineage and kinship, but the importance of these factors have diminished as religious influence dominated in the Ping-lin area. It can be concluded from this study that social organization based upon locality overshadows that based upon kinship, and that the social organization of the mainland-Chinese settlers in Ping-lin area were mainly founded on a territorial basis.
With the continuous growth of the mainland-Chinese population and their socio-economic power, the aborigines eventually lost their land and traditional culture and disappeared.
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