The development of The Temple and Local SocietyA case study of Beigang Chao-Tian Temple from 1945-2014

• Main Authors: Mo-Hsin Lin, 林默馨
• Other Authors: A-Ron Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/vk3756

碩士 === 元智大學 === 社會暨政策科學學系 === 103 === The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of the temples and the local society. Beigang Chao-Tian Temple is our objective of study. Beigang was named Ponkan and it’s a part of Gu Ponkan. It was a big town in Qing Dynasty. Among twenty towns in Yun-lin, Beigang is the first town to be mentioned in the publications and its port and villages was developed in the earlier ages. In 1694, a monk whose name is Shubi bring Matsu statue from ancestral temple “Chao Tian Ge”, Meizhou to Ponkan and start to build the temple. In order to enshrine Matsu statue, the local resident build Tian Fi Temple whose name is Chao-Tian Temple now. The relationship between temples and local society development is closed. Temples is not only for the central of belief, but also the central of political, economic, social society and cultural development. Beigang and Chao-Tian Temple are quite closed to each other. Chao-Tian Temple is the connection to the local elite of Beigang in the way of the power of political, economic and cultural. People of Beigang like to gather together in Chao-Tian Temple and it helps to build up a business market. The local economic will be active. So that Chao-Tian Temple has transformed from a holy place of religious to a place for visitors. This paper is not only study for the relationship between Beigang and Chao-Tian Temple but also understand how did it developed.