日治時期北港朝天宮地位崛起之考察

Abstract

在清代台灣的媽祖廟中，台南大天后宮由於是府城的祀典官廟，可說是地位最高者。其後因日人治台，台南大天后宮不再是最重要的信仰中心。北港朝天宮繼之崛起。 朝天宮在清代即享有知名度，日人治台後，由於總督府國家權力介入，以及地方領導階層經營得宜，因此全台各地紛紛往北港進香、迎請北港媽，讓北港朝天宮成為台灣最富盛名的媽祖廟。日人更喻之為台灣媽祖信仰的總本山。因此，本文透過日治時期報章的考察，探討日治時期北港朝天宮崛起之因素，更進一步瞭解日治時期台灣幾個有名的媽祖廟與北港朝天宮之間此消彼長的情形與發展脈絡。 本文試著以日治時期的北港朝天宮為主體，聚焦在以下三個主題的探討：（一）考察北港朝天宮媽祖信仰崛起之因素。（二）詮釋日治時期各地媽祖廟前往北港朝天宮進香的現象，並以中部地區的彰化南瑤宮、大甲鎮瀾宮為例來加以說明，並討論這兩座廟宇對北港朝天宮媽祖信仰地位的影響。（三）分析北港朝天宮媽祖落府城的起源，探討此一活動究竟是是謁祖進香？還是繞境？亦或迎請媽祖？其所引起的效應為何？對北港朝天宮崛起影響又為何？ 透過上述三大主題的探討可以發現：北港朝天宮在日治時期眾多媽祖廟中崛起主要是總督府之宗教政策及北港地區菁英共同經營的結果。其次是彰化南瑤宮與大甲鎮瀾宮這兩個自清代以來即前往朝天宮進香的進香集團，在日治時期頻繁的進香活動，更推升了北港朝天宮的地位。另外，北港媽祖落府城的慣例及台南民眾熱情的歡迎亦為北港媽祖信仰地位發揮了推波助瀾的功效。In the Qing Dynasty among the Mazu temples in Taiwan, a special place was reserved to the temple of Tianhou in Tainan. This Temple was so important because it was the temple where were performed the rituals of the prefecture city. In a subsequent moment, the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Tainan Tianhou temple was no longer the most important religious center. Another temple, the Chaotiangong temple of Beigang became more import. During the Qing Dynasty the Chaotiangong temple was also very famous, but it was with the Japanese people ruled Taiwan, because of the intervention of the Japanese Governor, and because the influence of the local leadership, that Beigang had became the destination of pilgrimage from all Taiwan. Many temples from every place in Taiwan arrived in Beigang in order to pay visit and greet the Mazu of Beigang. This situation made the Chaotiangong temple become the most famous Mazu Temple in Taiwan.jJapanese rulers created Faith of mazu in Taiwan as more metaphor of this mountain. Therefore, through the study of the press released during the Japanese occupation, this article will discuss the causes and the factors implied in the rise of Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang during the Japanese occupation. Furthermore it will try to understand the context of the development of the relationships between Chaotiangong temple and several famous Mazu temples in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. Focusing on the Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang during the Japanese occupation, this paper would try to follow three themes of discussion: (a) examining the factors of the rise of belief inMazu in Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang. (b) Interpreting the phenomenon of pilgrimage to the Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang during Japanese colonial period, and taking the Changhua NanYao Temple, Tajia Zhenlan Temple of Taiwan central region as examples. Furthermore to illustrate and discuss the influence and importance of these two temples on the faith on Mazu in relation whit Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang. (c) To analyze the origin of Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang, and try to answer to some questions: are some temple activities ancestral pilgrimage? Or they are just Temple Festivals? Are they made in order to greet Matsu? Why do they cause particular effects? In which way they influenced the rise of Chaotiangong Temple in Beigang and why? Through the discussion of the above mentioned three major themes we can discover: During the Japanese occupation the rise of Chaotiangong Temple among many Mazu Temples in Taiwan was a result of the co-operation between the religious policy of the Japanese Government and the Beigang local elite. In addition, Beigang Mazu Temple, in off the practice of Tainan and the warm welcome of Tainan people also played a contributory effect on the status of the belief of Beigang Mazu.