台南重慶寺的發展歷程與南台灣藏傳佛教發展關係研究=A Study of the Development of Chongqing Temple in Tainan and its Relationship to the Development of Tibetan Buddhism in Southern Taiwan
Chongqing Temple was built in the Qing Dynasty. It was originally a local public temple, and at the end of Qing Dynasty, it became a civilian defensive organization, a multi-neighborhood temple in the Baji area in Tainan. At present, it belongs to the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and is the southern affiliate temple belonging to Ven. Gongga. Regarding religious members, ritual activities and social functions, Chongqing Temple has adapted itself on the basis of developments in Taiwan’s political regime as well as cultural and economic changes in Taiwan’s society. This continuous vitality is a factor in its importance as a major center of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Taiwan. Therefore, by observing Chongqing Temple’s developmental process, we can understand various stages in the evolution of Taiwanese temples. In terms of religious history, it is a source of valuable documentary information. “ This paper looks at both the internal developments and changes in religious orientation of Chongqing Temple under different stages of political, economic, and political influence. It relies on local gazetteers, temple pamphlets, and temple publications, as well as field research with in-depth interviews to sort out the temple’s stages of development and define their characteristics. It describes and analyzes the relation between that development and the development of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Taiwan, bringing to light the historical importance of Chongqing Temple.
