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- Panel 5-2 Zuo Fu–Bai Xin Ding: Rituals and Offerings as Expressions of Liudui Hakka Society and Culture /Tseng, Lin-Yi
Panel 5-2 Zuo Fu–Bai Xin Ding: Rituals and Offerings as Expressions of Liudui Hakka Society and Culture /Tseng, Lin-Yi
Tseng, Lin-Yi
Associate Researcher and Chief of Research and Collection Division, NRM;
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of History, Tamkang University, Taiwan
Since ancient times, the ritual ceremonies associated with seasonal festivals have reflected a long-standing interactive pattern between humans and intangible celestial entities as well as tangible terrestrial elements. These rituals serve as an important perspective for subsequent generations to understand the internal structures of local populations, surrounding environments, and socio-cultural contexts within specific regions. This approach is analogous to the methods employed by the Annales School in France, which used ecclesiastical and ledger data to observe long-term social and economic transformations at the local level.
This study will analyze two ledgers of the Fude Society dating from the late Qing to the post-war period (1876–1975), focusing on the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual performed in the Jiadong area of the Liudui Hakka community in southern Taiwan. Through available sources, the research aims to understand the social, cultural, and economic changes in Jiadong and its surrounding regions over the past century.
The primary focus will be on analyzing the rituals and ledger records, from which initial research directions and findings have emerged. First, although the “zuo fu” (offering blessings to Lord Bo Gong) ritual conducted before the Lantern Festival in the Liudui Hakka community has become undocumented, the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual associated with it appears to have originated in the Zuo Dui area of Jiadong, becoming institutionalized and organized in the second year of the Guangxu reign period (1876). This development may be related to the “Linhong Incident” of the 3rd year of the Xianfeng period (1853). It is possible that the rituals reflect the conflicts between the Minnan and Hakka populations in Zuo Dui and Fangliao, forming an internal mechanism within the Liudui society, which subsequently spread and became institutionalized elsewhere in the region. The "Bai Xin Ding" ritual mainly involves prayers to Bo Gong (the Land God) for the health and growth of male descendants, closely linked to the military capacity, neighboring environment, and ethnic relations of the Liudui during the Qing period. The "populating” or “outpost” activities within Liudui, including armed conflicts, required a stable male population. In the absence of precise population data such as the Qing census records in Taiwan, the "Xin Ding" ledger, recording birth dates and the number of male descendants in each settlement, may serve as a reference. In essence, the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual may have served a practical social and environmental function, providing a mechanism for rapid mobilization within the region.
Second, through organizations such as the Fude Society and other deity associations, as well as their operational systems involving funds and stove masters, we can further comprehend the intrinsic meanings conveyed by ledger records. For example, the Jiadong Fude Ye sacrificial rites show close financial interactions with the Jinqiang Society, which are linked to Liudui’s military mobilization efforts. According to ledger entries, the main expenses for the Fude Ye ceremonies, aside from offerings to the God of Earth (Fude Ye) and the Bai Xin Ding rituals, include the payment of land rent and military-related expenditures. These include routine defense against rebels, especially during the Battle of Buyue Building in 1895, where reserves of rice were harvested in anticipation of Japanese landings, and funds were allocated to request assistance from the Mino region of the Right Dui.
Third, the offerings and procurement of supplies during the Zuo Fu and Bai Xin Ding festivals reveal aspects of Jiadong's local production models, commodity circulation, and economic transformations. The relationships between the supply origins of offerings—such as xinding rice cakes, pork, mutton, and especially seafood—highlight the interactions among the traditional festival practices, local resource bases in Liudui and surrounding areas, and their development over the past century. Records of these seasonal rituals and their extensions may vividly illustrate the environmental, social, and economic changes that have occurred in Jiadong, reflecting the community’s practical needs and unique cultural features.
Keywords: Liudui, Jiadong (Zuo Dui), Fude Society, Zuo Fu, Bai Xin Ding
Associate Researcher and Chief of Research and Collection Division, NRM;
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of History, Tamkang University, Taiwan
Since ancient times, the ritual ceremonies associated with seasonal festivals have reflected a long-standing interactive pattern between humans and intangible celestial entities as well as tangible terrestrial elements. These rituals serve as an important perspective for subsequent generations to understand the internal structures of local populations, surrounding environments, and socio-cultural contexts within specific regions. This approach is analogous to the methods employed by the Annales School in France, which used ecclesiastical and ledger data to observe long-term social and economic transformations at the local level.
This study will analyze two ledgers of the Fude Society dating from the late Qing to the post-war period (1876–1975), focusing on the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual performed in the Jiadong area of the Liudui Hakka community in southern Taiwan. Through available sources, the research aims to understand the social, cultural, and economic changes in Jiadong and its surrounding regions over the past century.
The primary focus will be on analyzing the rituals and ledger records, from which initial research directions and findings have emerged. First, although the “zuo fu” (offering blessings to Lord Bo Gong) ritual conducted before the Lantern Festival in the Liudui Hakka community has become undocumented, the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual associated with it appears to have originated in the Zuo Dui area of Jiadong, becoming institutionalized and organized in the second year of the Guangxu reign period (1876). This development may be related to the “Linhong Incident” of the 3rd year of the Xianfeng period (1853). It is possible that the rituals reflect the conflicts between the Minnan and Hakka populations in Zuo Dui and Fangliao, forming an internal mechanism within the Liudui society, which subsequently spread and became institutionalized elsewhere in the region. The "Bai Xin Ding" ritual mainly involves prayers to Bo Gong (the Land God) for the health and growth of male descendants, closely linked to the military capacity, neighboring environment, and ethnic relations of the Liudui during the Qing period. The "populating” or “outpost” activities within Liudui, including armed conflicts, required a stable male population. In the absence of precise population data such as the Qing census records in Taiwan, the "Xin Ding" ledger, recording birth dates and the number of male descendants in each settlement, may serve as a reference. In essence, the "Bai Xin Ding" ritual may have served a practical social and environmental function, providing a mechanism for rapid mobilization within the region.
Second, through organizations such as the Fude Society and other deity associations, as well as their operational systems involving funds and stove masters, we can further comprehend the intrinsic meanings conveyed by ledger records. For example, the Jiadong Fude Ye sacrificial rites show close financial interactions with the Jinqiang Society, which are linked to Liudui’s military mobilization efforts. According to ledger entries, the main expenses for the Fude Ye ceremonies, aside from offerings to the God of Earth (Fude Ye) and the Bai Xin Ding rituals, include the payment of land rent and military-related expenditures. These include routine defense against rebels, especially during the Battle of Buyue Building in 1895, where reserves of rice were harvested in anticipation of Japanese landings, and funds were allocated to request assistance from the Mino region of the Right Dui.
Third, the offerings and procurement of supplies during the Zuo Fu and Bai Xin Ding festivals reveal aspects of Jiadong's local production models, commodity circulation, and economic transformations. The relationships between the supply origins of offerings—such as xinding rice cakes, pork, mutton, and especially seafood—highlight the interactions among the traditional festival practices, local resource bases in Liudui and surrounding areas, and their development over the past century. Records of these seasonal rituals and their extensions may vividly illustrate the environmental, social, and economic changes that have occurred in Jiadong, reflecting the community’s practical needs and unique cultural features.
Keywords: Liudui, Jiadong (Zuo Dui), Fude Society, Zuo Fu, Bai Xin Ding