Dazuo: An Example of the Regional Variation of Chinese Culture

中國文化的地域性差異：以大岞為例

本文旨在以大岞為例說明中國文化的地域性差異。大岞位於福建省惠安縣東郊海岸的漁村，久以女子婚後長住娘家之習俗及其奇異服裝聞名。中外學者多將後兩項文化特質歸因於少數民族的影響。本文則認為此二特質只是大岞所顯示的一系列不同於標準的中國化的特質的一部分。除上述二項外，其他不同的文化特質尚包括：特殊的男女分工形式，姊妹伴及少年伴組織，夫人媽及房頭神之祭拜，以及在父子，夫婦及其他人際關係中特別強調債的觀念等。這些特質在社會功能上互相關連，共同構成了中國文化的一個地域性版本。

Taking Dazuo as an example, this paper aims to explain the regional variation of Chinese culture. Dazuo is a fishing village located in eastern Huian county of Fujian Province. It has been well known for its practice of delayed transfer marriage and the peculiar and colorful dress of women. Scholars often attribute these two special cultural traits to the influence of the non-Han peoples. This paper argues that they are in fact part of a series of the cultural traits that Dazuo exhibits which contrasts strongly with the stereo-typical image of Chinese culture. Besides the two just mentioned, these special cultural traits also include: a special type of the division of labor; strong 'sisterhood,' and 'brotherhood' organizations; worship of fujen ma 夫人媽 or personal pantheons of women and lineage gods; and, 'debt' as an important concept in interpreting interpersonal relationships. These traits, which are functionally interrelated with each other, constitute a regional version of Chinese culture.