英文摘要 |
Praying for a child and smooth processes of childbirth, child education, and child health are all closely related to the human pursuits of survival and reproduction. Following such pursuits, the iconic presentations and rituals of religions changed with time to satisfy human needs of reproduction. The Chi Lian Tongzi worshiped in Mengjia Longshan Temple, with its unique appearance, carries historical traces and offers religious functions for believers who pray for their children. However, after investigating the appearances and religious functions of various Tongzi statues in Taiwan, we observed subtle differences among these statues due to their levels in worship, origin stories, and position (superior or subject). This study investigated the worship of Tongzi by comparing the connection between the image and functions of Chi Lian Tongzi and changes in its iconic symbols with other Tongzi statues, thus exploring the diverse development of the worship of Tongzi in Taiwan. |