The Folk Belief And The Social Change Of Putou Harbor In Zhangzhou Since The Ming And Qing Dynasties

Based on the research perspective of disciplinary comprehensive,including history,anthropology,folklore and so on,combining the field work with historical documents,attaching equal importance to microcosmic case study and macroscopic entirety observation,this article has teased out and reconstructed the history and current situation of the folk belief in Putou Harbor,which is an inland river harbor located in the middle of Putou Stream,an old river course of West Stream of Jiulongjiang River in the eastern part of Zhangzhou Prefectural City,since Ming and Qing Dynasty in detail,and then has a further discussion on the complex relationship between the historical development of the folk belief in Putou Harbor which is famous for “the big temple dominates eighteen temples” and other local societies.According to this article,the historical existence of the folk belief in Putou Harbor located in the rural-urban fringe zone of Zhangzhou Prefectural City as a inland harbor,a special economic geographic location,since Ming and Qing Dynasty has passed one and a half development cycles already: during the complete development cycle lasting from Ming and Qing Dynasty to Reform and Opening-up,the rising,prospering and declining of economy in Putou Harbor affects the reviving,developing and decaying of the folk belief in Putou Harbor directly,they have close relationship and the former is even directly proportional to the latter;during the nearly 40 years' half development cycle lasting from Reform and Opening-up to now,the development trend of modern commercial city economy in Putou Harbor is a determining factor of the folk belief which is in the ascendant in Putou Harbor as well after finishing its economic transition.Furthermore,the force that affects the existence of the folk belief in Putou Harbor is multiple.The factors,such as wars,dynastic changes,major policies of the country,the local gentry,common believers,the social adaptability of the gods' own functions and so on,all have an effect,to a greater or lesser degree,on the formation of the folk belief in Putou Harbor.All these can be confirmed one by one from the historical development of each folk temple related to the core content “the big temple dominates eighteen temples” ofthe folk belief in Putou Harbor.Theses constitute main study contents of the folk belief and social change in Putou Harbor during a long period from Ming and Qing Dynasty,providing a study case with historical profundity,typicality and enlightenment for observing the historical development of Minnan folk belief in different economic geographic locations.