| Lin Xiechun(1537-1604),whose style name was Fuyuan,also known as the Jingyong and who styled himself as Yunshan Jushi.He was a politician and thinker during the years of Jia-jing to Wan-li in the Ming dynasty.And he was a famous "city hidden type" gentry in southern Fujian.Lin Xiechun became jinshi in forty-fourth year of Jia-jing period.He especially paid attention to the laws and history when he studied in the Hanlin Academy,and gradually formed his own ideological system.Lin’s thoughts Contain the Military defense thought,the economy thought,the selecting officials thought and the historical thought,which took the People-oriented thought as core.His thoughts is realistic and flexible.Lin experienced three ups and downs in his official career.Lin made great contributions to the local economy,culture and education when he at hometown.Therefore,after he dead,the local gentry and people worshiped him into the Xiangxian temple,and then established the Yunshan Academy in Yunxiao to worshiped Lin,and forming the "Lin Tai Shi Gong belief".The establishment of Yunshan Academy is related to the awakening of the identity consciousness of the local gentry,the increase of the people’s demand for pray,and the officials’ demand for local governed.The belief of Lin has spread to Taiwan,Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia and other places today.And it also become an important way and spiritual link for Taiwan and Mainland,which can help Taiwan people to find their ancestors.Through the study of Lin Xiechun,it can be found that the local customs has a certain influence on gentry’s character and thoughts.And the gentry’s contributions to the local when he was alive and the mysterious stories after his death decide a gentry could become a god or not. |
