英文摘要
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This article attempts to reconstruct the traditional form of ”konkai,” the public house of Ping-pu tribes in Tainan, and to trace its transformation in history. According to historical records, the konkai in the 17th century was a multi-functional space that served religious, political, and communal purposes. However, long-term research of konkai since the Japanese colonial years indicates that its functions have now reduced to a religious one; only occasionally does it hold communal activities. Scholars have also generally neglected the reports from sojourning foreigners in the 19th century. Neither did they inquire into the konkai's changes of function and its formal transformation in various stages. As a result, current scholarship regarding konkai is limited to the religious and ritual aspect, as well as the differences between building materials and forms.
Based on extant scholarship and a re-interpretation of available sources, field trips to the existing konkais, and interviews conducted in the villages, the author argues that changes of the functions of konkai resulted from the foreign regime's manipulation, which undermined the close-knit political, religious, and social organization. Functions of konkai were substituted by or disintegrated into village schools, communitive office, and religious spaces (such as churches and temples). The konkai also became office/residence of the tribal chieftains or interpreters. Eventually they were changed into religious/ritualistic space. Furthermore, with influences from Han people's building techniques, the konkai adopted Han-style rooftop and layout. The original sacred symbol-the central column-was either replaced or disappeared. The equal status of the sacrificial platforms was changed to adjust to the Han-style hierarchical arrangement, thus confusing all the spatial order of divine symbol and intermediary supernatural elements. The symbolic meaning of konkai as the epitome of village community faded out, thus came into existence various formation of the current konkai.
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