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Tao propagation was a way to spread the word of Tao. Tao was propagated in Taiwan since 1946 with family prayer halls as the foundation for cultivation. There were a lot of prayer halls around at that time, leaving behind many precious cultural connections and historical testimony. To explore how Tao was propagated to Taiwan in the early days, using the central Hakka settlement’s Tao environment as an example. Exploring through literature analysis, field investigations, and oral history reports, it helps us analyse how Tao was propagated and developed through the evangelism path in remote mountainous areas. The study of how Tao coordinators are natured, and how Tao operations are managed, is to analyse and trace the historical context and humanities of pioneers as a reference for future Tao propagation research and development.
According to the existing data, it was found that a Tao main prayer hall was setup for Tao operation matters in Fengyuan, Taichung in 1948. Starting in 1954, Tao propagation has gradually moved to the east of the nearby shallow mountains near Miaoli and Zhuolan Lakes, and also the north of Miaoli. At that time, there were two paths, one of which was to based Zhongshan Road, Miaoli, Tianquan Main Prayer Hall as the anchor for Tao propagation led by Chen Kuo Holy Master. The other path was to based Dongshi Baode Prayer Hall that is located to the north The Great Lakes of Zhuolan, and to the south of Fengyuan as the anchor of Tao propagation. Qiu Yaode and Lin Zaijin, who were then Tao Coordinators at the time, were the in-charge responsible for Tao propagation. According to the investigation of the path of Tao propagation development, to make the spread smooth and long-lasting, Tao prayer halls are established as bases.
In terms of manpower deployment, only 2-3 foreign Tao Preachers were grouped. Making trips twice a month, walking to prayer halls in the mountainous area by foot, to propagate Tao and providing care to Tao kins and the hosts of the prayer halls. Local Tao kins in the mountainous area will first spread the word of Tao to their relatives and friends while waiting for the Holy Master to conduct the Tao receiving ceremony or Tao propagation. Due to the mountainous area, there is no fixed schedule for Tao propagation, and there is no specific place to stay. Hope that through the study of how Tao was propagated in the remote mountainous areas of Taiwan, the analyzing and understanding in depth of the cultivation of Tao coordinators who came to Taiwan, the unique mode of Tao operation and management, the deepening of「古道仁風」 of religious believers, is used as a research reference for the historical context of future missionary and Tao propaganda development.
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