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This thesis mainly focuses on Erjie Wanggong Temple and the development of Gu Gong San Wang Belief in Taiwan. Through the long-term fieldwork in Erjie, this study aims to clarify social development and historical contexts of Great Erjie in different eras and thereby get further understanding of the establishment and interaction with local communities of Erjie Wanggong Temple, in order to discuss the spreading and current situation of Gu Gong San Wang temples in Taiwan. By in-depth interviews and participant observation, this study attempts to explain the role of Erjie Wanggong Temple in Gu Gong San Wang Belief, its importance in spreading process and the characteristics of its rituals. As the most important religious site in Great Erjie, Erjie Wang Gong Temple’s rebuilding plan aroused local residents to participate in public affairs and has become the starting point of community development of Great Erjie. The following Erjie Wanggong Cultural Festival, Great Erjie Art Research and Erjie Cultural Museum show that how the Great Erjie community preserve and promote temple culture in modern ways. In the process, the relationship among community members has been strengthened. The birthday of Wanggong (ông-kong senn) on the 15th day of the 11th month of the lunar calendar is the most well-known religious festival of Erjie Wanggong Temple. The ritual of "catching spirit medium" (liap tâng-ki) and "fire-walking" (kuè-hué) of the festival was elected as one of the top 10 festivals by the General Association of National Culture in 2007 and was registered as intangible cultural heritage by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage in 2011. In addition, Jishi rituals of the temple still preserve traditional resolutions to solve the problems in followers' modern daily life. According to the Ministry of Interior and Chinese Taoism Gu Gong San Wang Promote Association, there are 24 Gu Gong San Wang temples in Taiwan. 17 of them are branches of Erjie Wanggong Temple, which implies the significance of Erjie Wanggong Temple in the spreading process. The establishment of 9 Gu Gong San Wang temples located outside Yilan County was mostly related to the emigration of people from Erjie and Yilan, representing the role of Gu Gong San Wang as the Local God of Yilan people. In 2001, Chinese Taoism Gu Gong San Wang Promote Association was established. It started to construct and deepen the recognition of original temple in Mainland China from Gu Gong San Wang temples in Taiwan. Therefore, the recognition of Erjie Wanggon Temple as the original temple in Taiwan from branches has been influenced and the Erjie-centered network has been gradually changed. Keywords: Gu Gong San Wang, Erjie Wanggong Temple, religious rituals, folk beliefs, ambrosial palankeen and fire-walking
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