本研究目的為探究臺灣搶孤活動的歷史，探討搶孤活動與權力之間的關係，並分析搶孤活動與性別之間的關係，本研究以歷史研究法、文獻分析法，在蒐集相關資料後加以分析，得到以下結果：一、臺灣搶孤活動發展的歷史，從早期祈神祭鬼的宗教祭典，演變到現在已成為節慶觀光的民俗體育文化活動；二、從中元祭典的更改、搶孤活動的停辦、各地中元祭典委員會的介入，可以看出臺灣搶孤活動中權力運作的痕跡；三、受到宗教的女性不潔觀、搶孤活動中性別禁忌的影響，現今競技性的搶孤活動仍以男性為主體，而女性在搶孤活動中只能以觀光客的角色出現。搶孤活動深具臺灣先民生活文化特色和地方特色表徵之意涵，不過在發展過程中權力和性別的問題屢屢浮現，權力介入搶孤比賽的過程和結果，造成比賽不公、爭議不斷，過去藉由搶孤凝聚鄉里團結的文化意涵，已面臨嚴峻的挑戰；性別的禁忌無法去除不利女性參與搶孤活動的機會。因此如何避免權力的干擾和減少性別的歧視，持續地傳承搶孤活動寶貴的民俗文化資產，值得重新省思未來臺灣搶孤活動發展的走向。

The purpose of the research study was to explore the history of Taiwan's Chiang-Ku Festival and the relationships of power and the ritual activity, and to analyze the relationship between the ritual activity and gender. The study used historical research method and literature analysis method to analyze the collected data. The analysis leads to the following findings. First, the history of the development of Taiwan's Chiang-Ku Festival has evolved from early religious ceremonies of praying and paying respect to ghosts to the current tourist folk festival and cultural activity. Second, with the changes in Chiang-Ku Festival ceremonies, the stopping of the Chiang-Ku Festival, and the intervening of Chiang-Ku Festival Committees from various locations, one can recognize the traces of power operation in Taiwan's Chiang-Ku Festival. Three, influenced by the religious view that women were considered impure and gender taboos, only men are able to participate, whereas women could only participate by being onlookers at the Chiang-Ku Festival. Chiang-Ku Festival is rich in the cultural and daily living features of Taiwan ancestors and in the symbolism of local characteristics. However, in the process of the development of the activity, power and gender issues often emerged. Authorities intervene in the process and the results of the activity, which leads to unfair competition and continuous controversies. In the past, Chiang-Ku Festival with the cultural implication that made villages become more cohesive was facing serious challenges. Gender taboos were difficult to remove to allow for the opportunity of women's participation in the Chiang-Ku Festival. Thus, finding ways to avoid the interference of power and reduce gender discrimination while continuing the valuable cultural heritage of the Chiang-Ku Festival requires great effort to reflect again the future development of Taiwan's Chiang-Ku Festival.