The key points of this thesis research are the architectural characteristics, formation and transformation of the field functions, interaction and connection among the fields in the buildings of Great Matzu Temple and Kai Yuan Temple in Tainan from the Ming-Zheng era to the early phase of Japanese Showa era. This research also brings the long term possible existence of prejudice and misunderstanding or even hypocritical and fictional history into a dialectical analysis. This thesis performs cross validation on the collected data with the various studies on historical information. Besides, by using available research methods, this research expands and brings this data into discussion, practices a cross-domain multiple fields analysis, fulfills the investigation of the close interaction history on these two fields.
There are six chapters in this thesis : Chapter 1 provides an introduction. Chapter 2 presents the discussion principle of this research and introduces the reason why this thesis uses multiple historical fields for discussion. In chapter 3 and 4, there are discussions on the architectural characteristics, and field functions of the Great Matsu Temple and Kai Yuan Temple. This research chronologically investigates on building name, field spatial functions, change configuration and redesign of building spatial functions. In chapter 5, by investigating the floating process of people among fields and record of revival of buildings, this research shows evidence of a history of close interaction, mutual help and communication between people and events between two fields. Chapter 6 contents conclusions and provides suggestion for future researches.
This thesis research uses multiple field investigation as methodology. The study’s findings and main results are as follows:
1. After investigation we have found that the mansion of King Ning Jing was not the place to keep royal calendar of Ming Dynasty, the south of the main buildings should not have any property belonged to the Zong Ren Fu, the north of the main buildings did not have Jian Jun Fu. It was reported that these buildings were Shi Cuo Ya and Huang Di Dian (the palace of emperor) which was actually an erroneously report. This research also shows that the Great Matsu Temple Guan Ting has no spatial and ritual functions for Guan Ting. This provides evidence that the main hall of the Great Matsu Temple located at the third entry was originally the second entry. This research also infers possible reason for the main hall to move from the second to the third entry.
2. After investigation on the names of the property built by Zheng Jing located at the present Kai Yuan temple, we have found that the present popular names such as Cheng Tian Fu Xing Tai, the Garden of Zhou Zai Wei, the Old House of the Zheng Family, the Villa of the Zheng Family, the North Garden of the Zheng Family, the Villa of the North Garden, Zhi Che Yuan etc., were added and named by later generation, the building has no direct relation with Zheng Jing. This research investigates the similarities and differences on floor plans of the past and present buildings of Kai Yuan temple. In the process of organizing “Reconstruction and Repair of Buildings in Taiwan Prefecture” finds even more variety of building appearances in early Taiwanese architecture. Ultimately, this thesis research comb through available data and reorganizes a more complete record about early monastic properties of Kai Yuan temple for future related researches.
3. In the present, there is no interaction between fields of the Great Matsu Temple and Kai Yuan Temple. This research compares the present record of Sangha resident history and the partial historical data of revival, reconstruction, renovation and rebuild of the buildings in these two fields. The result shows that the Sangha in these two fields had close relationship, interaction and collaboration and had followed the same lineage at one time.