本論文藉由台灣現存婦女碑誌自然呈顯的結構性，探討台灣漢人婦女貞節現象。發現台灣有關貞節碑誌的數量較大陸地區（尤其原鄉）來的少，其原因與臺灣的移民風習有關，與歷史發展有關，也與清代台灣吏治有關。根據現存碑誌來看，台灣地區貞烈節孝碑誌隨著歷史的發展逐漸減少，但是在清代卻有逐漸增多的現象，這種現象與清政府的獎勵有一定程度的關係。不過這種成長與大陸原鄉相較還是比較稀少，顯示出漢人婦女在台灣有比原鄉更寬廣的生活條件。 日據時期的台灣，並不因日本對於貞節孝烈的觀念不同於中國漢人，而導致貞節孝烈碑誌的完全消失。不過從碑誌內容中獎勵形式的改變可見日本對於台灣的統治，自有一套文化與社會策略。亦即利用原來的社會機制，引導並穩定住社會原有的架構，讓當時的仕紳階層樂於接受這樣的制度，從而接受日本的統治，不能不說是一種政策上的成功。

This paper wishes to discuss chastity as a cultural phenomenon among Han women in Taiwan from existing Taiwanese chastity epigraphy. Compared to continental areas (typically emigration origins), fewer items of epigraphy concerning woman chastity had appeared in Taiwan: this could be related to emigrant customs, to historical development, or to the bureaucracy policies of the Qing Dynasty. According to existing epigraphical evidence, Taiwanese chastity epigraphy shows a general decline in quantity, but there was an increase during the Qing Dynasty, which must have been related to the incentive policies of the Qing government. Yet the increase is still relatively minute compared to emigration origins on the continent, which implies that Taiwanese Han women have a better standard of living compared to their counterparts in their ancestral regions. During the Japanese Occupation period, chastity epigraphy was not wiped out by conflicting ideas on female chastity and virtue of the Japanese culture. Rather, the content and form of the epigraphy changed, reflecting the Japanese strategy of government that emphasized on applying existing social institutions to maintain the security and stability of social structure, to persuade social elites to accept Japanese rule.