清末位於臺南偏僻的寒村北門庄，為何出現一個臺灣規模最大的王爺廟南鯤鯓廟，必須從該廟的位置以及歷史淵源談起。南鯤鯓廟所在的西南海岸，以潟湖地形見稱，是清代臺灣海岸變化最劇烈的地域。內海所構築的地緣網絡、陸化過程中不斷出現的洪災與瘟疫、王爺取得正統神格，以及居民集體歷史記憶的想像和創造，與南鯤身王信仰的擴張關係密切。特別是鯤身王獲得官、紳認同及護城有功歷史記憶的不斷傳述和轉譯，是該廟大幅擴張信仰邊界的關鍵。十九世紀初，或許因護城傳說的渲染，臺灣府城首先出現每年近兩個月的迎鯤身王慶典。透過其儀式與出巡路程的展演，不但一再重構王爺意象，且具有向其他鄉街示範的效果。經由內海的地緣網絡，鹽水港街和麻豆街又先後發展出迎王慶典。內海三大港街所擁有的財富以及不斷擴大的信仰圈，成為南鯤鯓廟一再擴建的資源。麻豆街更是清代王爺信仰擴張的典範。由於該街具有番漢勢力交替港街的性格、麻豆與南鯤身王傳說又一再被創造和想像，以及該地失去港口機能且常遭受洪患，而強化了王爺崇拜的需求與追求時潮信仰的正當性。清末該街不但是唯一王爺信仰取代媽祖信仰的港街，迎鯤身王更成為該地每年最重要的迎神賽會。

At the end of the Qing dynasty, Beimen was a poor village where the biggest Nankunjuan Wanye temple of Taiwan could be established. It is necessary to discuss its location and history. Nankunjuan temple is located at Daofeng Lagoon, on the southwest coast of Taiwan. This place underwent the most severe changes in Qing Taiwan. The spread of Kunjuanwan worship was related to the geo-network built by the lagoons, floods and plagues from continuously silting, Wanye thus became the orthodox deity as well as in the imagination and creation of residents's historical memories. Officials and gentries identified Wanye with faith and historical memory of protecting Taiwan's capital (Tainan) was continuously narrated and created by people at that time. In the early 19(superscript th) century, Taiwan's capital initiated first the tour of inspection of Kunjuanwan for two months every year due to the legend of protecting capital. The ceremony of Wanye from Nankunjuan to the capital not only recreated the imagination of Wanye again and again but also demonstrated it to other towns. According to the geo-network of lagoon, Yanshuigang and Madou, the Wanye ceremony took place successively. The wealth belonged to the three biggest port cities in southwest Taiwan and the expanding of Wanye faith were spurs to build and mend the Nankunjuan temple to be the biggest Wanye temple in Qing Taiwan. Madou town is an example of the spread of Wanye worship in Taiwan during the Qing dynasty. The town which represented of Han Chinese power replacing the aborigines, so the correlation between Madou and Kunjuanwan, port function vanished and lots of floods occurred continuously which intensified the need of Wanye worship and stirred the fashion of faith at that time. At the end of the Qing dynasty, Madou was the only former port town where Wanye worship replaced Mazu worship and became the most important faith there.