地方信仰與文化傳統的再造： 從大肚合興宮看當代地方信仰的轉型(1976-2021)

Abstract

大肚合興宮是一座1976年成立，位於臺中市大肚鄉的宮廟，早期僅為乩童建立的私壇，奉三太子以為人問事。然而後來卻逐漸衍生出趙子龍信仰，因著趙子龍信仰的紐帶，合興宮積極參與中國、馬來西亞的廟宇交流，參與社區營造、慈善工作，逐漸打開知名度，並且在地方信仰上佔了一席之地；然而直到今日，來此問事的人皆找三太子。大肚合興宮何以存在三太子－趙子龍這兩套信仰模式，藉由對不同神明靈力的塑造如何進行，便是本文想探究的地方。 在探討地方祭祀對向的轉變時，過往學者多會提到「標準化」的相關討論，探討國家對地方信仰的影響。然而，趙子龍並不如關公、媽祖受到政府的敕封，其信仰影響力也有跨國界，如前述提到與中國、馬來西亞交流事蹟，因此並不能單以國家影響與否來解釋合興宮的案例。 因此，本文透過田野調查，梳理出大肚合興宮塑造其信仰系統的脈絡，合興宮的創始乩童趙從焚早期服務於主祀玄天上帝的玄興宮，獨立開壇後先奉三太子助人問事，而後從後龍和興宮迎來趙府千歲後，才開始逐漸構建起一套趙子龍信仰文化的論述，其中受到了大家樂風潮、兩岸交流、地方創生概念的興起等背景，合興宮藉由把握機會，產生各樣的靈力論述，這才得以有今日的規模。所謂靈力的建構不是最終的結果，而是不斷調整、改變的過程，是地方人群為了應對時代變化的共同創造，希望藉由這樣一個案例，來重新探討在當代社會下的傳統宮廟，建立其靈力的方式。

Dadu Hexing Temple is a temple founded in 1976, located in Dadu, Taichung City. In its early days, it was merely a private altar established by a spirit medium, enshrining Nezha to answer people’s inquiries. Over time, however, a belief centered on Zhao Zilong gradually emerged. Through the connective thread of Zhao Zilong worship, Hexing Temple actively participated in inter-temple exchanges with China and Malaysia, engaged in community-building and charitable work, and gradually gained wider recognition, securing a place within local religious life. Yet to this day, those who come to seek divine guidance still do so through the Third Prince. Why, then, does Dadu Hexing Temple encompass two parallel modes of belief—Third Prince and Zhao Zilong—and how are the spiritual efficacies of different deities shaped? These are the issues this article seeks to explore. When examining changes in the objects of local worship, previous scholars have often referred to discussions of “standardization,” focusing on the influence of the state on local religion. However, Zhao Zilong, unlike Guan Gong or Mazu, has not received imperial or governmental canonization, and his cult’s influence also crosses national borders, as seen in the aforementioned exchanges with China and Malaysia. Therefore, the case of Hexing Temple cannot be explained solely through the lens of state influence. Accordingly, this article draws on fieldwork to trace the process through which Dadu Hexing Temple has shaped its belief system. The temple’s founding spirit medium, Zhao Congfen, initially served at Xuanxing Temple, whose main deity is Xuantian Shangdi. After establishing his own altar, he first enshrined the Third Prince to assist people with consultations. It was only after welcoming Zhao Fu Qiansui from Houlung Hexing Temple that a discourse of Zhao Zilong belief gradually took shape. This process was influenced by broader contexts such as the “Everybody Wins” lottery craze, cross-strait exchanges, and the rise of local revitalization concepts. By seizing these opportunities, Hexing Temple generated various narratives of spiritual efficacy, enabling it to develop into its present scale. The construction of spiritual power is not a final outcome but an ongoing process of adjustment and transformation—a collective creation by local communities responding to changing times. Through this case, the article seeks to reconsider how traditional temples in contemporary society establish their spiritual efficacy.