晚清北方寺庙和社会文化

Temples in Northern Areas and Social Culture in the Late Qing Period

晚清时期北方地区的大小村落中普遍存在寺庙,基本可以说是"无庙不成村"。通过对武清、深州、定州、青县、唐县、望都、延庆七州县的具体考察可知,一般而言,千人以上大村落拥有的寺庙数大幅度超过该地区村平均数,百人以下小村落的寺庙数则低于村平均数,但相反者也不乏其例。乡村中寺庙以土地庙最为常见,关帝、龙王、真武、观音等亦为众多寺庙所祀的主要神佛道。而主持寺庙庵观的究竟是僧或尼或道,则呈现出较大的随意性,并不存在一定的界限和规则。另外,寺庙不仅是乡民精神寄托、免灾祈福之所,也为人们设立社会救济机构、举办义学乡塾等提供了空间,因此,当时的寺庙具有较为广泛的社会文化功能。

In the late Qing period,there were temples in all villages in Northern areas,no matter big or small.Indeed,we could certainly say that 'without temples there would be no villages.' Through specific examinations of seven prefectures and counties,i.e.,Wuqing,Shenzhou,Dingzhou,Qingxian,Tangxian,Wangdu and Yanqing,we know that the number of temples belonging to big villages with populations of one thousand or more far exceeded the average of villages in that area,and the number of temples belonging to small villages with populations of one hundred or less was less than the average.However,there are also many opposite cases.Among village temples,Land God temples were the most common ones,and Guandi,Dragon King,Zhenwu and Guanyin(Goddess of Mercy)were also the main gods of folk religions,Taoism and Buddhism worshiped by many temples.There appear to have been no strict rules or regulations as to whether these temples were run by Buddhist monks,nuns or Taoist priests.Moreover,temples were not only places for villagers to get spiritual sustenance and pray for happiness or freedom from disasters,but also provided spaces for villagers to build social relief institutions and establish free and/or private schools.Therefore,village temples at the time had extensive social and cultural functions.