极乐寺与早期槟城华人探析

A Study on Kek Lok Si Temple and the Early Chinese in Penang

19世纪末开始创建的极乐寺,是南洋第一座汉传佛教寺院,开启了汉传佛教在南洋传播的新阶段。作为来自福建鼓山涌泉寺的高僧,妙莲禅师自身的佛学和文化修养,是其赖以和槟榔屿世俗社会交往的资本。甚至其客家身份,在获得槟榔屿华人政治身份最高者的副领事的支持上,也有重要作用。因此,通过极乐寺的捐赠,槟城广东省的次生社群势力进行了一次重新整合,籍贯认同开始超越方言认同,成为新时期华人认同的一种新趋势。

Built at the end of the 19th century,the Kek Lok Si was the first Chinese Buddhist monastery in Nanyang,which ushered in a new stage of Chinese Buddhism＇s spread in Nanyang. As a monk from the Gushan Yongquan Temple in Fujian Province, Miao Lian＇s accomplishments in Buddhism and culture were the assets that he depended on in order to interact with Penang＇s secular society.The Hakka identity also played an important role in obtaining support from Penang＇ s Chinese Vice Consul. Therefore, through the donation of the Kek Lok Si Tem- ple, Penang＇s Guangdong Province secondary community carried out a new integration. Consequently, native place identity began to transcend dialect identity, becoming a new trend of Chinese identity in the new period.