妈祖文化与社区关系考察:以悉尼天后宫为例

Investigation on Mazu Culture and Community Relations:A Case Study of Tianhou Palace in Sydney

妈祖是中国闽粤地区及东南亚华人熟知的神明,随着移民迁移,妈祖文化亦在澳大利亚落地生根。本文通过实地考察和文献资料,首先梳理悉尼天后宫与澳洲华人联谊会、妈祖文化与印支华人的联系,展现庙宇创建的缘由及发展概况。其次透过天后宫奉祀的神及湄洲祖庙妈祖分灵仪式讨论跨区域的信仰和香火传承。此外,讨论悉尼天后宫如何通过澳洲华人联谊会属下的中文学校、商会、福利文化活动中心等机构与当地社区建立联系,成为兼具信仰、教育、经济、文化等功能的宗教场所。本文希望通过以上讨论体现妈祖文化在海外的传承、发展与在地化。

Mazu is a well-known goddess of Chinese in Fujian,Guangdong and Southeast Asia.With the immigrants,Mazu culture took root in Australia.Through field investigation and literature,this paper first combs the relationship between the Tianhou Palace in Sydney and the Australian Chinese Association,Mazu culture and the Indo-Chinese Chinese,and shows the cause and development of the palace.Secondly,discuss the cross-regional belief and incense inheritance through the deities worshipped by the Tianhou Palace and the Mazu spirit separation ceremony in the ancestral temple of Meizhou.In addition,discuss how the Tianhou Palace in Sydney can establish links with local communities through Chinese schools,chambers of commerce,welfare and cultural activity centers and other institutions under the Australian Chinese Association,and become a religious place with functions of faith,education,economy and culture.This paper hopes to reflect the inheritance,development and localization of Mazu culture overseas through the above discussion.