Yi Han Ke , as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Fine and Applied Arts Research and Creation at Mahasarakham University Examining Committee (Assoc.

Third, it analyzes the construction process and mode of the contemporary Mazu belief, and explores the contemporary Chinese self-identity performance of the Mazu belief and the significant influence of the Mazu belief on the self-identity of various groups. Fourth, it analyzes the social network of residents on Meizhou Island and the influence performance of the Mazu ancestral temple, and discusses the role and performance of the Mazu faith and related organizations in building the social networks of overseas Chinese people.

Introduction

Purpose of the Research

Research Questions

Definition of Terms

Mazu belief/Mazu culture
Social cultural development on Meizhou Island
Self-identity
The construction of self-identity of Chinese people on Meizhou Island
Social network
Globalization
Population and Sample
Research Instrumentation
Data Collection
Research Tools
Fieldwork
Data Tabulation and Analysis
Research results

Social cultural development in Meizhou Island is fundamentally closely related to the process of Mazu faith development. She has experienced. In this thesis it means that globalization is a phenomenon of the development of human society.

Scope of the Research

Research Sites/Area
Unit of Analysis
Time (Duration and length)

The space and time of the event are the best conditions to contact Mazu and provide the most favorable opportunity to study people's self-identity. It is divided into two stages: before China's reform and opening up and after China's reform and opening up.

Research Framework

Try to demonstrate a conceptualization of the study
Show components of the framework in a diagram form

With the support of a series of relevant policies, Mazu has achieved prosperity and development, and the scale of Mazu believers and social networks has continued to grow. The framework of this study is to take Mazu on Meizhou Island as a research text, use self-identity and social networks as research concepts, and the research context is China's globalization process.

Literature Review

The delvelopment history of Mazu
Self-identity
Social network
Globalization

During the Qing Dynasty, the Mazu faith spread to the entire Fujian province, and other provinces also have Mazu temples. He used the concept of "Network of Social Relations" to explain social structure in the early 20th century.

Research Presentation

This section presents the characteristics of Mazu clothing, which are an important part of Mazu culture. Finally, it summarizes the positive effects of Chinese self-identity and social network on the spread and development of Mazu.

Benefit of Research

The construction of self-identity and the social network of the Chinese people have been built under the promotion of various forces, showing specific characteristics and organizational structures, which are conducive to the promotion of the continuous development of Mazu culture. This will strengthen the cohesion of the Chinese nation. Through the analysis of different performances of Mazu culture, the process and forms of building people's identity are analyzed, as well as the process and forms of building the social network which is taking Mazu as a link is shown. This study will explain the structure and social relations between them.

Historical Background of Mazu

Historical background of Mazu

The introduction of Mazu

With the changes of time, the functions of the Mazu faith are also constantly evolving. Mazu's image design is closely related to the life of the people of Meizhou Island. The contemporary construction model of the Mazu faith is a product of the development of time.

Figure 3 The drawing of Mazu legendary, “saving official ship”.

The historical background of Mazu before reform and opening up (960

The historical background of Mazu after reform and opening up to present

It is the birthplace of Mazu culture and the core area of human intangible cultural heritage "Mazu faith". 64 Mazu's Golden Body is located in the Mazu Ancestral Temple on Meizhou Island, Putian City. The China Mazu website uses modern media to open a new window of publicity of Mazu culture.

Figure 5 The west axis architectural complex of the ancestral temple Source:

Mazu culture

Mazu’s legends

At that time the sea was rough and suddenly they found a group of creatures gathered in the sea, they all got scared. He hoped that Mazu could have mercy and save his family.' Mazu knew that the district judge was kind to people, so she promised that she would regret it. Mazu is good at doing good things and saving people in the world, she is respected by people.

Mazu’s spirit

For example, "Mazu Turned into Grass to Save Merchants" tells the story of Mazu saving shipwrecked merchants. What is more touching is that there is also a story about Mazu's love for other ethnic groups in Mazu legends, this is the story of "Mazu burned her house to sail for the disoriented ship". Mazu's great love is also reflected in her punishment and transformation of some evil forces.

The social and cultural development of Meizhou Island

The geographical conditions of Mazu belief
The cultural foundation of Mazu belief
The moral environment of Mazu belief
The social development and economic factors of Mazu belief
The religious environment in Song Dynasty

The sound of the waves on Meizhou Island can be clearly heard at this place. 73 Hawaii is a world famous tourist destination; it is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is fully qualified to become the starting point of the sea route for the spread of Mazu faith.

Figure 12 Meizhou Island National Tourism Resort of Fujian Province. This is the

Mazu Artifacts and the Meaning of Mazu Statue and the Place

The characteristics of Mazu artifacts

The functions of Mazu artifacts

Mazu artifacts emerged under specific historical conditions and developed as people's faith in Mazu grew. The emergence and development of various folkloric activities such as Mazu folklore, mythical stories, and holiday sacrificial customs are inextricably linked to Mazu artifacts. The development of Mazu artifacts often changes with the changes of these popular cultural ecology, they are full of coincidences.

The uniqueness and symbolic features of Mazu artifacts

Paper-made characters in Mazu sacrifice activities have distinct personalities and exaggerated colors. As the birthplace of the Mazu culture, the city of Putian has rich artifact resources, a long history and culture. With the continuous improvement of material life and spiritual living standards, the production of Mazu artifacts constantly combined practicality and aesthetics.

Mazu clothes as artifacts

The introduction of Mazu clothes

Mazu clothes are Meizhou women's understanding of life, their life feelings and thoughts and blessings for their relatives. Mazu clothes are an important part of Mazu culture, and are also part of the world's intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, the features of Mazu clothes are similar to the clothes of the Song Dynasty, the style features are simple, natural and practical.

Analysis on the features of Mazu clothes

Mazu clothing is a blue jacket with a half collar that uses sea blue as the main color. The clothing style of Mazu clothing is basically the same as the traditional costumes of Han nationality, it is divided into jacket and pants. Mazu traditional clothes are dyed with handmade plant indigo blue, the whole color of the clothes is mostly indigo blue.

The cultural connotation of Mazu clothes

As an important part of Mazu culture, Mazu clothing will become a new modern industrial resource. Mazu clothing is one of the outward manifestations of Mazu religion and an important window for people to taste Mazu religion and Mazu culture. Continuing the heritage of Mazu culture, Mazu clothing can be designed innovatively in terms of style, color, structure and craftsmanship.

Figure 17 Some women wear Mazu clothes Source: Photographed by Ke Yihan, 2020

The architecture of Mazu temple as artifacts

The introduction of the architecture of Mazu temple

We should absorb the nutrition of Mazu clothing culture, make full use of modern conditions for the effective development and creation of the Mazu clothing culture industry, increase people's recognition of traditional culture, deepen the understanding and recognition of Mazu clothing culture, and promote the heritage and development of Mazu clothing culture. Therefore, the interpretation of Mazu Temple architectural art will help us to understand more deeply the essence of Mazu culture and Mazu spirit.

Analysis on the architectural art of Mazu temple

It is located directly in front of the ceremonial square and it is also the main hall of Mazu Temple. The construction method of the wall of Mazu Temple is built with the bricks alternately horizontally and vertically. The algae pit is the core of the decoration of the inner upper space of the Mazu Temple.

Figure 19 The Decree Gate Source: Photographed by Ke Yihan, 2020

The giant statue of Mazu and the place

The introduction of the giant statue of Mazu and the place

The statue of Mazu was not placed in the temple for worship, but she stood on top of the mountain and looked at Taiwan Island across the sea from afar. As the spiritual nourishment of believers, the giant statue of Mazu has become a new landmark on Meizhou Island with its unique image and special meaning. The giant statue of Mazu is 14.35 meters high, the figure symbolizes the area of Meizhou Island is 14.35 square kilometers.

Figure 33 The giant statue of Mazu on Meizhou Island Source: Photographed by Ke Yihan, 2020

The meaning of the giant statue of Mazu and the place

The construction and expression of individual self-identity plays a key role in the development of Mazu belief. The spiritual connotation of Mazu faith is the construction of the meaning of life corresponding to human existence. As the origin of Mazu faith, Mazu faith has a strong religious capital in Meizhou Island.

Among them, the identification of himself as one of the builders of Mazu faith is the most obvious. The rendering and creation of the overall atmosphere of Mazu faith in Meizhou Island also gives tourists a better emotional experience.

The Construction of Self-Identity of Chinese People in Meizhou

The relationship between Mazu and self-identity

Mazu faith is a product of history, working people are the builders and participants of Mazu faith, they play an important role in the formation of Mazu culture. And Mazu faith is the outward result of sanctifying the inward sense of identification. This kind of self-identity is the identification of individual belonging, it constructs the boundary of the group.

The construction process of contemporary Mazu belief

Folk belief elites promote the development of contemporary Mazu belief

However, because the Mazu Temple was under the jurisdiction of the Meizhou Island Garrison at the time, the garrison and the local residents had very different opinions about the reconstruction of the Mazu Temple. Later, the board of the Ancestral Temple ran around and received instructions from the Secretary of the Provincial Festival Committee to suspend the demolition of the Mazu Temple so that the Mazu Temple Bedroom Hall was preserved. Under the leadership of Lin Congzhi, the Dormitory Hall was rebuilt on the original site in 1981, followed by the construction of a 14.4-meter-high gigantic stone statue of Mazu, and more than ten Mazu temples were rebuilt in Meizhou Island, making the development of the the ancestral temple of Mazu begins to take shape.

Figure 36 Lin Congzhi and other participants participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the ancestral temple

The government involves in the construction of Mazu belief

Therefore, as the main decision-making body of Mazu Temple, the chairman of the board is presented as the top daily manager in the foreground, while the directors who are civil servants usually hide behind the scenes and do not express their opinions. The form of joint construction between the government and the people makes the local township party and government cadres closely connected with the operation of Mazu faith. The person in charge of Mazu Cultural Film Park was also the secretary of Mazu Middle School and.

The expression of belief identity under the joint belief relationship between

The government's identification of current Mazu belief

It is clear that the Mazu faith, under the joint construction of the government and the people, has brought together the human resources of many political and cultural elites and the material resources, social relations and power tendencies behind them, and this has fueled the rapid development of Mazu faith promoted. .” (Zhang Xiaoyi, 2015, PP: 28-31). The daily operations of the Mazu Temple are carried out by the administrative duties of the chairman of the board and the director of the nature reserve management office. The government's identification with Mazu in Meizhou is mainly reflected in its recognition of the current construction model of the Mazu faith. There is also an excellent united front function of the Mazu faith as a local cultural tradition.

The folk elites' identification of current Mazu belief

150 . the board, without affecting the expression of Mazu's sanctity of people's authority, the government usually hides in the background. This form not only makes it easier for Mazu to communicate with the folk community as an identity of the folk community, but also makes it possible to preserve the original civil authority. 151 . through the identification of Mazu's spirituality), as well as the self-identity of the common construction model of government and people.

The identification of employees of Mazu

The volunteers’ identification of current Mazu belief

The people of Meizhou Island have been continuously influenced by the Mazu faith and culture during the growth phase. In the sacrificial ceremony, the main man to sacrifice is the chairman of the board of Mazu's ancestral temple, and the officials of the party. These may become some of the most important factors influencing individual identity of the Mazu faith at a social level.