本文以臺中縣東勢鎮的巧聖仙師廟為討論對象,以地方公廟、地方菁英與地方社會的角度切入,探討巧聖仙師廟是如何從保護匠人的信仰神魯班公,演變成辦公色彩的公館廟。 位於清代內山一帶的東勢地區,有著獨特的自然環境以及複雜的族群關係,在嚴峻的環境因素下,客民透過清廷的軍工匠制度進一步地進入此地區。然而,這些進入東勢角採料的匠人們,因為面對複雜的環境因素以及泰雅族群的威脅,一方面透過樸子籬社的護衛,獲得實質上生命安全的保護,另一方面在工寮奉祀魯班令旗,以祈求心靈上的寄託。在這樣子的背景下,巧聖仙師廟便在這個地區成立。巧聖仙師廟創建以後,東勢角一帶的地方菁英,如土牛劉章職家族、東勢楊及任家族等等,藉由重建仙師廟以及社會組織的參與,而加強了家族在地方上的象徵資本。
This study is to discuss the Chiao-Sheng-Shian-Shi Temple in Tungshin. The patent lumber-millers of chun-kung chiang, crossing the Ta-chia Valley, entered Tung-shih to mill lumber and thus created a traditional settlement, Chiang-liao, in the area of present Chiao-sheng-hsien-shih Temple. For the complex environmental factors and the threat of the Atayal Tribe, on the one hand they were urged to safeguard the patent lumber-millers by the Puzi Tribe, on the other hand they build the Chiao-Sheng-Shian-Shi Temple to pray for spiritual sustenance. After the building of the Chiao-Sheng-Shian-Shi Temple, the local elites in Tungshin such as Liu Zhang-zhi family in Tuniou and Yang Ji-ren family in Tungshin,they enhanced their symbolic capital by rebuilding the temple and participating the social organization.