交通工具的消費與使用的變化,不僅說明了技術方面的改進,也反映了社會變動與社會結構的變遷。本文即以明代的乘轎風氣爲例作探討,全文分爲三個部分:一討論北宋末年出現的轎子,作爲一種交通工具,如何在明代中期以後漸漸普及,並成爲一種流行的趨勢,取代原有隋唐以來的騎馬風尚。其次,乘轎的流行的原因除了地理、技術、社會、經濟等外部的因素之外,是不是還有內部的文化因素?尤其是明代官方賦予轎子什麼樣的意涵,致使影響到社會進而改變交通工具的使用形態?第三是分析轎子在明代又發展出什麼樣的象徵意義呢?本文將嘗試揭櫫轎子在政治權力、社會身分或政治文化等三方面所具有的象徵意義。
The transformation in the consumption and use of modes of transportation reflected not only technological developments but also social changes that amounted to a shift in social structure. This paper is a case study of the use of the sedan chair in Ming China and is divided into three parts. The first part investigates the process by which the sedan chair as a mode of transportation gradually replaced the horse, the main mode of transportation since the Sui and Tang dynasties. The sedan chair became a new fashion from the late period of North Sung dynasty. The second part discusses the causes of this new trend, looking at both ”exterior” fators such as geographical, technological, social and economic developments, and also the ”inner” cultural causes of the phenomenon. In particular, what was the social significance of official use of sedan chairs in the Ming and how might this have influenced changes in general modes of transportation? Finally, the third part of this paper explores the symbolic meanings of the sedan chaire in terms of political hegemony, social status and political culture.