1875 年に撤去された宗教施設としての中国式灯台――西嶼塔燈

This paper investigated a native Chinese lighthouse (or “Xiyu Pagoda Lighthouse” ) located at Penghu County (Taiwan Prefecture in Qing Dynasty) which existed until 1875 by studying historical documents in different languages such as Chinese, English and Japanese which are preserved in different countries such as China, Japan and Britain. Japanese historical documents indicate that this native Chinese lighthouse would be a religious facility to worship Mazu, a Taoist goddess of the sea and also describe the mechanism of the oil lamp which can be seen from distance. The lamp is lit to worship Mazu. According to a Chinese historical document “Tongdian” of Qing Dynasty, it states that Qing Emperor favored Buddhism and did not approve Taoism in one of government organizations and therefore the Qing Emperor adopted a policy to eliminate Taoist leaders from the governmental office because Emperor regarded them as a threat to the Imperial Court. Another Chinese historical text on a stone stele reveals that around the year of 1779, when this native Chinese lighthouse was built, Qing government sent Buddhist monk to administer a native Chinese lighthouse, which might have been functioning as a facility of Taoism, a place for local people to worship Mazu. Government notices of 1875 and 1876 in “The HongKong Government Gazette” reveals the process of building a new lighthouse and demolishing a native Chinese lighthouse by following the order of British Officials in Qing Government.