| dc.description.abstract | This research is to investigate the development of the reputed families in social leading status in North Taiwan, to know how they sustained their families’ prestige and social status through the discussion on Chen Wei-ying’s family. Besides Introduction and Conclusion, there are four chapters.
The first reclamation of Chen Wei-ying family started with Chen Tsai in year 45 of Qian-long reign (1780 AD.), when the north of Taiwan was still non-educated and uncultivated. In the Dao-guang reign, the society of north Taiwan started off on culture events, and the Chen family gradually became the leading squire getting involved in local events.
Through the Chen Wei-ying family, the clear threads of how the prominent families gained its prosperity by accumulating wealth, fame, prestige, and relationships shown. They usually gained wealth with reclamation or business. To a certain degree of economic stability, the families would encourage the heirs to participate imperial exam system for fame. They also involved local events to extend its relationship and social network for further stable development of the families.
For the Chen family, the background and origin deeply influenced the family. On the background, the Chen family had good reputation on cultural and educational affairs, thus they had the specific qualities of social leading status of this type and its social network was centered on Chen Wei-ying’s disciples. The Chen family was built up by business, thus it had the quality of businessmen as well. They cooperated with local and governmental affairs mostly on the premise not jeopardizing its family benefits to have a long-term successful development for itself.
On its origin side, the Chen family was from Tung-an, China, thus, when they participated on various local affairs, they were more enthusiastic about events for Tung-an and An Chi people, particularly on religion events. The Chens’ disciples were mostly Tung-an or An-chi people from Chunchou and Changchou, so the Chen family’s vibrant interacting social network was mostly with squires from Chunchou and Changchou. | en_US |