Since the promulgation of the "Preservation Act of Cultural Assets" in 1982,
there are 182 old-style buildings officially designated as the historical reli
cs. Under the spirit and provisions of the Preservation Act of Cultural Assets
, these old-style buildings, prescribed as the historical relics, are restrict
ed to limited activity. Temples which have always been the social centers, onc
e assigned as the historical relics, must face the challenge of limited religi
ous activities to be held therein.Most strikingly impacted are those temples l
ocated in Taipei City. Taipei City is highly modernized and high dense populat
ed metropolis, with limited public open space available for a variety of group
activities. The only limited opens admitting for group activities the temples
which have been indispensably daily recreation area to the community citizens
. The temples have been the frequent of wanderers, old men, women, social grou
ps, pilgrims and visitors, to them, temples present various tastes, recognitio
n and usage which forms an unique urbanized outlook.Among the civilized enviro
nment, all facilities installed in the temples along with their specific appli
cation suffice the typical representative of social requirements. The introduc
tion of modern equipment into the temples have been the inevitable trend, iron
ically, this modernization in temples seemingly not only discount the purity i
nherited in the antique, but also defeat static goal the ancient relics suppos
ed to embrace. If enforcement of strict restraint and interference would provo
ke the strong protest and resistance.In the course of urbanization, the dramat
ic immigration of rural population into the urban territory has speeded up the
abrupt debacle to the traditional social organization, and the quick spread o
f scientific education has down graded the old temples as the core of supersti
tion which render the temples hard to manage. For the effectual survival, the
temples management level has no way out but to cope with the public interest a
nd requirements, the contents of temple activities have gradually approached
the worldly selfishness, losing spiritual greatness.Under the expansion of con
sumer''s culture, the old temples are no longer deemed as physical venue of rel
igious belief, rather favorable one of spiritual civilization customers. The r
eligious ritual has lost the original significance, served as a ceremonial car
nival to display the artful show, becoming one ring in the tourism loop. Espec
ially the community workers who make the best advantage of the old temples to
sponsor social activities in an effort to draw mutual understanding and attent
ion, unconsciously, the old temples have closely integrated into the tourist b
usiness.In fact, the urban old temples have been changing, appearing diverse a
pplications, no longer to be a simple building. It represents considerable com
plication of a society. Through in-sight analysis, the symbolic contents of th
e old temples can be seen more clearly, offering the real picture what the old
temples look to be, which helps people think more seriously about the regress
ion, and to reorganize the long standing between human life and religion that
has been too long separated.