臺灣人的慶典: 宋江陳遊行

[英文]@Perhaps not the most exciting or visually appealing of parade troupes, but interesting nonetheless, today Songjiang battle arrays are martial or military troupes 武術 or 武 陣頭, rather than an arts troupe 藝術or 藝陣頭. According to Paul Katz, it seems that these were some of the most effective fighting troops in the Tapani battles because of their training and actual battle experience defending their villages. They would march into battle, beating drums and holding their banners high, believing they were immune to bullets and swords. In the pioneering days of Qing dynasty Taiwan, the Chinese officials were ineffective in protecting the people and preventing crime, which was rife. Village or clan groups formed martial groups from local youths to take protection/discipline matters into their own hands. During the Japanese Era, these groups were no longer needed (except to rebel against the sometimes stifling and exploitive colonial rule), and became purely a performance group.@ (from Rich J Matheson$s blog) http://liefintaiwan.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/song-jiang-battle-array-%E5%AE%8B%E5%B0%87%E9%99%A3/