辦桌，即在家中或私人場所置辦酒席款待客人，是臺灣漢人宴請客人的主要方式之一。本文以清代臺灣為例，論述辦桌活動在漢人社會中所承載的文化規則與社會意義。本文依據舉辦宴會的場合或情境，將辦桌活動區分成生命禮儀、團聚、慶醮、調和、慰勞等型態。情境、形態不同，展演方式亦迥然相異。生命禮儀宴具有較為濃厚的祝祭性和儀式化規則，主客雙方在參加宴會時都得衡量彼此間的關係，理性計算宴會中的責任與權利。相較之下，慶醮宴則呈現反規範性和顛覆性。惟不論其形態為何，辦桌活動皆具有集體動員參與的特質。不僅主家或參與者得以藉辦桌活動建構其社會關係、提高社會聲望，並可達到宗教信仰、生活娛樂、營養攝取等目的，漢人社會也常藉著團聚、慶醮等宴會展現社群意識或進行社會整合。至清中葉以降，隨著士紳階層的興起，臺灣也開始興起另一種形態的辦桌活動，即在私人園林的花廳中，由專業家庭廚師料理的宴會。惟該類宴會實已喪失辦桌所具備的集體動員、開放參與的特質。

Banzhuo in Mandarin or pāntok in Hokkien, literally means “managing the tables,” referring to banquets in homes or private venues. In contrast to holding banquets in commercial venues like restaurants, which became popular during the Japanese colonial period, Banzhuo was the dominant custom of the Han people in Taiwan to treat guests with feasting during the Qing Dynasty. Focusing on the tradition of Banzhuo in Qing Taiwan, this article examines the cultural rules and social significance of such banquets in Han society. This article divides these banquets at private venues into the following categories according their different occasions and social contexts: life-cycle ritual banquets, reunion banquets, religious banquets, reconciliatory banquets, and consolatory banquets. As the occasions and social contexts varied, so did the rules and presentations of banquets. For example, dishes and dining manners of the life-circle ritual banquets were largely dominated by specific rituals and embedded with symbolic meanings. Both the hosts and guests in such banquets were thus restricted by these rituals and manners, putting their mutual relationship in a rational framework and shouldering corresponding responsibilities of treating and paying back. By contrast, religious banquets were characterized with gestures that transgressed normal behavior patterns, subverting accepted etiquette. However, in spite of various rules for different categories of banquets, all kinds of Banzhuo enjoyed the common feature of significant collective mobilization. By holding and attending banquets, hosts and guests could expand their social networks and improve their reputations. Among other strategies, reunion banquets and religious banquets were an effective means by which the Han people in Taiwan could strengthen their collective consciousness and advance social consolidation. Furthermore, Banzhuo also had other social functions concerning religion, entertainment, and nutrition. In addition to above categories of Banzhuo, a new form of banquet emerged in Taiwan by the mid-Qing with the formation of a local “gentry” class. Gentry tended to hold banquets in their private dining rooms, with dishes made by professional private chefs. As the characteristics of collective mobilization and wide-participation of guests were lost on these occasions, such banquets were basically different from Banzhuo, marking a new form of banquets of the Han people in Taiwan.

辦桌；宴會；奢侈；清代臺灣

banzhuo; banquets; feasts; extravagance; Qing Taiwan