研究中國明清慈善組織的歷史學者們認為，中國都市中的善會善堂起源於明末清初。但是，這些研究者較少指出慈善組織如何代表地方利益，也相對忽略慈善組織及其觀念在鄉村社會的歷史發展過程。另一方面，研究中國鄉村社會的歷史學者們認為，維護地方利益的社會組織通常以寺廟及祠堂為中心，運用宗教和禮儀來表達地方訴求。伴隨著近代民族國家的建立和現代化的發展，通過宗教禮儀表達地方訴求的方式遭遇前所未有的衝擊；那麼，慈善活動及慈善組織是否提供了一種空間，延續傳統的宗教祭祀活動進而表達地方訴求？ / 本文即嘗試從地方的視角，探討近代慈善事業如何整合到地方社會，以期理解地方社會對近代中國社會變化的調適與應對。本文聚焦近代中西文化交流的前沿地區──中山縣，對其轄內鄰近澳門的前山地區進行深入剖析。在20世紀30年代「反迷信」話語以及中山縣現代化建設的歷史背景下，探討這一地區的慈善與「迷信」的關係，以及如何實踐慈善事業及傳統的救贖。 / Historians who study the history of charity in China note that the history of Chinese urban charity organizations may be documented from the late Ming dynasty. Nevertheless, they do not argue that from the late Ming, those organizations represented local interests in urban administration and the development of charity in the rural areas. On the other hand, historians who study village and town communities have noted that local organizations representing local interests were centered at temples and ancestral halls. However, the structure was destroyed by modernization and the establishment of nation state in modern China. Meanwhile, charity institutions took more significant roles in local society since late Qing. Therefore, is it possible that charity took over the position that had been occupied by religious sacrifice as the defining quality of local management? This study examines how practices and ideas of charity in modern times were adopted in local society from the bottom up. In order to have a substantial focus, this research takes charity institutions in Qianshan, Chungshan as case studies to examine how they adopted and practiced ideas of charity, how they preserved religious sacrifice under the background of modernization and anti-superstition movement in 1930s. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 毛迪. / Thesis (M.Phil.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-108). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Mao Di.