臺南境內會有釋教，乃是最初從嘉義傳入白河，而白河礙於地理位置的限制，以致在往昔交通不發達的狀況下，除了和鄰近的東山、後壁有所往來外，與現今臺南市轄域內其他各個行政區的關係都不密切，但反而與距離不遠的嘉義縣山線各鄉鎮互動頻繁，並連結成一個共同生活圈，促使白河的風俗文化深受嘉義影響。嘉義縣山線向來是臺灣釋教的重鎮，該區域的釋教壇與釋教法師為數眾多，釋教行內更將嘉義縣山線的釋教文化稱為「嘉義派」，故釋教從嘉義傳入白河一事，遂能視為強勢文化向外傳播的自然現象。釋教法師和道教靈寶派道士，雖然各自構成「行業圈」來主導臺南人的濟度大事，可是當地卻以道教靈寶派為主流，釋教僅是一股散布於邊陲地帶的「小傳統」文化，且有日漸式微的現象產生，若不及時著手記錄史料並研究分析，恐怕日久之後，當地的釋教發展史將隨着老一輩的過世而難以完整呈現。是故，本文遂以臺南市的釋教壇為探析對象，配合上實地的田野調查採集，親自拜訪該市境內所有釋教壇，並針對各壇壇主與合作之釋教法師進行深度訪談，以瞭解釋教在臺南市的歷史沿革、發展脈絡、區域分布及各釋教壇之師承系譜和經營現況，期望藉此讓這個在當地面臨存亡危機的常民文化能永留於世。

Buddhism in Tainan was first introduced to Baihe from Chiayi. Due to geographical barriers and a lack of transportation, Baihe had limited contact with other administrative districts in Tainan City, except for some interactions with neighboring Dongshan and Houbi. Instead, more frequent contacts took place with inland mountain areas in Chiayi County, which profoundly influenced Baihe’s customs and culture. This area has been home to many Buddhist altars and masters, making it a significant center of Buddhism in Taiwan and giving rise to one form of Buddhist culture known as the Chiayi School. The introduction of Buddhism from Chiayi to Baihe could be seen as a natural phenomenon of a strong culture spreading outward. Buddhist masters and Taoist Lingbao priests built a business ecosystem for staging salvation rituals on behalf of Tainan residents. However, the Taoist Lingbao School is dominant, while Buddhism is a relatively small traditional culture scattered in border areas that is now gradually waning. Furthermore, as the elder generation fades away, there is a risk that the local history of Buddhism will barely be remembered. This article combines fieldwork, in-person visits to Buddhist altars in Tainan City, and in-depth interviews with altar owners and the Buddhist masters who cooperate with them to better understand the historical evolution, development, regional distribution, and transmission of Buddhist altar traditions in Tainan City. Its goal is to preserve local cultural heritage as well as provide insight into the significance of Tainan City’s Buddhist altars.