June - July 2020
1. Roaming Around Fangliao 枋寮一日遊
Last Saturday we went to Fangshan and Fangliao Townships looking for a house to rent. These are some of the pictures I took while we were there. 上週六我們去枋寮和枋山鄉找房子. 這些照片是我那時候拍的.
The Chinese text below was taken from "Stories of the Opening of Taiwan (Southern Area) 臺灣開發故事 - 南部地區. The Chinese text was written by 趙莒玲. The English was written/translated by me. There will probably be four of these entries, all related to Pingtung County. The Southern Area book also covers Jiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Have you been reading this blog for a while? If so I thank you, and if so you might be ready to take this quiz. Twenty five questions, spanning the years 2009-2020. The answers are below. 你已經讀我的部落格很久了嗎? 如果是的話, 我要謝謝你. 以下的二十五個問題是我為你準備的小考, 這是關於2009到2020年的文章. 你應該準備好了! 答案在最下面.
Damn this office is hot. 31 degrees outside; 66% humidity. By noon it'll be up to 34 degrees, and it's hotter in here than it is outside. Those fans can only do so much.
As I contemplate moving away from Taitung, where I've lived and worked for the last 14 years, I can't help but wonder what the future holds for this part of Taiwan. As readers of this blog are probably aware, I've spent a lot of time sifting through the local news during my time here. I'd like to think I understand this place, and I'd like to think I can identify trends in the area, though I can always be wrong. In the next few years I see the following things happening: 在我要離開生活了14年得台東前, 我忍不住想像台東未來的樣子. 在這個blog的讀者都知道, 我花了很多時間注意台東地區的新聞. 我希望自己真的了解這個地方, 也希望對台東未來的趨勢有正確的看法. 當然我有可能猜錯了, 但我想下列的事情幾年後都會發生:
The Chinese text below was taken from "Stories of the Opening of Taiwan (Southern Area) 臺灣開發故事 - 南部地區. The Chinese text was written by 趙莒玲. The English was written/translated by me. This is the last of these entries. The Southern Area book also covers Jiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
This is the Taiwan Strait from "downtown" Fengshan. It's a tiny little place. It would be an OK place to live, but most of the houses there are falling apart. 枋山市區的海灘. 一個很小的地方. 住這裡應該不錯, 只是大部分的房子都倒塌了.
For such a small town, they sure have a lot of temples. Is it just me or does this lion have eyes that look like fried eggs? Maybe they're not finished painting it. 這個小鄉村的廟很多. 獅子的眼睛是不是像荷包蛋? 還沒畫完吧!
There's a mango field in the middle of town. Mangoes are big business in this part of Pingtung. 村子中部有芒果園. 屏東這個地區很多人種芒果.
One of the many ruined houses in Fangshan. Real estate is pretty cheap around there, but so close to the ocean houses age quickly. 枋山的一棟破爛的房子. 這附近的不動產比較便宜, 可是那麼靠近海邊的房子很容易有問題.
North of there, on the other side of downtown Fangliao, is the town of Tung Hai (Dong Hai). Like "downtown" Fangshan, it's a funny little place. Northeast of there is the Ping Nan Industrial Area. 枋山以北, 東海位於枋寮市區的另外一邊. 東海跟枋山一樣是小社區. 東海東北部是屏南工業區.
The people we met there were very friendly. In terms of where I'll be working next year, I like the location, but its proximity to the industrial area is worrying. 這個社區的人很親切. 對我下學年任教的學校來說, 這個社區的位置很好, 可是真的比較靠近工業區...
I'm guessing this is the main road through town? It reminded me a lot of my wife's village in Yunlin. 這個社區的主要公路吧. 很像我太太在雲林縣長大的村庄.
After wandering around Tung Hai we proceeded to get really, really lost in the fish ponds west of town. This statue points the way to the Seagull Park on the ocean. The Seagull Park - if you can call it a park - is one of the saddest parks you'll ever see. 我們在東海逛逛之後在西邊的魚池迷路了. 這個地標指的是海邊的海鷗公園. 那個公園沒什麼風景.
Everything north of downtown Fangliao and west of Highway 17 resembles this picture. Miles and miles of fish ponds, fed by miles and miles of pipe. 枋寮北部, 台17線西邊都差不多這樣子. 到處都是魚池, 到處都是魚池的水管.
Many of these houses are empty. 這附近很多房子是空的.
We passed back through downtown Fangliao on our way to the town of Jia Lu, further south. This picture was taken next to Fangliao Elementary School. 我們開往南部加祿的時候經過枋寮市區. 這張照片是在枋寮國小旁邊拍的.
I still don't know what that silver thing is. I'll let you know when I find out. 我還不知道這銀色的東西是什麼. 我知道的時候會告訴你們.
Jia Lu, like downtown Fangliao, is right on the ocean. Like "downtown" Fangshan and Tung Hai, it's TINY. There's a big house for rent here, but it's right on the highway, and also across the highway from the ocean. 加祿跟枋山一樣靠近海邊, 也跟枋山市區和東海一樣是小鄉村. 這裡有房子出租, 可是那一棟在公路上, 海邊是在公路的另外一邊.
Last of all we went to Shin Kai (Xin Kai) Village, which lies between the Mountainside Highway and the Jin Shui Ying Trail. In some ways it's the most remote of all the places discussed here, but like Tung Hai it's about halfway between the two schools where I'll be working. 我們最後去沿山公路, 浸水營古道中間的新開村. 對在這裡討論過的地方來說, 有可能新開村是最鄉下的. 其實這個地區跟東海一樣, 位置在我下學年那兩所學校的中間.
Two streets up the hill and civilization ends. After that it's just mountains. I'm wondering if I can survive in a town with no 7-11, no American restaurants and no bars. Maybe I'll be finding out the hard way? 往上兩條路之後就沒有房子了. 除了房子外都是山. 我在考慮有沒有辦法在這種沒有7-11, 沒有全家, 沒有美式餐廳, 沒有酒吧的鄉村過日子. 很有可能沒有其他選擇喔.
2. 臺灣開發故事 (南部地區) Stories of the Opening of Taiwan (Southern Area) 3
魯凱族文化的傳薪人: 素人藝術家杜再福
The Man Who Revered Rukai Culture: The Amateur Artist Du Dzai-fu
原名為kalawa (魯凱語為 [等待] ) 的杜再福, 在三十二歲以前, 只不過是一位開卡車和挖土機的司機, 從來沒有雕過任何物品, 但為了學鳥兒 "自己築巢", 發憤蓋了代表魯凱文化的石板屋. Du Dzai-fu, originally known as Kalawa (Rukai, meaning: "wait"), worked driving trucks and operating construction equipment before the age of 32. He'd never carved [or sculpted] anything before reaching that age, but as a way of "building his own nest" he went on to construct a Rukai-style slate house.
杜再福的父親是一位木雕師, 從小, 杜再福便跟在父親身旁, 看著他工作; 但因不會畫圖, 杜再福一直沒想過從事雕刻的工作, 結婚生子後, 依舊做些開車和打零工的粗活. Du Dzai-fu's father was a woodcarver. From a young age Du Dzai-fu watched his father working. But because he couldn't draw pictures, Du Dzai-fu never thought he could be a woodcarver. After he married and fathered children, he paid the bills by driving a truck and working odd jobs.
不穩定的收入, 讓杜再福始終無法擁有一棟房子, 丈母娘從旁看得很焦急, 於是慨然允諾負責外孫生活的支出, 要杜再福全心蓋一間屬於自己的房子. 在這項鼓勵下, 個性好強的杜再福心想: "連鳥兒都以棉薄之力築巢, 我為什麼不試試看做自己的窩呢?" 於是下定決心, 蓋一棟既可真正過魯凱族人的生活, 又能將族裡的文化延續下去的石板屋. His uncertain income kept Du Dzai-fu from owning a house. His mother-in-law was very worried by this, and for her grandchildren's sake she pledged the money he needed to acquire the sort of house that suited him. With her encouragement, the opinionated Du Dzai-fu came to think: "Even the birds can build nests out of cotton. Why not try to build my own nest?" From this point on he decided to live an authentic Rukai life, and to keep the tribe's culture alive by building himself a slate house.
回首昔日那股衝勁和傻勁, 杜再福自己都覺得有點像在作夢般. 因為在建屋的兩年期間, 他只有太太一個幫手, 一切所須材料都得靠自己搬運和雕刻, 從無到有的箇中艱辛, 說不清也數不盡. Looking back on that momentous, if foolhardy moment in his past, Du Dzai-fu can't help but feel like it was all a dream. During the two years spent building his house, he only had his wife to help him. He had to carry and carve all of the materials himself. There were difficulties from the very beginning, and the problems he encountered were many.
"魯凱族階級觀念相當嚴格, 要蓋一棟完全依照大頭目房子的建築, 事先得經過頭目的同意, 而且不准在門前矗立象徵頭目地位的石板勇士雕刻." 杜再福緩緩說出建頭目房屋的歷程. "Social status looms very large in Rukai culture, and buildings shouldn't clash with the chief's dwelling. Before starting the project you must consult with the chief, and placing a warrior carving - which symbolizes the chief's status - in front of your slate house is forbidden," Du Dzai-fu carefully explains of the building process.
為完全符合頭目住宅的陳設, 他每件家具都經過考究後才安置, 如一進門是一起居室, 往內走左邊為客廳, 靠窗邊的, 是一大塊頁岩石做成的石板床, 這便是全家人的臥房. In order to precisely match the furnishings in the chief's house, he carefully studied the positions of each piece of furniture. As you enter the house, the living room is on the left side, with a large slate bed near the window. This is the sleeping area for the whole family.
屋內各個雕刻的圖藤, 他原本可請身為雕刻師的父親和弟弟幫忙, 可是因為他不會畫圖, 無法將其腦海裡的圖藤表達出來, 只好自己慢慢動手摸索了. He could have asked his father and younger brother, each expert carvers, to help with the carvings inside the house, but because he couldn't draw the carvings he envisioned, he had to slowly carve them himself.
沒有美學基礎, 他只好以比例尺的方式作為雕刻的準則, 例如雕人像, 他先將整塊質材畫一條中線平衡左右, 再丈量長寬, 並按自己身上各器官比例, 予以放大或縮小. "這種方法滿準的喔!" 杜再福強調說. Lacking a background in art, he had to use the scale method for his carvings. For example, when carving a person, he drew a line down the center of the wood block, and then measured distances on the right and left sides of the line. He also measured his own body, using it as a model, making his own proportions larger or smaller as needed. "This method works perfectly!" Du Dzai-fu exclaims.
或許是家學淵源, 也可能是天生血液裡就有藝術天分, 使得他在無師自通的情況下, 一刀一斧地雕刻出一件件質樸又具生命力的藝術品. It might run in the family, or it might be a natural artistic talent which runs in his veins. Whichever the case, he was able to carve vital, naturalistic pieces of art without having been taught how to do so.
剛投入雕刻世界的前幾年, 他因居住於深山中, 未被人賞識. 淡泊名利的他, 仍舊埋頭雕刻腦海裡的圖案, 並把這些成品當成家中裝飾物, 結果使家裡成為霧臺鄉最具特色的傳統建築. Before entering the world of carving, he lived an unappreciated life deep in the mountains. Unconcerned with building his reputation, he carved whatever came into his head. The carvings he produced became decorations within his house. As a result his house became the most uniquely traditional house in Wutai Township.
"由於蓋房子的經費有限, 只有斷斷續續地建, 整整兩年期間, 我每個月有二十天在外面打零工賺錢, 只有十天在家蓋房子." 杜再福吐霧那段咬緊牙根拚命的辛酸. "Because the funds for building a house were limited, I had to build it gradually. In two years' time I had to work 20 days outside the village to earn money, which left me 10 days a month to build my home," said Du Dzai-fu of this bone-wearying experience.
近年來, 他的名聲漸漸響亮, 慕名來購買和訂做作品的人愈來愈多, 但他不願自己作品變成商業化, 創作被市場牽著鼻子走, 因而只賣給懂得欣賞的人, 否則寧可餓肚皮也不賣. In recent years his reputation has grown, and the number of people seeking him out to buy his carvings has increased. But he doesn't want his carvings to become his main source of income, or his work to be dictated by market fluctuations. He only sells his carvings to people who appreciate them, and otherwise - regardless of necessity - he doesn't sell them.
所以, 至今已被視為 "藝術家" 的杜再福, 除了偶爾幫一些機構做雕刻品外, 只要的家計來源, 依舊靠開卡車和幫商家裝潢等零工, 因為他將大部分的時間, 都用來陶塑魯凱族古早的傳說. For this reason Du Dzai-fu is now seen as "an artist," and aside from giving a few of his carvings to certain organizations, he still earns most of his income from working odd jobs as a truck driver, or from helping businesses remodel. He spends most of his free time crafting pottery based on Rukai legends.
例如兩兄弟射太陽的故事, 貴族少女巴冷嫁給蛇郎的淒美軼聞, 以及族人日常生活喝酒, 老人講古的動態等, 他用自己的想像力和跟老人聊天所得的靈感, 逐一以陶土雕塑成作品, 一者建立自己的風格, 再則具有傳承的用意. Examples [of these legends] include the story of the two brothers who shot the sun with an arrow, the story of the girl Ba-Lan marrying a snake, or other stories of tribal members passing their days drinking wine. The older people talk about life in the old days, and Du Dzai-fu uses his imagination to conjure forth images of what they've related. He then slowly shapes these images in clay, creating timeless artifacts in his own particular style.
因為魯凱族沒有文字, 必須用有形的物體來呈現其真正的文化, 因此, 杜再福的最大心願, 就是讓年輕一輩的族人和社會大眾, 透過他的作品, 來認識魯凱族的文化. Because the Rukai Tribe has no written language of its own, it must use tangible objects to present its culture to outsiders. For this reason Du Dzai-fu's fondest wish is that the younger members of his tribe and members of the general public will come to understand Rukai tribal culture through his work.
目前有不少單位力邀杜再福傳授魯凱族的雕刻課程, 他都推給父親和弟弟, 他聳聳肩苦笑, "我不會畫畫, 作品的產生都是天馬行空, 實在不知如何教人, 所以上課時, 我通常只從旁指導雕刻技法." Many people have invited Du Dzai-fu to teach classes on Rukai carving, but he always introduces them to his father and younger brother instead. He shrugs and smiles, "I don't know how to draw, and the carvings just seem to form themselves in my hands. I don't know how to teach this to other people, so during class I usually just teach some carving techniques from the side."
熱情的他每次指導別人雕刻, 都非常熱心, 仔細, 傾囊相授, 於是有人開玩笑地對他說: "別將本事都傳給別人囉!" 他最後不但不緊張, 反而更堅定樂觀地回答: "我不怕將自己的東西教別人, 因為他的夢永遠跟我不一樣!" He is friendly and enthusiastic when teaching others to carve. He teaches people carefully and in detail, to the point where others have joked with him: "Don't give away your secrets to other people!" He is not worried by this, however, countering with: "I'm not afraid to teach what I know to other people, because their dreams are always different from mine!"
百步蛇與魯凱族的故事
Stories of the Hundred Pace Snake and the Rukai Tribe
在魯凱族的雕刻品上, 常會出現百步蛇的圖藤, 這不是魯凱族對百步蛇的崇拜, 而是因百步蛇為該族的 "同伴". In Rukai carvings one often comes across the image of the hundred pace snake. This is not because the Rukai Tribe worships the hundred pace snake, but rather because the hundred pace snake is seen as the tribe's "companion."
很早以前開始, 魯凱族便稱百步蛇為Baladan "我們的同伴", 何以會與百步蛇成為親密的朋友, 據魯凱族老一輩的說法, 有兩種傳說. For a long time the Rukai Tribe has referred to the hundred pace snake by the name Baladan, which means "our companion." As to why the Rukai consider the hundred pace snake such a close friend, the older members of the tribe have two legends to explain it.(1)
一種傳說是, 以前有個部落的公主在屋裡養了一隻百步蛇, 有一回敵人靜悄悄地摸進村內, 欲搶奪公主. 由於百步蛇與敵人奮戰, 才保住了公主, 百步蛇護駕有功, 自此以後, 族人便稱百步蛇為同伴, 並在雕刻物上以其為圖藤, 以示紀念. One of the legends has it that a village princess raised a hundred pace snake in her home. One day a member of another tribe stole into the village with the intention of abducting this princess. The hundred pace snake fought off this intruder and managed to protect her. Because of the protection it afforded, the tribe came to call the hundred pace snake their companion, and commemorated its status by adding it to their carvings.
老一輩的族人, 至今還對百步蛇存著感激之心, 在路上如果遇到百步蛇, 口中還會念念有詞地對蛇說: "快走吧! 快走吧! 免得被人踏了和殺了." To this day members of the older generation maintain a sense of gratitude toward the hundred pace snake. If they happen upon a hundred pace snake on the trail, they still intone solemnly: "Hurry on! Hurry on! Don't get killed by the feet of men!"
另一種傳說是, 霧臺鄉大武村有位貴族女子Ba-Lan (巴冷), 愛上一位百步蛇化身的英俊男子. 奇怪的是, 所有的族人都看到那名男子為蛇, 唯獨巴冷堅持其情郎為人, 並決心嫁給蛇郎, 拗不過巴冷的決定, 族人只得將她許配給蛇郎. There is another legend, in which Ba-Lan, a tribeswoman from Da Wu Village in Wu Tai Township loved a handsome man who'd been transformed into a hundred pace snake. Strangely enough, the other members of the tribe only saw him as a hundred pace snake, while Ba-Lan maintained that the snake was her beloved, who she determined to marry. The tribe acquiesced and allowed her to marry the snake.
依據相傳, 巴冷下嫁的新居, 就是終年多被雲霧籠罩, 族人聞之多不太敢接近的大鬼湖 (今稱巴油池), 有人說大鬼湖就是蛇郎, 但自此以後族人便不曾再看見巴冷. According to this legend, the house occupied by Ba-Lan after her marriage was surrounded by clouds year round. The members of the tribe refrained from approaching Da Guei Lake (called Ba You Pond today), because it was said that Da Guei Lake was the snake. From that time onward the tribe never saw Ba-Lan again.(4)
後來, 巴冷託夢給族人, 提醒到大鬼湖狩獵的人, 若是看見有熱的食物才是她準備的, 冷的東西絕對不要吃, 這就是巴冷和族人最後所通的訊息. Later Ba-Lan sent a dream to her tribe, for the instruction of those hunting around Da Guei Lake. If they saw warm food it was food she had prepared for them, and if it was something cold they shouldn't eat it. This was Ba-Lan's final message to her tribe.(5)
傳聞, 巴冷的兒子曾經回過母親的娘家探視, 但自此音訊全無, 至今仍可確定的是, 凡是巴冷家族的門楣, 都特許雕刻百步蛇的圖藤. It's also said that Ba-Lan's son later returned to his mother's house to visit, but since that time there is no word of her. Up until the present day the members of Ba-Lan's family are allowed to place carvings of the hundred pace snake on the lintels of their homes.
到底哪一種傳說才正確, 魯凱族的族人並不在意, 因為根深蒂固的觀念裡, 百步蛇就是他們的同伴. As for which legend is true, the Rukai people don't really care. Regardless of either story, it remains a deep-rooted concept that the hundred pace snake is their companion.
客家建築是客家文化的精髓
Hakka Buildings Exemplify Hakka Culture
明鄭時期, 客家人即大量來臺. 潮州和汀州籍客家人都是鄭成功父子孫三代的支持者. 鄭氏失敗之後, 客家人多半進入高屏盆地及沿山地區. 所以客家六堆文化在屏東占有相當重的分量. During the reign of Koxinga, Hakka people immigrated to Taiwan in great numbers. The Hakka people from Chao Jhou and Ding Jhou (in China) were all supporters of Koxinga, his son, and his grandsons. After Koxinga's family passed from the scene, most Hakka people moved into either the flat lands or hills between [present-day] Kaohsiung and Pingtung. For this reason the Liou Dui Culture of the Hakka people plays an important role in the history of Pingtung.(2)
客家人第二度大批移民臺灣, 是在清康熙三十五年 (西元一六九六年) 以後的事, 當時他們沿臺灣南部西南岸, 向東北部航行, 在各小港口登陸, 而後分往東北部各地區墾居. There was a second wave of immigration by Hakka people to Taiwan after 35th year of the reign of the Ching Emperor Kang-shi (1696 on the Western calendar). At that time they sailed along the southwest coast of the island to the northeast coast, landed at various small ports, and eventually settled in various areas near the northeast coast.
在清康熙四十年 (西元一七0一年) 前後, 滿懷拓荒雄心的客家先民, 開始越過隘寮溪, 分成三路, 向廣闊的高屏平野推進. After the 40th year of Emperor Kang-shi (1701 on the Western calendar), the pioneering ancestors of today's Hakka people began to cross the Ai Liao River, and from there they took one of three routes into the highlands of northeast Pingtung and Kaohsiung.
他們在南臺灣建立的第一個據點, 是屏東縣萬丹鄉的濫濫庄, 並在高屏地區形成 "六堆" 生活聚落. Their first settlement in south Taiwan consisted of an obscure village in Wan Dan Township, Pingtung County, but it was on the highlands of northeast Pingtung and Kaohsiung that they established "Liou Dui" as a refuge.(3)
"六堆" 的名稱, 起源於地方自衛性的兵勇組織. "堆" 原本是 "隊" 的意思, 傳聞客語 "隊" 的發音與漢音的 "堆" 相近, 經過口傳之後, 成了 "六堆". The name "Liou Dui" ("Six Piles") came from a local self-defense organization. "Dui" originally meant "team," but in the Hakka language "team" sounded a lot like "pile" to Mandarin speakers. After many years of use "Six Teams" became "Six Piles."
今日的六堆, 包括右堆 -- 美濃 (高雄縣), 高樹; 左堆 -- 佳冬, 新埤; 前堆 -- 長治, 麟洛; 後堆 -- 內埔; 先鋒堆 -- 萬巒; 中堆 -- 竹田. 六堆的命名由來, 除了萬巒是因該隊的祖先劉庚甫, 每逢對外作戰都打先鋒, 而命之為先鋒堆外, 其他五堆都是按地理位置命名. The "Six Piles" today include "Right Pile" in Meinong (Kaohsiung County) and Kao Shu ["Tall Tree"], "Left Pile" in Jiadong and Shin Pi, "Front Pile" in Chang Jr and Lin Luo, "Back Pile" in Neipu, "Shian Feng Pile" in Wan Luan and "Middle Pile" in Jhu Tian. The names of five of the piles were chosen based on their geographical location, while "Shian Feng Pile" was named for Liou Geng-fu, an ancestor who fought in the vanguard in foreign wars.
早期南部客籍先民, 多無在臺灣長期定居的打算, 只要財富足以衣錦還鄉, 便毫不留戀地將產業轉賣給其他族人, 並收拾行囊回原鄉. In south Taiwan the early ancestors of the Hakka people didn't have a long-term plan for living in Taiwan. Once they had amassed enough wealth to return home, they sold their belongings to another Hakka person and gathered their belongings for a trip back to their hometowns [in China].
這種心態, 可自萬巒鄉五溝水家族的更迭, 看得非常清楚. 五溝水最初整個產業都是熊姓家族所有, 後來熊家賺了一筆錢, 便將產業全賣給吳姓家人; 但吳家發達起來, 便義無反顧地返回家鄉, 除了一些家族產業外, 將其他資產全部轉售給劉姓家族. This attitude can be seen very clearly in the doings of a family that lived in Wu Gou Shui, in Wan Luan Township. At first all of the industries in Wu Gou Shui were owned by the Shiong Family. After the Shiong Family earned enough money, they sold everything they owned to the Wu Family. After the Wu Family struck it rich, they also returned to their hometown [in China] without hesitation. They sold almost everything they had to the Liou Family.(6)
原本僅打算在臺灣賺一大筆錢便回老家的劉家, 因碰到日據時期的動盪不安, 只得 "暫時" 留下來. 沒想到這一留就是百餘年, 現在的五溝水便以劉姓為最大家. 因綿延下來的住民都為客家人, 且保存的古宅最多, 該地保留的客家文化也最完整. The Liou Family also planned to earn enough money to return to their hometown in China, but because of turmoil during the Japanese occupation they were forced to stay [in Wu Gou Shui] "temporarily." They didn't anticipate that this "temporary" stay would exceed a hundred years, and the most common surname in Wu Gou Shui is now Liou. Because most of the people still living there are Hakka, this community has preserved the greatest number of traditional houses. In this place Hakka culture has been retained in its most complete form.
祖先來自彭城的五溝水劉家, 以 "天下第一家" 自居, 其住宅的建築, 除了因地制宜稍微修改一些地方外, 大多依照原鄉的圍龍屋興建. Wu Gou Shui's Liou Family, which hails from Peng Cheng [in China], considers itself "the first family" to live there. The residences there, with the exception of certain modifications made in response to local conditions, have all been constructed in the traditional style.
所謂 "圍龍屋" 建築, 其橫向的主堂和兩旁縱屋 (即廂房, 又稱護龍) 是不相連的, 利用縱屋將主堂 "圍" 起來, 有防禦外人入侵的作用. 圍屋內房間的門全部面向正中間的和平 (曬稻穀的空地), 以隨時觀看主堂四周的動靜. 但為防止外頭的人看見裡面情形, 多在門外加一道簾子, 遮蓋屋內的光線, 是深具防禦性的建築. The so-called "dragon-encircled house" is composed of a main building running horizontally, and two adjoining wings (or "protective dragons") running perpendicularly from either side of the main building. These adjacent wings are not connected to the main building. The adjacent wings are used to "encircle" the main building, and protect it from outsiders. The doors of the adjacent wings all face the inner courtyard (the empty space where rice stalks are dried in the sun), allowing those within the complex to watch the main hall/family shrine from any room, and making it difficult for outsiders to see into the structure. Curtains are hung before every door to obscure the sources of light within. It's a very defensive building.
講究慎終追遠敬祖精神的客家人, 主堂中間的正廳用來擺祖先牌位, 內部陳設非常簡單, 但每件物品都有著特別的含意. Hakka people revere their ancestors, and in such buildings the ancestral tablets are placed within the main hall/family shrine. The furnishings of the altar are very simple, but every item placed there has a special meaning.
屋梁的一根橫柱專掛燈對, 分為龍燈和鳳燈兩種, 龍燈分掛兩旁, 鳳燈則居中. 凡是族裡娶進一門媳婦, 便多一個鳳燈, 外人如果要了解該家族最近有無添新人, 只須看燈對有無增加便一目了然. Lamps are hung from horizontal poles hanging from the roof of each house. Some of these lamps are called "dragon lamps" and others are called "phoenix lamps." The dragon lamps are hung over either side of the courtyard, while the phoenix lamps are hung over the center. When a male member of the family marries, a new phoenix lamp is added. Any outsiders wishing to know whether or not a family has grown need only look and see if a lamp has been added to one of the poles.
有些建築設計和訓誡子孫的匾額, 也明白地傳承客家文化精髓. 例如重視科名的客家人, 其家族屋舍的屋脊多故意蓋成 "小燕尾", 這是因為早年有功名的家族, 才可以蓋 "大燕尾", 但一心盼望後裔耕讀光耀門楣的客家人, 將屋脊故意蓋成小燕尾, 是期待祖先庇佑子孫爭氣. In some houses instructional plaques provide an even clearer demonstration of Hakka culture. Another example is the Hakka emphasis on family names. Families also build "little swallowtails" on the roofs of their houses. [They're called "little" swallowtails because] in earlier times only the most esteemed families could build "big swallowtails." It is hoped that the descendants of every Hakka person will work hard to build little swallowtails onto their ancestral homes, thus ensuring their ancestors' continual blessing.(7)
除了 "小燕尾" 之外,在觀察客家人的古建築時, 會發現許多人家的主堂裡, 都掛著 "進士" 的木匾. 由於清朝時, 五溝水劉家出了三名 "恩進士" (這種恩進士與一般進士不同, 只有册封, 不派官職), 因而劉家主堂便懸掛著 "進士" 的大匾額, 以昭告子孫先人的光榮事蹟. Aside from these little swallowtails, when observing ancient Hakka buildings one can see many "Jin Shr" ["entering scholars"] plaques hanging in the main hall/family shrine. From the Ching Dynasty onward, Wu Gou Shui's Liou Family hung three types of plaques in their homes. (This type of "gratitude toward arriving scholars" plaque is different from other "Jin Shr" plaques. They only bear their seals, not their official positions.) These "Jin Shr" plaques were hung within the Liou household so that younger generations would remember the glorious deeds of their ancestors.
至於沒有任何功名的人家, 為仿效劉家, 便也 "刻意" 在主堂裡, 掛著 "進士" 的木匾, 其目的為勉勵後代, 以此為目標光宗耀祖. 所以參觀客家祖廟時, 別誤以為只要掛 "進士" 的家族, 便有人當過官. Those of more modest family origins also hung "Jin Shr" plaques within their main halls in imitation of the Liou Family. The purpose of this was to encourage future generations to glorify their ancestors by reaching similar heights. So when visiting Hakka ancestral temples, don't see a "Jin Shr" plaque and mistakenly assume that the head of that household was a scholar.(9)
除了以小燕尾和掛進士匾額祈求祖先保佑外, 客家人在建房子的時候, 還非常講究風水. Aside from building "little swallowtails" and hanging plaques as a means of securing the blessings of ancestors, Hakka people place great importance on fengshui when building a house.
客家住宅的地理, 大都採前虛後實, 後高前低的模式, 以求藏風聚氣, 前方必有溪流 (因玉帶水, 主財位), 而且圍龍屋的主軸, 必定得跟屋主的生辰八字契合. The way in which Hakka houses are situated utilizes a "true" front behind a "false" front exterior (or facade), with the rear of the dwelling higher up than the front. This is done so that the house is more open to the flow of air or "chi." A stream should flow in front the building (so that prosperity can "flow" into the house), and the position of the house must be consistent with the owner's horoscope.(8)
可惜的是, 年輕一輩的客家人, 有許多人不明瞭祖先的建築特色, 使得客家文化逐漸失傳, 所幸還有不少祭祀公業留下的老建築, 可作為 "活歷史" 教材, 否則後人都不知該如何尋找先民文化了. The sad thing is that many younger Hakka people don't understand the characteristics of their own ancestral architecture, which leads to a gradual loss of Hakka culture. Fortunately many of these houses built with ancestral traditions in mind remain in place, and can be viewed as "living history books" for the use of future generations unacquainted with their ancestral culture.
不過, 經過多元文化融合, 六堆文化已逐漸被淡忘. 以前他們引以自豪的性格, 如婦女刻苦, 勤勞能幹的特性, 目前在新女性時代裡, 已不太容易顯現了. Liou Dui's local culture has, however, been largely forgotten due to cultural assimilation. The characteristics they once took pride in, such as the hardihood of their women and their dedication to hard work, are not as obvious in a new era of female empowerment.
如果要繼續保存客家文化,不能僅靠六堆文化, 而要找出新的特定文化發展, 才不致使客家文化失傳. In the interest of continuing to preserve Hakka culture, we can't just rely upon the Liou Dui Culture. We need to look forward to new cultural developments, so that Hakka culture can continue to thrive.
3. Some People I Know in Taitung County, Viewed Through the Side by Side Textbook, Unit 9 and My Line Account
1. Where does he/she live?
I'm not sure where he lives now. Years ago he was renting a house not far from where I spent my first two years in Taitung, but after that he moved (I think) to a place near the ocean. After that he moved (I think) to another house in Beinan.
What language does he speak?
He speaks English and Chinese, though I've only heard him speak Chinese a handful of times.
What does he do every day?
I wonder about this sometimes. What would a day in his life be like? Is he spending his days "chatting up babes online?" Or is he studying obscure websites? Maybe he drives up into the mountains, where he meditates upon "mysterious Asia?"
2. Where does he/she live?
He lives up the coast, in Beinan or Dong He Township, I'm not sure which. I know where the turnoff from the highway is, but I've never visited the house he's living in now. I'm not even sure if he's still living there. I know he has a piece of land further up the coast. Maybe he's living on that.
What language does he/she speak?
He speaks English and Chinese. He might also speak Portuguese. Seems likely.
What does he/she do every day?
He's into programming, so he probably spends parts of his weekends tweaking programs. He also surfs and plays guitar. I'm guessing he spends a fair amount of time driving up and down the coast. I see his wife in Carrefour now and then, so maybe he sometimes follows his family into the city.
3. Where does he/she live?
She lives in a gated community near the airport. Several other people we both know also live inside that place. It's an alright place to live, but the floor plans inside most of those houses are weird. My family used to venture inside that community every Halloween (it was the only place you could go trick-or-treating), but my daughters have since grown out of that, and I haven't any reason to go back there.
What language does he/she speak?
She speaks English - haltingly - and also Chinese and Taiwanese. She's very humble about her English ability, but she speaks it - and understands it - much better than she thinks. If I don't speak English to her more, it's only because she prefers conducting conversations in Chinese.
What does he/she do every day?
She spends a lot of time driving her daughters around. On the weekends she used to go bicycling, but she hasn't done that in a while. She also runs and occasionally goes on outdoor excursions with our coworkers. Walking up Dulan Mountain? In that kind of heat? I'm glad I stayed home.
4. Where does he/she live?
I just realized I have no idea where she lives. Her husband works at the hospital next to our school, so I assume they live somewhere in the city.
What language does he/she speak?
She speaks English very well. Her English is probably the second-best in the school where I work. When we talk we sometimes slip into Chinese when discussing work or certain local places, but she has no problem talking to me in English. I'm assuming she also speaks Taiwanese.
What does he/she do every day?
She's an argumentative person, and probably finds work very stressful. I think she probably stays home on the weekends. I never see her in local restaurants. I never see her outside of school. I suppose she likes to keep her private life private, and that's completely understandable.
5. Where does he/she live?
She lives behind the Christian Hospital. I've been to her house many times. I used to teach her son English in their living room.
What language does he/she speak?
I taught her English a few times, but I can't remember if her English was good. Outside of class we always spoke in Chinese.
What does he/she do every day?
I know she likes plants, gardening and travel. I think she probably reads about these things in her free time. She used to spend a lot of time on her son, but he's older now so she probably worries about him less. She works very hard as a teacher, so perhaps she also spends time on her professional development.
6. Where does he/she live?
No idea. I really don't know him that well.
What language does he/she speak?
I believe it's only English. He might have picked up some Chinese since I last saw him.
What does he/she do every day?
Plan his future? I heard he was thinking about Taichung, primarily because he had dramatic aspirations. Taichung isn't paradise, but if you're looking to read poetry or perform one-man plays Taichung is the place to be. Hope it works out for him over there.
7.Where does he/she live?
Also no idea. Who is he/she? Did I work with him/her at some point?
What language does he/she speak?
I'm guessing by his/her Line profile that Chinese is his/her first language.
What does he/she do every day?
Again, no idea.
8. Where does he/she live?
I want to say out by the Naruwan Hotel but I could be wrong. He and I don't talk much these days, mostly because I have no desire to do so. Not a bad guy, just boring.
What language does he/she speak?
Chinese, Taiwanese and English for sure.
What does he/she do every day?
I went biking with him once. It was agony. The whole time he complained about how tired he was, and how fast we were going - and we only went 20K. He probably does family-related stuff on the weekends. I heard he has a whole other family in another part of Taiwan.
9. Where does he/she live?
He lives somewhere off of Chang Sha Street, not far from the school where we both work. Last I heard he was having some kind of problem with his neighbors.
What language does he/she speak?
He's a puzzling mix of shy and assertive. He's incredibly opinionated at work - opinionated to the point of stubbornness - and he's alienated many coworkers for this reason. He and I always speak Chinese, and when he speaks in that language he sounds very forthright. When he speaks English, however, it's like he becomes a different, meeker person. Does he speak Taiwanese? I assume so. I also once heard him sing a song in Amis.
What does he/she do every day?
I'm guessing he sits around and obsesses over work. It probably drives his wife crazy. I know he has at least one kid, but I can't remember if this kid is a boy or a girl. It's been a long time since I've seen him or his family outside of work.
10. Where does he/she live?
Don't know. Has to be somewhere in the city though.
What language does he/she speak?
He speaks Chinese and Taiwanese. His English is nonexistent. Sometimes when he talks to me he uses that infuriating "foreigner accent" that instantly tells me when someone's never going to be my friend.
What does he/she do every day?
He's probably busy with his kids. He used to be into triathlon-type sports, but I think he's given up on that.
11. Where does he/she live?
She lives with one of the other people discussed here. They're married.
What language does he/she speak?
Chinese and Taiwanese. Does she speak any English? If she does I've never heard it.
What does he/she do every day?
I'm sure she's busy with her family. She's very outgoing at work, but I get the feeling she doesn't spend much of her leisure time with coworkers. That's fine. These days neither do I.
12. Where does he/she live?
She lives in the community near the airport mentioned above. She lives there with her husband. I don't think their sons live with them now. They're sons have probably gone off to school somewhere.
What language does he/she speak?
Chinese and Taiwanese.
What does he/she do every day?
Not really sure. She substitutes in our school sometimes, and besides that she works in a buxiban (cram school) near Sam's Burger. She once told me her dream was to open a restaurant in or around Chr Shang. Maybe she's laying plans for that? She retired not long ago, so I'm sure she has a lot of time to think about the future.
13. Where does he/she live?
Don't know. He and I are never going to be friends so it doesn't matter. He's scared of foreigners, and I find him completely uninteresting.
What language does he/she speak?
Chinese and Taiwanese. Everybody thinks his English must be "better" because of his job, but this is not true.
What does he/she do every day?
I know he exercises. Bicycling, running and swimming seem likely. He's one of those dudes that show up at everything, but those attending any event/gathering are likely to forget that he was there. He's one of the most forgettable people I've ever known.
14. Where does he/she live?
She lives out by the Naruwan Hotel. I believe she lives next to the kindergarten near the bike trail.
What language does he/she speak?
Chinese and Taiwanese for sure. She's from a small village on the other side of the island.
What does he/she do every day?
She's one of those women who pretty much sold themselves into slavery by getting married. You can guess the rest: cooking, cleaning and raising kids. I applaud loyalty, but some people suffer a lot for the choices they make.
4. Retrospective 懷舊的 10: A Quiz 小考
1. Where did I study Chinese? 我在哪裡學過中文?(1)
a. Tung Hai University 東海大學
b. The University of Washington 華盛頓大學
c. Taitung University 台東大學
d. The School of Hard Knocks 社會大學
2. Where in Pingtung County will I be moving to next year? 我下學年要搬到屏東縣哪一個鄉鎮?
a. Pingtung City 屏東市
b. Hengchun Municipality 恆春鎮
c. Fangliao Township 枋寮鄉
d. Wutai Township 霧台鄉
3. Why did I accompany my daughter to the Seaside Park? 我為什麼陪我的女兒去海濱公園?(2)
a. To go birdwatching 觀鳥
b. To clean up garbage 撿垃圾
c. To have a barbecue 烤肉
d. To go bicycling 騎單車
4. What do I think is one of the most interesting buildings in Taitung County? 我覺得台東最有趣的建築物是哪一棟?
a. The Chr Shang Train Station 池上車站
b. The Sheraton Hotel 桂田酒店
c. The Chang Bin Township Office 長濱鄉公所
d. Saint Josef Church in Jin Luen 金崙聖若瑟天主堂
5. Have I joined the Green Island Marathon? 我參加過綠島馬拉松?
a. Yes 有
b. No 沒有
c. Maybe 有可能
d. I love my grandma. 我愛我的奶奶.
6. About how many years have I lived in Taiwan? 我大概住台灣幾年?
a. 20
b. 30
c. 40
d. 10
7. What city am I from? 我來自哪一個城市?
a. Los Angeles 洛杉磯
b. Portland 波特蘭
c. New Orleans 新奧爾良
d. Seattle 西雅圖
8. Who is my favorite superhero? 我最喜歡的超人是誰?(3)
a. The Flash 閃電俠
b. The Hulk 浩克
c. Spider-man 蜘蛛人
d. Batman 蝙蝠俠
9. In 2011, what were my coworkers seriously discussing? 我的同事在2011年最熱切討論的是甚麼?(4)
a. Making the children wear helmets in case of earthquakes 為了避免小朋友在地震的時候受傷, 要求他們戴安全帽
b. Making the children wear extra raincoats in case of fallout 避免核廢料對身體的影響, 叫小朋友多穿幾件雨衣
c. Making the children study more English 要小朋友多學習英語
d. Making the children wear the winter uniform year-round 叫小朋友全年穿冬季的制服
10. After returning from Bali, what did my clothes smell like? 我從峇里島回來之後, 我的衣服都有什麼味道?(5)
a. The ocean 海水的味道
b. Curry 咖哩的味道
c. Clove cigarettes 丁香香菸的味道
d. Smoke 煙的味道
11. Which junior high school is near my house? 我家靠近哪一所國中?(6)
a. Shin Sheng Junior High School 新生國中
b. Bao Sang Junior High School 寶桑國中
c. Tung Hai Junior High School 東海國中
d. Dulan Junior High School 都蘭國中
12. Which of the following places have I visited during a school field trip? 下列的地方中, 哪一個是我學校的戶外教學目的地?
a. Water Running Up 水往上流
b. Mr. Brown Boulevard 伯朗大道
c. Jinjen Mountain 金針山
d. The Guanshan Water Park 關山親水公園
13. What article about Taiwan did I find amusing? 下列的網上報告, 我覺得哪一個很好笑?(7)
a. "Confessions of a MILF Hunter"
b. "Lost in Taitung"
c. "The Story of My Alienation"
d. "10 Things to Do in Taipei"
14. What new form of transportation was I marveling over in 2017? 2017年的時候, 我覺得哪一個交通工具很讚?
a. The Maokong Gondola 貓空纜車
b. The tunnel between Yilan and New Taipei City 宜蘭到新北市的隧道
c. The Airport MRT 機場捷運
d. Expressway 88 (88號快速公路)
15. After visiting Thailand in 2012, what other nearby country did I visit? 我2012年去泰國的時候, 也去了附近哪一個國家?(8)
a. Laos 寮國
b. Myanmar 緬甸
c. Vietnam 越南
d. Cambodia 柬埔寨
16. If I could be any animal, what animal would I be? 我想當哪一種動物?(9)
a. A cat 貓
b. An otter 獭
c. An eagle 老鷹
d. A flying squirrel 飛鼠
17. In what part of Kaohsiung did my mother-in-law live several years ago? 我的岳母以前住高雄哪一區?
a. Ciaotou District 橋頭區
b. Luzhu District 路竹區
c. Sanmin District 三民區
d. Xiaogang District 小港區
18. In what Taiwanese city did I live for four years? 我在台灣哪一個都市住過四年?
a. Kaohsiung 高雄
b. Taipei 台北
c. Hualien 花蓮
d. Taichung 台中
19. What's my opinion on Jinluen Hot Springs? 我對金崙溫泉有什麼看法?
a. It's overlooked 被忽視
b. It's overrated 高估
c. It's too difficult to get to 交通不方便
d. It's too expensive 太貴了
20. When I go back to the States, what's my soft drink of choice? 我回去西雅圖的時候最喜歡哪一種汽水?(10)
a. Coke 可口可樂
b. Pepsi 百事可樂
c. Sprite 雪碧
d. Mountain Dew 激浪
21. How self-indulgent is this quiz, anyway? 這個小考是不是太自我感覺良好?
a. Very 沒錯
b. It's ok 還好
c. Not at all 一點都不是
d. I love my grandma. 我愛我的奶奶
22. Is there life on Mars? 火星上有生物嗎?(11)
a. Hey that's a Bowie song " Hey"是Bowie的歌名
b. Yes 有
c. No 沒有
d. I thought this quiz was supposed to be about your blog 這個小考是關於你的blog
23. Within the last three years, what is the most-viewed entry in this blog? 最近三年內, 下列哪一文章是最多人讀過的?(12)
24. What was, until I moved it into the Taiwan Style Blog Archive, the all-time most popular post in this blog? 哪一文章是我放入 "很久以前的文章" 的網頁前最受歡迎的?(13)
25. I briefly changed the name of this blog. What did I change it to/from? 我短暫的把這個blog的英文名字改成什麼?(14)
a. Taiwan Perspectives
b. Hello From Taitung
c. East Coast Style
d. Dream Malls and Dragonfruit
Answers: 1 = a, 2 = c, 3 = b, 4 = d, 5 = a, 6 = a, 7 = d, 8 = a, 9 = b, 10 = c, 11 = b, 12 = d, 13 = a, 14 = c, 15 = d, 16 = b, 17 = b, 18 = d, 19 = a, 20 = d, 21 = a, 22 = a and d, 23 = a, 24 = c, 25 = d
How Did You Do?
100% = Thunderbuddies for Life! 我們是永遠的好朋友
90% - 99% = I Probably Owe You a Beer 乾杯吧! 朋友
80% - 89% = Let's Have a Coffee Sometime 好久不見
70% - 79% = Hi, I'm ______, Nice to Meet You 您好
0% - 69% = Here I Go Again / On My Own.... 誰啊
Notes
1. The characters/place name 東海 (Eastern Sea) have (re)occurred several times in my life. Tung Hai University, Tung Hai Junior High School, Tung Hai Elementary School and I might even be living in Tung Hai Village next year. No idea why this is.
2. This question is pretty much impossible. I wrote about that school garbage clean-up around the time I started this blog. If you actually remembered, a tip of the hat to you.
3. Hulk is a close second though.
4. That was right after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. A lot of people down here were worried about fallout getting blown down here by the wind. As it turned out most of it went to the States instead. Enjoy your slightly radioactive milk, Washingtonians!
5. Bali is not awesome. If you're new to traveling in Southeast Asia - whenever it is that you can travel in Southeast Asia again - I recommend just about anywhere else.
6. My daughter just graduated from there, and her older sister graduated from there four years ago. Time flies, doesn't it?
7. Gotta love how "controversial" some people find this type of article. Asian men, there's no need to worry about non-Asians stealing your women. There aren't enough of us to do that anyway. Besides, people with satisfying sex lives tend to worry less about the types of sex other people are having. Nothing says "incel" like racial-sexual arguments.
8. If you're holding a Taiwanese passport, I would recommend NOT crossing from Thailand into Cambodia by land (or vice versa). It was a nightmare for my wife.
9. Why? Because otters have a good time all the time.
10. I'm a purist when it comes to Mountain Dew. Only original flavor for me, no Baja Blast or nonsense like that.
11. Bowie's best album? It'd have to go with The Man Who Sold the World or Diamond Dogs. Diamond Dogs is really overlooked.
12. These were all big "hits." I know that people enjoyed the interviews, but as I went through them and began talking to Taiwanese people I realized that there were problems with some of the questions. I might attempt this again in the future.
13. Again, all big "hits" until I moved them to the archive and they were less visible to search engines. Of course the popularity of "Sex in Taiwan" had to do with its title. The "Sad About the Lake" entry is far and away the most controversial thing I ever wrote. I got hate emails about that for weeks.
14. I still like the sound of "Dream Malls and Dragonfruit" more than "Taiwan Style." More evocative. The trouble with that title is that it makes the subject of this blog far less obvious.
5. Places I'd Rather Be
And no, we don't have air-conditioning. Our school doesn't want to foot the bill. Some of my coworkers are even convinced that this is a "green building," and that it's somehow cooler inside than it actually is.
If you have air-conditioning, wherever you are, please know that I hate you.
The heat wouldn't be so bad if I had something to do. As it is I can only sit here, like everyone else, pretending to be busy. The semester's almost over, the tests are done, and most of us have only a handful of classes left.
I guess I could get up and go talk to someone. But that would involve getting up. That would also involve walking. The minute I get up and begin walking I start sweating all over again, and I've sweated enough for today. I'd rather just sit here and nurse my mug of rapidly warming water.
When it gets so hot it's hard not to think about places I'd rather be. Normally I'm fine at work, but when it gets this hot I have trouble staying positive. The end of this semester is even worse thanks to the coronavirus, having been extended to July. In July the heat is... formidable.
No, I'd rather not think about this place. I'd rather think about other places, far away. I'd rather imagine myself up in the mountains, where a cool breeze rustles through the trees. I'm in the mountains and I'm sitting in the shade. There's an ice cold beer in my hand, music is playing from somewhere nearby, and I can smell pork cooking over a fire.
Or I'm back in the States, sitting in an air-conditioned restaurant. This restaurant smells like the best pizza you've ever had, and all my family and friends are sitting around me, glancing up at neon beer signs and talking over the sound of video games. We're drinking from glasses full of ice, and we're talking about going swimming later on.
Or maybe I am in this office, but the weather has turned wintry. One of my coworkers is complaining about how "cold" it is, and I'm answering with: "Cold? You call this cold? I call it DELIGHTFUL."
Swimming in a cool lake, sitting in an air-conditioned restaurant, sitting in the shade, or having the weather turn cold: all of these things sound better than sitting in this hot, sweaty office with the fans stirring the humid air. I'd even be happy sitting in the 7-11 down the road, perhaps drinking a cold coffee, perhaps drinking something else. Life is good when you're not sweating into your keyboard. Life is grand when you're not inhaling your own stench, and dreaming of a cool shower.
Oh well. When I think about it, there are only a few hours yet to go. After lunch I can go home, take a shower, turn on the air-conditioning, and watch a movie. I'll be cool then, and life will be worth living.
32 degrees outside, 67% humidity. I'm trying and failing to think of other, colder places, and other, cooler things I could be doing. Why does it have to be so HOT in here? Why does it have to be so much hotter than it is outside?
6. The Future of Taitung County 台東的未來
1. The number of people born and raised in Taitung will continue to decline. This is true of many places in Taiwan, though there are exceptions. Taitung's population is aging (i.e. the average age is going up, not down), and this means growth will have to come from people moving into the county from other places. 台東的生育率及在這裡成長的人口會繼續下降. 雖然有的地方例外, 但這是很多地區的共同問題. 台東的平均年齡逐漸升高, 這也說明台東的經濟發展需要靠從外縣市移入的人口.
2. More people will move here, though the number of people moving in may not offset a decline in birthrates, and an increase in mortality. Taitung's tourism industry is booming, and this means that more people will move into the area to make money. Of course many people will be disappointed by the amount of money they actually make here, but this won't stop them from moving in. The growth of the tourism industry, and "intangibles" like Taitung's more natural setting, will act as a powerful incentive for people to move into the area. 有更多外縣市的人會搬到台東, 但可能搬進來的人數不足增加出生率及減少死亡率. 目前台東的觀光業發展蓬勃, 較多人會搬來找新的就業機會, 但最後很多新縣民會發現沒那麼容易賺大錢. 但是觀光業的發展和台東的自然環境仍是吸引大多數人的主要原因.
3. Housing prices will continue to rise. For whatever reason - and there may ultimately be NO reason aside from unreasonable confidence - houses and housing will continue to get more expensive. Some of Taitung's wealthier residents are playing an expensive game of Monopoly with the local housing market, while outsiders are also buying up new houses in the hopes of either retiring to Taitung or opening hostels/homestays here. As a result poorer residents will often find themselves squeezed out of the market. Land of course will also become more expensive, though the rise in price in less-visited areas won't be as dramatic. 房價會繼續上漲. 不管是什麼原因或可能沒有正確的原因, 房子及公寓的價格會繼續上漲. 台東有些較有錢的人在當地住房市場裡玩著"大富翁"的遊戲, 也有外縣市的人來這裡買房子, 希望在這裡退休或是開民宿. 結果經濟條件較差的居民越來越買不起房. 當然土地也隨著變貴, 只是鄉下地區的價格還不會漲那麼高.
4. Development will continue, and may even accelerate. The local government doesn't know how to do much aside from either building things, or opening up previously protected lands to farming and construction. This is what the local people elect them to do. The local government will continue to follow this program until a more economically conservative, ecologically-minded group of voters elect other types of politicians into office. People here want money, money equals development, and politicians will continue to push development (i.e. farming and tourism) above other concerns. 台東地區會繼續發展, 甚至更快速地發展. 當地政府除了蓋建築物和把保護地開放給農夫及建築公司使用外, 不知道如何利用土地. 這是當地人民投票給他們的理由, 而他們仍會繼續這樣做, 除非未來有在經濟上較保守及重視環保的政治家取代他們. 這裡的人要賺錢, 為了賺錢所以要發展, 所以政府單位會讓推動農業及觀光業的發展凌駕其他的議題.
5. Taitung's environmental situation will continue to deteriorate. This is the flip side of #4 above. People will continue to clear land and to build hotels and/or homestays. Roads will be built into formerly remote areas. Local government will continue to turn natural areas into tourism sites. Agricultural interests will continue to push into the mountains as demand for local crops rises. Some people like to pat themselves on the back over the closure of the "Beautiful Bay" hotel project, but local environmental threats are in actuality far more diverse, and much more closely tied to what local people are doing. The use of fertilizers/pesticides, for instance, and the garbage that tourists leave behind are looming problems. 台東的環境會持續惡化. 這是上面第四點的結果. 居民會繼續整地蓋飯店跟民宿. 偏遠地區會繼續建設道路. 當地政府會繼續把大自然改造成觀光景點. 農業會繼續往山區深入. 有的人覺得"美麗灣"無法營業之後環境就沒有問題了, 可是當地的環境威脅還是很多, 也跟當地人比較有關. 例如肥料及農藥的使用, 還有觀光客製造的垃圾, 都是越來越嚴峻的問題.
6. The local government will continue to veer away from the KMT. This was evidenced in the last local election. The KMT won a few seats, but the DPP made a strong showing. The local Chinese Nationalist Party is in serious trouble, and despite a strong base of support among older Taitung residents and aboriginal tribes, their grip on power is slipping. I could see County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling winning another term if the best the local DPP can muster is the longsuffering Liou Jhao-hao, but she'll continue to face opposition from DPP lawmakers in the Taitung County Council. 國民黨在當地的影響會減少. 這件事從上次的大選看了出來. 雖然國民黨在席次上贏了, 但民進黨也進步許多. 很多年紀比較大的縣民或原住民還是強力支持國民黨, 只是國民黨也漸漸喪失他們的影響力了. 如果民進黨下次縣長選舉的候選人仍是劉兆豪, 饒慶鈴應該會連任, 她仍需面對台東縣議會裡民進黨議員的對立的態度.
7. Taitung will become less isolated. With the new tunnel in place between Taitung and Pingtung counties, it is now much easier to travel to this part of the island by car. The TRA is also working on train service to the area, and after they complete the new rail line (in two years) the trip between Kaohsiung Station and Taitung Station will take about 90 minutes. More people will visit the area, traffic will get worse, and tourism will continue to edge out agriculture in the local economy. 台東不會那麼封閉了. 台東縣和屏東縣間的隧道完成之後, 來這裡玩方便多了. 台鐵也在改善鐵路服務. 鐵路預計在兩年完工, 之後從高雄站到台東站只要90分鐘. 會有更多的觀光客來, 交通會變差, 當地的觀光業會逐漸比農業發達.
8. Luye Township, Donghe Township and Taitung City will continue to grow relative to the rest of the county. This is because Luye hosts the hot air balloon festival, which is a major tourist attraction, and because Donghe, located in the middle of the East Coast National Scenic Area, is a major tourist draw as well. Taitung City is the major transportation hub for the county. The growth of other townships and municipalities will likely depend on their proximity to these three important areas. 鹿野鄉, 東河鄉還有台東市會快速發展. 因為鹿野是舉辦熱氣球的基地, 吸引許多的觀光客. 東河位於東海岸國家風景區中間, 也很受歡迎. 台東市則是台東縣的重要交通樞紐. 其他鄉鎮的發展則靠與這三個地方的距離而定.
9. More chain restaurants and other franchises will appear. With the cost of rent going up, and with the average wage staying at about the same level, local people will find it harder to start businesses in the area - even in the face of rising demand from tourists. Businesses that have done well in other parts of the island will move in to fill the void. This trend will be compounded by the fact that local investors often find it less risky to put their money into established brands. The local government has programs in place to encourage the development of local businesses, but these programs are bureaucratic in nature, and burdened by well-intended rules that have outlived their usefulness. 更多的連鎖餐廳及品牌分店會出現. 隨著房租的上漲, 但月薪維持不變的情況, 當地人要開店做生意的難度會提高. 就算有愈多的觀光客來, 當地投資者仍會覺得把錢投資到知名品牌的風險比較小, 所以在外縣市已經營有成的公司會來投資滿足觀光客的需求, 這一趨勢將變得更顯著. 當地政府有計畫鼓勵當地企業的發展, 可是這些計畫都太官僚, 充滿太多沒用的規則.
10. Public services such as healthcare will improve, but their improvement will lag behind an influx of people from other areas. The local government - to its credit - is working to improve facilities such as hospitals, libraries. athletic facilities and schools. This is as it should be. This is another of the reasons they were voted into office. But given the pace of construction on infrastructure projects, improvements to such facilities will fail to reflect demographic shifts in the county. 衛生保健及其他的公共服務會更好, 可是進步的速度仍趕不上外來人口的成長. 當地政府很努力改進醫院, 圖書館, 體育館, 學校等設備. 這是很好的事情. 也是候選人被選上的理由之一. 可是這些基礎建設進行的速度仍無法滿足縣內的人口變化的需求.
11. Preserving local aboriginal culture will continue to be an uphill battle. Just look at the population of townships and municipalities with more aboriginal residents. People in those townships and municipalities are having children, but poverty forces many of the residents there to seek employment outside of Taitung. Attempts by local public schools to encourage and preserve aboriginal culture have also been mixed. 保持原住民文化仍會是很困難的挑戰. 看一下原住民人口較多的鄉鎮. 雖然那些鄉鎮仍有人口出生, 可是貧窮讓很多居民去外縣市找工作. 就算當地的公立學校鼓勵原住民文化, 結果卻無法盡如人意.
12. Erosion will continue to be a problem. The local government will continue to spend a lot of money on fortifying coastlines, rivers and mountainsides along roads. Farmers pushing deeper into the mountains - into areas formerly off-limits to them - will not help this situation. 土石流的問題會延續. 當地政府還是需要花很多錢強化海岸, 河川, 和路邊的山腰. 農民更加深開墾山區則會讓這個問題更嚴重.
13. Someone will decide to start using the garbage incinerator in Taitung City, if they're not doing so already. People here have been arguing over this for years, but with the amount of garbage this county produces, continuing to send it out of the county for disposal/incineration is untenable. 台東市立焚化爐將會啟用. 人們已經為這件事吵很久了. 隨著台東縣製造的垃圾的量變多, 未來啟用焚化爐的可能性會更高.
14. People will be born, other people will die, and life will generally continue. Or it won't, depending on whether you're around to see it or not. Depressed by the above list? Don't worry, it's not the end of the world, not for most of us. Taitung is still a nice place to live, and it may be that some or all of the trends discussed above will be slowed or reversed later on. It's all about the period of time under discussion. If you're depressed about the near future, I recommend taking a longer view; if you're depressed about one place, I recommend thinking about another. The world is big, many things can happen, and no one has a crystal ball. We can still have a good time today, and we can still find happiness tomorrow. 有人出生, 有人死亡, 我們的世界會延續, 也可能不會. 看你有沒有機會看到那個情景. 讀到這裡覺得傷心嗎? 不用緊張, 大部分的人還是活的下去. 住台東還是不錯的, 上面提到的問題發生趨勢可能會變慢或是消失. 這只是目前討論的當下, 如果覺得未來很糟糕, 你可以想想離我們更遠的未來. 如果覺得一個地區很糟糕, 就考慮其他地區. 這個世界很大, 很多事會發生, 誰知道未來的形狀. 今天可以玩得很開心, 明天還有明天的快樂.
7. The New Da Niao Bridge to "Downtown" Dawu 新大鳥橋到大武市區
The New Da Niao (Big Bird)* Bridge is just south of Jia Jin Lin Village. Between Jia Jin Lin and Da Niao Villages the highway stretches between the mountainsides and the ocean, with few places to stop in-between. 新大鳥橋位於加津林村南部. 加津林村與大鳥村之間的公路沿著山與海, 路上有幾個停駐點.
It was really, really hot when I took these pictures. On hot days the sky is very blue, and the mountains are very green, but it's a very sweaty time to walk around this area. 我拍這些照片的時候非常熱. 天氣熱時, 天空變得非常藍, 山也特別的綠, 可是在這個地區散步很容易流汗.
Da Niao is a small village off Highway 9. There's a rest stop not far from it, close to the ocean. 大鳥是靠近台9線的小鄉村. 附近有一個海邊的休息站.
The people in Da Niao, like the people in Jia Jin Lin, are members of the Paiwan Tribe. Newlyweds in this tribe drink from a marriage cup during their wedding ceremony. 大鳥居民跟加津林居民一樣是排灣族. 舉辦婚禮的時候, 排灣族的新郎與新娘會一起用這樣的杯子喝酒.
I have the feeling they don't see many foreigners around there. While walking around the village I received some intense stares. 我想這附近的居民很少看到外國人. 我在村裡散步的時候很多人盯著我看.
This is near the rest stop. It looks like they tried to open some kind of resort/tourist facility here at some point, but gave up for lack of visitors. 這裡很靠近休息站. 這裡看起來像以前嘗試開渡假村, 只是來的觀光客不多就不了了之了.
The rest stop sells fried chicken, barbecued pork, fruit and a few drinks. Sadly, no beer. 休息站賣炸雞排, 烤豬肉, 水果和飲料. 可惜沒有啤酒.
Still further south is the town of Dawu, which is working hard to improve its tourist facilities. At the south end of Dawu is the Dawu Oceanview Trail. 更南邊有大武村. 大武很努力在改進觀光建設. 大武南部有大武觀海步道.
Again, as pretty as it is keep in mind that it was like walking around the inside of an oven. Below the trail is the quieter, southern half of Dawu. 欣賞風景的同時, 你要知道那裏真是非常炎熱. 步道下面是大武比較平靜的南部.
Not far from there is the Dawu Seashore Park. This is a view from that park, looking toward the north half of Dawu. 離那裏不遠是大武濱海公園. 這照片是往大武的北部看的.
This rainbow building ("Dawu Rainbow Village") is somewhat famous, but there's nothing interesting there. 這裡的彩虹村比較有名, 可是裡面沒有什麼東西.
Just north of Dawu Train Station a road leads west into the mountains. This road - provided you have the courage - leads all the way back to Tu Ban Village, in Da Ren Township. There's an unfinished temple near the road's highest point. 大武車站北邊有一條路往山區. 比較勇敢的駕駛可以利用這條路開回達仁鄉的土板村. 靠近這條路最高的一段有一座還沒蓋完的廟.
The views from up there are great, but there's a bee hive inside the unfinished part of the temple. We could hear the bees from very far away. 這裡的風景超美. 問題是廟宇沒完成的部分有很大的蜂巢. 我們從很遠就能聽到蜂的聲音.
People occasionally visit the pavilions outside the temple to drink tea. It's very quiet there. 有人喜歡去廟宇外面的涼亭泡茶. 那邊好安靜.
Further up the road, toward Tu Ban, is the village of Shin Hua. It's an incredibly isolated place, and being there felt like driving through an issue of National Geographic. 往土坂的方向, 再上去一點是新化部落. 在這裡開車很像進到一本 "國家地理雜誌."
While visiting, we met a retired police officer who'd worked in Dawu for many years. He runs the only coffee shop in town, where coffee is brewed from locally grown beans. He's a really nice guy, and he told us many stories about the village. 我們在那裡時, 碰到一位在大武當警察退休的先生. 他現在是咖啡館的老闆. 咖啡館用當地種的咖啡豆. 這位先生很親切, 說很多村裡的故事給我們聽.
After finishing our coffee we pressed on to Tu Ban. The road wound its way through the forest, the paved section came to an end, and by the time we reached Tu Ban we were glad we'd made it back to better roads. 喝完咖啡, 我們繼續往土坂的方向. 森林裡的路彎彎曲曲, 路況越來越差. 幸好我們到土坂後路況變好了.
8. 臺灣開發故事 (南部地區) Stories of the Opening of Taiwan (Southern Area) 4
閩南人是最早移墾屏東的漢人
Taiwanese People were the First Chinese People to Settle in Pingtung(1)
清康熙二十三年 (西元一六八四年), 閩南泉州人自下淡水溪 (今高屏溪), 經由陸地莿桐腳溪北的枋山, 及莿桐腳, 楓港溪口的楓港, 陸續進入屏東各地移墾, 並與當地的原住民相約開墾土地. During the 23rd year of Ching Emperor Kang Shi's reign (1684 on the Western calendar), Taiwanese people from Chuan Jhou [in China] crossed the Danshui River (now known as the Gao Ping River). From there they followed the Tse Tong Jiao River [now known as the Fangshan River] into north Fangshan, and from there arrived at the mouth of the Fenggang River near [present-day] Fenggang. They continued on to settle other parts of Pingtung alongside local aboriginal tribes.(2)
因此, 沿著椰林和魚塭處處的東港線, 往四方散開, 都可以找到閩南人的足跡, 尤其是看到屏東最大的地標 -- 舊高屏大橋, 便到了閩南聚落. 傳說, 在林爽文事件時, 閩, 客反目, 就是在舊高屏大橋交戰. For this reason you can find the footprints of Taiwanese settlers all down the coast south of Donggang, evident in the coconut groves and fish ponds they left behind. The mark they left on the landscape becomes especially apparent when viewing the largest landmark in Pingtung, the old Gao Ping Bridge, which demarcates the area of Taiwanese settlement. According to legend, during the Lin Shuang-wen Incident Taiwanese and Hakka people fought each other on this same bridge.
早年開發時, 閩, 客之間因為爭地, 發生多次械鬥, 彼此間有了心結, 一直成為閩, 客文化無法完全融合的障礙. During the early years of settlement, groups of Taiwanese and Hakka people competed with one another for land, and there were many armed conflicts as a result. This struggle for land has long been a source of contention between the two groups.
過去, 不少老一輩的閩南家族, 還會不時告誡子弟, 不要娶客家姑娘, 因而拆散了許多對相愛的閩, 客情侶. 還好這個不合理的觀念, 現已漸漸式微. After a while many older Taiwanese parents warned their sons not to marry Hakka girls, and many cross-cultural romances were broken up. It's good that this intolerant attitude has slowly disappeared.
據當地耆老表示, 早期閩, 客發生衝突, 最主要是文化, 語言和宗教信仰的差異所造成, 近數十年來, 各種文化已相互交流, 年輕一輩閩南, 客間的界限已日漸模糊了. According to local elders, early on there were many conflicts between Taiwanese and Hakka people, arising from differences of culture, language or religion. In more recent decades the two cultures have come into closer contact, and members of the younger generation perceive no barrier between Taiwanese and Hakka culture.
經過數百年的融合, 屏東各族群間的界限漸漸打破, 但各族群也保留不少傳統歷史和習俗, 這些各具特色的文化組合, 便是屏東 "同中有異, 異中求同" 的新文化. After hundreds of years of integration, [intermarriage and assimilation], the divisions between groups of people in Pingtung have slowly vanished. Every group, however, has retained certain traditions, history and customs, and these unique characteristics combine to create Pingtung's new culture of "differences in commonality, common cause through differences."(3)
屏東第一
Pingtung Firsts(4)
1. 全臺規模最大的土地公廟: 建於清康熙年間的車城鄉福安宮, 至今已有三百多年的歷史. 該宮原名敬聖亭, 是福建來臺墾荒的先民, 為泉州家鄉所供奉的福德正神所建的廟宇. Taiwan's Largest Tu Di Gong Temple: Fu An Temple in Checheng Township was built during the reign of Ching Emperor Kang-shi. It's more than 300 years old. It was originally known as the Jing Sheng Pavilion. This Tu Di Gong temple was originally built by ethnic Taiwanese settlers from Chuan Jhou [in China].(5)
2. 臺灣唯一奉祀韓愈的祠: 這座建於清嘉慶八年 (西元一八0三年) 的昌黎祠, 是臺灣唯一奉祀唐代古文運動祖師韓愈的祠廟. The Only Shrine Consecrated to Han Yu in Taiwan: Chang Li Shrine, built during the 8th year of the Ching Emperor Jia Ching's reign (1803 on the Western calendar), is the only shrine in Taiwan commemorating the Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu.
至於韓愈何以成為嶺南 "百世之神", 其中有段機綠. 據史載, 因開罪唐憲宗而被貶到潮州 (廣東潮安縣) 當刺史的韓愈, 曾大力教化嶺南人, 這便是韓愈被嶺南人尊為 "師表" 的原因. As to how Han Yu became Ling Nan's "God of a Hundred Centuries," it's recorded that Han Yu, exiled to Chao Jhou (Chao An County in Guangdong) to serve as an official, worked hard to teach the people of Ling Nan, and came to be regarded by them as a "master."
現在的這座祠廟, 是鳳山昭武都尉鍾麟江, 為緬懷韓文公而建的. 鍾麟江還曾聘名師駐祠講學, 延續至今, 每年農曆九月初九韓文公例祭日, 地方士紳都會組祭祀團, 以簡單隆重的獻禮來祭祀. 目前, 該祠已是客家人的精神象徵. This shrine was built by the Fengshan District military official Jung Lin-jiang as a way of commemorating Han Yu. Jung Lin-jiang also hired scholars to give lectures at this shrine, and up to the present day offerings and ceremonies in Han Yu's honor are held on the eve of the ninth day of the ninth month on the lunar calendar. This shrine in an important holy site for the Hakka people.(6)
3. 全臺地位最高的教堂: 清同治八年 (西元一八六九年), 由菲律賓良方濟神父創建的萬巒鄉萬金聖母聖殿, 又稱無玷聖母堂. The Highest-Ranking Church in Taiwan: During the 8th year of the Ching Imperial Administration (1869 on the Western calendar), a Father Francis, arriving here from the Philippines, commissioned the construction of the Our Lady of Wan Jin Church in Wan Luan Township. This church is also referred to as the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
該教堂西班牙神父吳榮福, 熱心協助撫番和消弭種族歧見, 沈葆楨為遏止番民騷擾教堂, 請清廷冊封該教. 清廷於清同治十三年 (西元一八七四年), 令沈葆楨刻 "奉旨" 和 "天主堂" 各一塊花崗石, 鑲在教堂正面上方. 自此官兵路經教堂前, 須下馬行禮. The church's Spanish priest, Wu Rong-fu, worked hard to eliminate racial divisions in the area. Shen Baozhen [a local Ching official] registered the local religion with the Ching government as a way of protecting it from other, less enlightened officials. During the 13th year of the Ching Imperial Administration (1874 on the Western calendar), Chen Baozhen had "Dedication" and "Catholic Church" inscribed on a block of granite in front of the church. After that point soldiers passing by the church were required to dismount and salute it.(7)
民國七十三年 (西元一九八四年), 教堂榮獲教宗若望保祿二世敕封為 "聖殿", 即天主教會內第一等級教堂, 因此成為全臺地位最高的天主教堂, 每年十二月五日至八日, 全臺天主教徒都會來此朝聖. 73 years after the founding of the Republic of China (1984 on the Western calendar), this church was consecrated as a "basilica" by Pope John Paul II. It was given the highest ranking in the Catholic Church, and for this reason became the highest-ranking Catholic Church in all of Taiwan. From December 5 to December 8 of each year, Catholics from all over Taiwan make a pilgrimages to this site.
4. 臺灣唯一的香蕉研究所: 位於九如鄉玉泉村的香蕉研究所, 占地八公頃多, 是目前全世界唯一以香蕉為研究主題的農業研究單位. Taiwan's Only Banana Research Center: This banana research center is located in Yu Chuan Village, Jiou Ru Township. It covers an area of over eight hectares, and is presently the only agricultural research facility in the world focused on bananas.
5. 臺灣洋蔥最大產地: 屏東生產的洋蔥, 占臺灣總產量的百分之八十, 恆春產量占其中的百分之五十二, 車城為百分之四十七, 因此洋蔥為恆春地區最大宗的農產品. Taiwan's Largest Onion-Producing Area: Onions grown in Pingtung account for 80% of Taiwan's entire onion crop. Onions grown in Hengchun account for 53% of the total onion crop, and onions grown in Checheng account for the remaining 47%. For this reason onions are Hengchun's most important agricultural product.
6. 臺灣首座生態和有機農業農場: 設在恆春工商旁的恆春農場, 場內種植一千四百多種植物, 並以動物糞便及生物防治的方法, 創造有機生態圈. Taiwan's First Organic, Environmentally Sustainable Farm: Hengchun Farm is located next to Hengchun's Industrial and Vocational High School. More than 1,400 different species of plants are grown inside this farm, and animal fertilizers and biological control methods are used to create a chemical-free environment within.
7. 全臺第一座國家公園: 日劇時期, 便開始有系統經營的墾丁公園, 最初目的是為研究熱帶植物, 民國七十一年 (西元一九八二年), 正式成為國家公園. Taiwan's First National Park: Kenting National Park was first administered during the Japanese colonial period, with the purpose of its foundation being the study of tropical plants. 71 years after the founding of the Republic of China (1982 on the Western calendar), it was formally designated a national park.
公園海陸總面積達三萬二百多公頃, 地形景觀包括沙灘海岸, 裙狀珊瑚礁, 岩石海岸, 石灰岩地崖, 孤立山峰, 崩崖和河口, 河流, 湖泊及山間盆地等景觀, 公園多變化的地形, 記載著百萬年來, 恆春半島下沉, 隆起, 皺褶, 崩落的地殼運動史, 是最佳的地形和地質學研究的天然教室. The total area of the park is over 30,200 hectares. The terrain includes sandy beaches, coral reefs, rocky coastlines, limestone cliffs, isolated mountain peaks, cliffs and river estuaries, rivers, lakes and mountain plateaus. The park's changing terrain records the geographic transformations the Hengchun Peninsula has undergone over millions of years. It offers the best natural setting for the study of geology and topography.(8)
8. 臺灣最具原始風味的公園: 位於墾丁森林遊樂區與船帆石間的社頂自然公園, 園內占地一百二十多公頃, 有原始的高珊瑚礁林, 四十八處鐘乳石穴以及石乳等, 甚為壯觀. 另外還有一大片以草原為主的原始森林, 深具觀光和研究價值. Taiwan's Best Conserved Park: Sheding Nature Park is located between the Kenting Forest Recreation Area and Chuan Fan Rock. This park covers an area larger than 120 hectares, including an original high coral reef forest and 48 caves covered by stalactites. It's very stunning. In addition there's a large grassland and well-preserved forest areas. This park is valued by both tourists and researchers.
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