Wed, Apr 26, 2006 page13

• The quintessential Hakka village

  Meinung is regarded as the town most representative of all that is Hakka, but it also has plenty of other attractions for the tourist or cultural enthusiast

  • By Wu Meng-fang and Max Hirsch / STAFF REPORTERS
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  Surrounded by mountains, with lakes and babbling brooks to boot, Meinung (美濃) is the ideal getaway spot. The Hakka town boasts more than just scenic beauty -- the hardworking, familial spirit of traditional Hakka culture also imbues Meinung with oodles of charm.

  The heart of Meinung's traditional Hakka culture is concentrated on the town's main street, Yungan Road (永安路). One end of the storied street is home to the funereal pogung (伯公) altars. A stroll in the direction of Ching Tzi Ting (敬字亭), the mini-pagodas dedicated to the pursuit of scholarly excellence, will take you past the East Gate (東門樓), once Meinung's first line of defense against marauders. Traditional courtyard-style homes line the street, including the old home of Lin Chun-yu (王春雨), Meinung's famed tobacco tycoon.

  Bicycling is an excellent way to take in Meinung's sights. Seven paths, each color coded, are currently open to cyclists. The red line is devoted to cultural relics, the green line has a literary theme, and the blue line offers charming views of the irrigation canals that crisscross the landscape. The far-off silhouettes of mountains, the expanse of rice paddies, and the inverted, watery reflections of Chungcheng Lake (中正湖) have enchanted travelers for years. The delicious Hakka cuisine keeps visitors coming back.

  

  Meinung is rich in cultural performances, handicrafts, Hakka traditions and architecture.

  PHOTOS: WU MENG-FANG, TAIPEI TIMES

  Blue Hakka tunics

  Blue tunics are a Hakka cultural mainstay. In the past, most Hakka women donned the baggy, loose blouse. The tunics were worn until they became dog-eared and tattered, and only then would new ones be bought -- a testament to the Hakka work ethic and their thriftiness. The versatility of the traditional tunic also extended to when one could wear it -- always. Loose-fitting and practical, the tunic was appropriate in both formal and informal circumstances, and comfortable in all seasons.

  Of course, the popularity of the tunic has faded: Now Meinung residents rarely wear it, save for at Hakka cultural performances and other special occasions. As a result, Hakka tunic shops have all but disappeared. However, one shop still holds tenaciously to tradition, with its old-style tailoring services and handmade tunics. The Chinhsing Blue Tunic shop (錦興藍衫店) on Yongan Street is the last of its kind. Hsieh Ching-lai (謝景來), a spry nonagenarian, is still behind the scissors in his shop after more than 70 years of fashioning tunics. He was apprenticed at 17 and launched his own tunic-making business in his 20s. At the height of his business, Hsieh taught his trade to over 200 students. Later, however, the rising popularity of Western fashions affected the blue Hakka tunic industry. Although the tunics are not fancy, they are meticulously made and are high quality.

  

  ■ Price: NT$2000 per tunic
  

  ■ Can be custom-made in about two weeks
  

  ■ Chinhsing Blue Tunic Shop telephone: (07) 681 1191

  

  Oilpaper umbrellas

  Some folks believe that umbrellas make unlucky gifts. In Meinung, however, umbrellas are elegant, auspicious objects. Oilpaper umbrellas are Meinung's specialty. Moreover, a play on words makes these paper parasols especially propitious. The Chinese words for "paper" (紙) and "son" (子) have similar pronunciations ("zhi" for paper; "zi" for son), and traditional Hakka families are considered very blessed if they count a promising son or two among their members.

  Hakka oilpaper umbrellas were once practical necessities. Now, such parasols are considered more decorative than useful; nevertheless, they remain popular as mementos of trips to Meinung. Although the umbrellas are fashioned from simple materials like cotton paper, bamboo and twine, the production process is complicated. The bamboo is first boiled in water to leech the sugar from its core, after which it is cut into strips that are to be the umbrella's spokes. Once the spokes are attached to the shaft of the umbrella, concentric circles of twine are added. Then, the cotton paper is fastened to the umbrella's "skeleton." The paper is then decorated with colorful illustrations of natural landscapes, mythical creatures, or other traditional images. Finally, the umbrella is varnished and set out in the sun to dry.

  

  Of course, even today's oilpaper umbrellas retain their practical uses. They still keep folks more or less dry in the rain, but although they're water resistant, they're particularly susceptible to fire. Also, they become brittle if not used regularly, and the oilpaper tends to stick to itself if the parasol remains closed for an extended period.

  Pottery

  A small pottery and ceramics industry sprung up in 1987, when local artist Chu Bang-hsiung (朱邦雄) established the Meinung Kiln (美濃窯).

  Potters set up work shops, and seven ceramics shops in the kiln's vicinity. Slowly but steadily, Meinung gained recognition as a center of the ceramic arts. The shops retail a wide variety of ceramics, and although more rustic than sophisticated, they encapsulate the unpretentious spirit of Meinung culture.

  Local delicacies: Bantiao noodles

  A trip to Meinung wouldn't be complete without sampling bantiao noodles. Made from aged tsailai rice (在來米), sweet potato and water, the noodles, served dry or in broth, are a Hakka staple. The emphasis on "eating one's fill" in Hakka cuisine has produced many greasy Hakka foods. Meinung Chuang (美濃庄), a local eatery, has revamped Hakka food to meet health-conscious consumers' demands with their bantiao noodle-rolls. Bantiao noodles are used to wrap ingredients such as duck eggs, cucumber, radish, and shredded pork.
  

  ■ Meinung Chuang telephone: (07) 681 8989

  Sightseeing in Neimen

  Separated from the Meinung Township (美濃鎮) by Chishan (旗山鎮) and Shanlin (杉林鄉) townships, Neimen township (內門鄉), on Highway 3 (台3線) is a fascinating village.

  Locals with a big stake in the future, from soon-to-be-wed couples to political candidates, often converge on Neimen's famous Tzuchu Temple (紫竹寺) to try their hand at tossing Buddhist divination blocks before a statue of the goddess of mercy, Guanyin (觀音佛祖).

  Tzuchu Temple is the religious center of Neimen. The village hosts performances that combine mock martial arts battles and dance, which are performed by costumed acrobatic troupes. The Songjiang Battle Array (宋江陣) is the most popular of these spectacles. In addition to the traditional battle arrays, Kaohsiung County Government also hosts the Creative Battle Array Competition (創意宋江陣), an annual nine-day contest that attracts hordes of enthusiasts.

  In addition to its cultural attractions, Neimen's landscape also contributes to its uniqueness. The eerie Moon World (月世界), a barren landscape covering 100,000 hectares, encircles Neimen with its strange, denuded mountains. Moon World's infertile soil is known in geological terms as "mudstone," originally a clay-like, ocean-floor sediment dredged up on the backs of mountains that were formed through orogenic movement.

  Over millions of years the soil was eroded by the elements, becoming mudstone, which is too salty, dry and loose to sustain vegetation.

  As its name suggests, Neimen's Moon World, in the vicinity of the 29-kilometer marker on County Road 182 (182縣道), is an otherworldly landscape.

  The view from Hill 308, where the townships of Neimen, Lungchi (龍崎鄉), and Tsocuang (左鎮鄉) meet, provides an impressive vantage point from which to view Tsaoshan Moon World(草山月世界). On clear days, Tainan City's skyline and boats on the ocean beyond can be seen from the hill.
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