Between Nov. 8 and 11, Pingtung County Government will hold the 2019 Reading Festival in Pingtung. As part of this year’s program of activities, five “blue train” railway cars will be converted into “locomotive libraries.” The festival’s organizers have also invited writers to share their works with the public and they hope the series of events will help turn Pingtung into an exclusive brand within Taiwan’s literature festival calendar.
The Taiwan Railway Administration’s (TRA) South Link Line runs “Pukuai” class trains, known colloquially in Taiwan as “blue trains” due to the blue color of the car’s exterior. They are the only trains left in Taiwan without air conditioning and are the oldest rolling stock in the TRA’s inventory. Today, there is only one round trip service per day on the line, which runs between Taitung Station and Fangliao Station. The festival’s organizers have installed book vending machines and arranged literature talks within “blue train” railway cars on five special services, giving the public a rare chance to immerse themselves in literature while re-living the Taiwan Railway of bygone days.
The five special train services will begin operating from Nov. 8 and each service will feature talks by different guests. Writers Badai and Ku Tingwei will recount the mysterious tale of Dawu Mountain; poet Lumi Xu and director Ma Yi-hang will discuss romantic poetry to the backdrop of the passing scenery; writer Jan Hung-tze will relate real life train murder mystery stories as the moving sunlight flickers and casts shadows through the railway car widows. Director Hsiao Chu-chen and film critic Lan Tsu-wei will give a talk on cinema as the sea and mountains glide past, and, last but not least, two writers native to Pingtung, Kuo Han-chen and Fu Yi-chen will share the stories and histories behind each of the stations along the railway line. Each of the five themed train services will have its own unique flavor and appeal.
Photo: screen grab from the promotional film Southern Train
照片：取自活動宣傳短片「南國火車」
Pingtung County Government encourages passengers to read a book while listening to the clickety-clack sound of the coastal train and drinking up the historic panorama of Pingtung’s undulating mountain ranges, or gazing out over the vast ocean. While reading their book and listening to the melodic chirping of birds carried through the breeze, passengers will be able to appreciate the rich culture and varied scenery of Taiwan’s most southerly county.
For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/南國漫讀節-Reading-Festival-in-Pingtung-100679891326531
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
Photo: screen grab from the promotional film Southern Train
照片：取自活動宣傳短片「南國火車」
屏東縣政府十一月八日至十一日舉辦「二○一九年南國漫讀節」，將在五班藍皮火車上，打造列車上的書店，邀請作家分享各自精彩的文學，打造屏東專屬的閱讀品牌。
行駛於南迴鐵路的普快「藍皮」火車，是台灣目前唯一沒有冷氣的火車，也是台灣現存最古老的火車，目前一天只有往返一個班次，在枋寮站與台東站間行駛；「二○一九年南國漫讀節」特別使用五班藍皮火車的部分車箱，以行動書櫃布置，在列車上舉行文學講座，帶領民眾感受懷舊時代的鐵道回憶。
五班列車於十一月八日首發，由作家巴代及古庭維述說大武山的神秘傳說打頭陣，接著詩人許含光及導演馬翊航襯著車外風景，討論浪漫的詩詞創作；作家詹宏志則在光影交錯的火車裡探究小說中曾經出現的列車謀殺案；導演蕭菊貞及影評人藍祖蔚在移動的山海影像裡跟大家說場固定的劇場，最後一場請郭漢辰及傅怡禎兩位屏東縣籍作家帶路，領略屏東各個小站的故事及歷史，五場火車活動各有精彩之處。
Photo courtesy of Pingtung County Government Cultural Affairs Department
照片：屏東縣政府文化處提供
屏東縣政府邀請各方乘客在「匡噹匡噹」的列車聲中，一同捧起書本，觀賞山巒層疊的在地歷史、凝望海浪滔滔的遼闊世界、聆聽風中呢喃的多元之聲，透過閱讀，走進南國的人文與山海。
活動資訊可上:https://www.facebook.com/南國漫讀節-Reading-Festival-in-Pingtung-100679891326531
(自由時報記者羅欣貞)
Photo courtesy of Pingtung County Government Cultural Affairs Department
照片：屏東縣政府文化處提供
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