While it is common to celebrate someone’s 50th birthday, celebrating the half-century of a steamed bun might be a Taiwan first.
Chang Yu-chi (張友吉), curator of the Taipingku Museum of Farming in Greater Taichung, invited air force Major General Pei Che-kun (裴浙昆), Taiping Mayor Yu Wen-chin (余文欽) and Taiping Farmers’ Association chairperson Lin Chang-chi (林章吉) to celebrate the 50th “birthday” of possibly Taiwan’s oldest bun on Sunday.
Chang has a collection of more than 3,000 artifacts connected to the nation’s agricultural sector.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
His first collectible, which is also the centerpiece of his collection, is a steamed bun preserved since April 18, 1964.
Chang said the steamed bun was given to him as his breakfast on the day of his discharge from the military.
Just as he was about to eat it, he heard the squad leader call his name to pick up his discharge papers.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
Chang said that at the time, he was so overwhelmed at being released that he lost his appetite and put the bun in his suitcase, went home and forgot about it.
A week later, when his mother told him to take out his dirty clothes, he rediscovered the bun.
Thinking that it would make a great memento, Chang put the slightly stale steamed bun on a ledge to sterilize it under the sun.
The bun was later stored in a drawer, except during plum rain season, when he took it out, cleaned it and placed it in sunlight.
This lasted for almost 20 years before he moved it into a dry box along with his camera. The bun has remained there ever since.
Chang encouraged others to also keep the steamed bun they receive on the day of their military discharge and to try to beat his record.
He also invited the public to visit the museum of farming to see the cow wagons, bamboo cradles and old telephones documenting Taiwan’s development.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm.
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