Farming in Pingtung 屏東的農業 1

One big difference between Taitung, where I used to live, and Pingtung, where I now live, is the amount of land that's farmed and the number of crops grown in the county.  When I lived in Taitung I didn't feel like there was as much to say about either farmers or farming, whereas I now feel that it's impossible to talk about the county where I live without talking about what's grown here. 我以前居住的台東跟現在居住的屏東的主要差別是耕作面積的大小跟農產數量 .  我住台東的時候覺得農業或農夫沒有什麼好討論的 ; 現在談論我目前居住的地方時, 一定避不開農業 .

Farming in Pingtung is big business.  Pineapples have been in the news a lot lately, and a third of Taiwan's pineapple crop is grown here.  But farmers in Pingtung grow many other things, and the area has a LONG history of farming. 農業是屏東的重要產業 .  鳳梨最近一直出現在新聞上; 台灣1/3的鳳梨來自屏東 , 除了鳳梨, 屏東還有很多其他的農產品 .  屏東縣的農業有很長的歷史 .

Several important crops are listed on the Pingtung County Department of Agriculture's website.  These crops are listed below, and their primary areas of cultivation are on the map. 屏東縣農業處的網站有介紹當地農產的網頁 .  這些農產都在下面的列表裡 ; 農產的主要種植面積在地圖上 .

(1) wax apples 蓮霧

(2) candied dates 密棗

(3) mangoes 芒果

(4) bananas 香蕉

(5) pineapples 鳳梨

(6) papayas 木瓜

(7) lemons 檸檬

(8) dragonfruit 紅龍果

(9) roses 玫瑰

(10) orchids 文心蘭

(11) ornamental plants 葉材類

(12) rice 米

(13) quinoa 紅藜

(14) coffee beans 咖啡豆

(15) burdock (a plant used in Chinese medicine and occasionally eaten) 牛蒡

(16) bitter gourds 苦瓜

(17) onions 洋蔥

(18) cucumbers 小黃瓜

(19) red beans 紅豆

As you drive through Pingtung some crops are more visible than others.  Onion fields are easy to see at the southern end of the county.  As you go north from there the onion fields give way to mango fields.  In central Pingtung (Fangshan, Fangliao and other nearby townships), mangoes are everywhere, giving way to pineapples, rice and other crops as you move north.  They grow a lot of red beans around Wandan, which is famous for its red bean cakes, and many farmers grow coffee beans near the mountains. 當你開車經過屏東縣時 , 有的農作物比其他的明顯 .  在屏東縣的南端很容易看到洋蔥田 , 往北走的時候, 芒果園取代了洋蔥 .  屏東縣的中部 (枋山 , 枋寮附近 ) 到處都有芒果園 .  繼續往北走的時候 , 芒果漸漸被鳳梨 , 稻米和其他作物取代 .  以紅豆餅出名的萬丹附近種了很多紅豆 ; 靠近山區則有比較多人種咖啡豆 .

Lemons seem to be a newer crop in Pingtung, and the county government has been promoting them alongside locally grown cocoa beans, which aren't listed above.  The local agricultural industry might seem changeless, but in truth it's always changing alongside market conditions. 檸檬在屏東好像是比較新的農產品 .  縣府也在推廣檸檬跟沒有在列表裡的可可果 .  當地農業雖然看似不會改變 , 其實都跟著市場狀況在調整 .

You may notice one glaring omission in the list above.  This is betel nut, which is grown all over the county.  Why doesn't the county government list this crop on their website?  Health concerns are definitely part of the reason, as is the local government's efforts to steer local farmers away from growing that crop.  Betel nut is definitely not good for your health, and the trees, when grown over large plots of land in the mountains, are a cause of erosion. 你應該也想到了沒有在列表裡的農產品吧 .  就是屏東縣到處都種的檳榔 .  縣政府為什麼沒有在網頁上介紹檳榔 ?  健康考量絕對是很大部分的原因 , 當地政府機關也努力引導農夫種其他的農產品 .  檳榔對身體不好 , 而且在山坡地上種檳榔樹也讓土石流的問題更嚴重 .

Another crop missing from the list is sugar cane, perhaps for more obvious reasons.  Pingtung has a long history of sugar cane production and refining, but that industry is pretty much dead now.  The sugar refineries of yesteryear have been converted into recreational areas, and there aren't many cane fields in present day Pingtung. 上面的列表中也沒有甘蔗 , 可是它不在表內的理由比較明顯 .  屏東的製糖業有很長的歷史 , 可是製糖已經是過去的事了 .  目前, 這些糖廠已經變成休閒地區 ; 現在的屏東沒有那麼多甘蔗了 .

Related Entries 相關的文章:

台灣的老街 Old Streets of Taiwan 1

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 3

Air Quality in Pingtung 屏東的空氣品質 1

Roaming Around Nanzhou 南州一日遊

NOTE: Take the map above with a grain of salt.  It is only intended to offer a general idea of how and where farming is done in Pingtung.  Many crops are farmed outside their "main area of cultivation," especially pineapples.

Roaming Around Laiyi Township 來義鄉遊記

Laiyi Township is east of Xinpi and north of Chunrh.  It's very big, but not many people live there.  Most of the people that do are members of the Paiwan Tribe.  Their larger villages are all near the western edge of the township. 來義鄉位於新埤東部，春日的北部。來義鄉很大，可是人口很少。居民大部分是排灣族。他們最大的部落在來義鄉的西部。

Several villages in Laiyi have been moved from their original locations.  Thus there's "Laiyi Village" and "Old Laiyi Village."  Is it because of climate change?  Or just because people moved away?  I know of one village that was relocated after an especially strong typhoon, but there are others I'm not so sure about. 來義鄉的幾個部落是從原來的地方遷移來的，所以有來義部落跟舊來義村部落。是世界氣候變遷嗎？還是因為居民想搬到別的地方？我聽說其中一個部落是受到颱風重創而遷村，可是其他部落我就不清楚了。

According to the last census, there are 2,262 people living in Laiyi. 上次的人口統計表示來義鄉的人口是2,262人。

That village on the left is Nanhe, across the Lili River from Chunrh. 照片裡左邊的部落是南和，與春日各據力里溪的二邊。

There's a small aboriginal museum in Nanhe Village.  If you're in the area and interested in Paiwan culture it's worth a visit. 南和有一棟原住民博物館。對排灣文化有興趣的旅客應該去參觀一下。

On the other side of Nanhe a road leads over a hill to the Mountainside Highway (185). 南和另外一邊有條小路越過山坡往沿山公路。

Further north, near the village of Wangjia, is this guy. 這位先生在北邊的望嘉村附近。

Still further north is Wenle Village. 繼續往北就到文樂部落。 (1)

"Papusauwan送祖靈的結界處 The Sacred Place Where Ancestral Spirits Are Sent Off

" Pucunug部落每五年在11月舉辦一次Maljeveq迎祖靈祭 , 祭典儀式為期30天 , 而祭典結束後會留下一位善靈與家人共同生活一年 .  During November every five years Pucunug (Wenle) Village holds the Maljeveq Ceremony to welcome the ancestral spirits.  The ceremony takes place over 30 days, and after it has been concluded good spirits will remain to live with their families for a year."

" 隔年Pusau送靈祭典的同一時間 , Para-aljai祭司帶領著部落族人至結界處送上祭品 , 祭告祖靈之後再全部一起送走 .  During the following year the Pasau Ceremony to send off the spirits will be held at the same time.  The Para-aljai, a holy man, will bring the members of the tribe here to make offerings, and the ancestral spirits will be sent off together."

Further north than that is Danlin Village. 更北邊有丹林部落。

This picture was taken from Danlin, looking down at the Linbian River.  The haze in the sky is dust.  It hadn't rained in a while. 從丹林往下看林邊溪。空氣中的灰塵很多。很久沒有下雨了。

This is a food "festival" in Danlin.  Vendors were selling coffee, donuts and a few other things. 丹林的農民市集。有人賣咖啡，甜甜圈，還有些其他東西。

The Danlin Suspension Bridge.  It's fairly popular with tourists. 丹林吊橋。這裡很受旅客的青睞。

The Xi Le Fa Fa Forest Park, on the other side of Laiyi Elementary School.  The building in the background is a traditional Paiwan house. 來義國小另外一邊的喜樂發發森林公園。後面的建築是傳統的排灣族屋。

Laiyi Village.  There are a many waterfalls and trails near here.  Some are easy to find, while others are harder to locate. 來義鄉部落。附近有很多瀑布，步道。有的很好找，有的比較隱密。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Roaming Around Nanzhou 南州一日遊

Roaming Around Linbian 林邊一日遊

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 2

A Few More Pictures 多一些照片

1. Here it gets confusing, because Wenle, where Wenle Elementary School is located, is sometimes also referred to as Laiyi, and Google Maps labels it "Xinle."  A student at Wenle Elementary School once tried to explain the reasoning behind the various names to me.  All I got out of the conversation was a headache.

台灣的老街 Old Streets of Taiwan 1

The Chinese text below was taken from "Old Streets of Taiwan" 台灣老街.  The Chinese was written by 黃诏元 Huang Jhao-yuan, and the English was written/translated by me.  This book was published by Walkers Cultural Ltd. 遠足文化事業股份有限公司 in 2002.  This is the first of two entries from this book.

東港老街

Donggang's Old Street

屏東東港東臨南州 , 西南隔台灣海峽距琉球嶼15公里 , 北接新園 , 崁頂 , 南連林邊 , 總面積約30平方公里 , 人口近五萬 .  由於本鎮屬屏東平原西北部之臨海地帶 , 土壞質地為微鹼性砂質壞土 , 地下水源豐富 , 適於農作及養殖捕撈漁業 , 水稻 , 紅豆 , 香瓜 , 蓮霧是當地主要作物 , "東港三寶" -- 鮪魚 , 油魚子 , 櫻花蝦則是遠近馳名的漁產 .  但因地勢低j漥及區域排水不良 , 常受洪水及潮害 .  Donggang, in Pingtung County, is to the south of Nanzhou.  To the southeast of Donggang is the Taiwan Strait and Xiaoliuqiu, which is 15 kilometers away.  To the north of Donggang is Xinyuan and Kanding, and to the south is Linbian.  Donggang has an area of 30 square kilometers, and the population is almost 50,000.  It lies at the southern end of the western agricultural plain, and borders the ocean.  The soil there is slightly alkaline and sandy, and there's a lot of underground water available for both agriculture and aquaculture.  The main local crops are rice, red beans, cantaloupe, wax apples and also "Donggang's three treasures" - tuna, oil roe [cakes] and sakura shrimp.  These three products of local aquaculture are known far and wide.  Due to its low elevation and poor drainage, Donggang is prone to flooding and typhoon-related damage.

屏東縣境西南一帶 , 原是平埔族鳳山八社之 "茄藤社" 墾居地 , 明清以降 , 漢人開始移居於此 .  清康熙58年 (1719) , 東港歸轄鳳山縣港西里 (今新園鄉鹽埔村以東) 屢遭山洪和海浪侵襲 , 居民被迫東遷至東港溪東岸 .  同治初年 , 發展出完整的街道 , 稱之 "東港街", 隸屬港東里 , 東港溪口寬闊 , 可泊巨艦 , 而東港街位居出海口 , 是鄰近地域前往大陸經貿往來的主要門戶 , 又是兩岸轉載的重要貿易港 , 因此航運鼎盛 , 清庭在此設衙署 , 驛站 , 海陸防汛 , 興學社 , 直到民國10年以前 , 是高雄以南最大的通商口岸 , 後來被新完工的高雄港取代 .  The southwest part of present-day Donggang was originally the "Ketung Collective," belonging to the Eighth Collective of Fengshan's Plains-Dwelling Indigenous Peoples.  Han Chinese people began migrating into the area during the Ming and Ching dynasties.  During the 58th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1719) Donggang came under the jurisdiction of Gangxi District, Fengshan County (located to the east of Yanpu Village in what is now Xinyuan Township).  With flooding from both mountains and sea a constant problem, residents there were forced to move to a spot east of the Donggang River.  After the KMT took control of Taiwan, the first modern street was built in Donggang.  This street was referred to as "Donggang Street," and belonged to Gangdong District.  The mouth of the Donggang River was also widened to accommodate big ships, [convenient to] Donggang Street, which was located in the river estuary.  It became the area's main port for trade between the island of Taiwan and the Mainland, and was well known on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.  Because of its flourishing shipping industry, the Ching Court established government offices, post offices, flood control infrastructure and academies in Donggang.  Prior to the 10th year of KMT rule it was the largest trade port south of Kaohsiung, and was only rendered obsolete [as a trading port] after the Kaohsiung Port was renovated. (1)

昔日繁華的東港 , 有著台灣傳統街市的景觀 , "閩式街屋" , "仿巴洛克式" , "日式街屋" , "閩洋混合式" 等不同風格的建築 , 各自座落在延平路老街上 .  然而美軍在二次大戰中的轟炸 , 使東港幾成廢墟 , 倖免的屈指可數 .  舊東港郡役所, 和春診所 , 一乙茶莊 , 光復眼科 , 便民當鋪 , 生源醫院 , 百順電科等是較有代表性的遺址 .  Viewed long after the period of its greatest prosperity, Donggang's traditional architecture is most apparent.  There are the "Taiwanese (Minnan) style houses," the "imitation baroque," the "Japanese street houses," the "Taiwanese-Western fusion" buildings and buildings in other architectural styles.  You can see examples of each style on Yanping Old Street.  Bombing runs conducted by the U.S. military during the Second World War, however, left much of this area in ruins, with only a few examples of the old structures surviving the assault.  A few of these surviving structures include the Old Donggang County Office, the Hechun Clinic, the Yiyi Tea House, the Guangfu Ophthalmology Clinic, the Bianmin Pawn Shop, the Shengyuan Hospital and the Baishun Electric Utility.

東港是個漁村 , 除了豐富的漁產之外 , 老街上的 "公廟" 文化也不容易忽略 .  自清乾隆以來 , 東港逐漸闢成街市 , 為保佑居民免於瘴癘疾病 , 供奉溫王爺的東隆宮於是興建 .  每三年一次的迎王平安祭典 "王船祭" 規模盛大 , 是遊客造訪東港的高峰期 .  祭祀媽祖的朝隆宮 , 廟前的朝陽街和延平路 , 過去是東港經濟活動最發達的路段 , 吸引高雄的郊商設立分行 , 因此也稱 "港郊媽".  道光年間 , 居民日眾 , 在後寮溪和東港溪交界處的豐漁橋附近 , 設立了一座 "福安宮" 土地公廟 .  這三座宮廟之間的地帶 , 就是東港老街的主要部分 , 也庇護著東港地區的開發歷史 .  Donggang is a fishing village.  Aside from its abundant fisheries, the temples on the Old Street should not be overlooked.  From Emperor Qianlong during the Ching Dynasty onward, Donggang's street markets slowly grew.  To protect residents from diseases [that thrive in such markets], Dongloong Temple was built in honor of Lord Wen.  Every three years this temple hosts the riotous "Welcoming in the Peaceful Lord's Boat" festival, which attracts scores of tourists to the area.  The Chaoloong Temple, dedicated to the goddess Matsu, located on Chaoyang Street and Yanping Road, was in former times the most economically active part of Donggang, and attracted businessmen from Kaohsiung, who set up local branches there.  For this reason this section of road was also called "Gangjiaoma."  During the reign of Emperor Daoguang many people lived there, and a Fuan Temple was erected near the Fengyu Bridge, where the Houliao and Donggang rivers meet  The area between these three temples is the most important part of Donggang's Old Street, and [best] represents the development of Donggang over time. (2)

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Roaming Around Nanzhou 南州一日遊

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 3

Roaming Around Linbian 林邊一日遊

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 2

1. "Plains-Dwelling Indigenous Peoples" is the name given to them by Wikipedia.  In many ways their culture has been lost, and many of the tribal distinctions between groups of these people have also been lost.  Historical accounts of their villages are mostly from Chinese sources, and should be treated with skepticism.

Flooding is still a problem in Donggang today.  Many of the military personnel stationed in that area specialize in flood control and disaster relief.

There is still a Gangdong Village in this area, located where the original Donggang settlement once was.  The boundaries of present Gangdong Village may not correspond to long gone Gangdong District.

2. "Gangjiaoma" or 港郊媽 is a portmanteau or abbreviation.  港 or "gang" (port) for Donggang (east port), 郊 or "jiao" for "local business," and 媽 or "ma" (Matsu) for the nearby Matsu temple.

NOTE: I went walking around this area recently.  I started from Chaoloong Temple, walked down Yanping Street to Fuan Temple, and from Fuan Temple walked to Dongloong Temple.  You can see bits of old Donggang along this route - I can remember passing by Shengyuan Hospital - but for the most part a lot of the old buildings have been torn down and replaced by modern houses.

The Second of Three Seattles

For me there are three Seattles.  There's the Seattle where I grew up, the Seattle where I attended graduate school, and the Seattle I tried to move back to in 2008.  The first two of these Seattles were good.  The third?  Not so much.

In 2003 I was inhabiting the second of my three Seattles, with my wife and older daughter.  My older daughter was three, and her younger sister wouldn't appear until 2005.  At that point I'd lived in Taiwan for three years.

Those first three years in Taiwan were very eventful.  During that time I taught in a private kindergarten.  I also studied Chinese at Tunghai University.  Yet despite these two things - or perhaps because of them - I worried about my future, and how teaching without a degree in Education might influence my future in Taiwan.

I applied to a few graduate programs in the States, and settled on Seattle University because it started sooner and ended earlier.  Seattle U wanted me to take a few classes at a community college before formally accepting me, and I readily agreed to do this, with the expectation of starting the graduate program in the fall of the following school year.

My wife, eager to work, quickly found a job in a hotel downtown.  She took the bus to and from her hotel some of the time, but when she got off work late I insisted on driving her home.  It was easier than worrying about what might happen between her hotel and the nearest Metro stop.

I thought about getting a job for a while.  But between my classes, staying up late to pick up my wife, living with my parents, and childcare issues there didn't seem to be any point.  I knew from the beginning that I'd be returning to Taiwan after graduation, and I also knew I'd have little trouble finding a job over here, so aside from the cost of three plane tickets money was never a problem.

While I was attending classes, and often when I wasn't attending classes, our daughter attended a Lutheran daycare in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.  Neither my wife nor I are Christian, but we still got a kick out of her sudden need to say grace before meals.  "God is great, God is good" and all that.  At three years old she soaked up English like a sponge, and when not learning how to be a Lutheran she absorbed plenty of English from Sesame Street, The Wiggles, Teletubbies and whatever else she was watching at the time.

My classes at nearby Shoreline Community College were ridiculously easy.  My schedule was light, and when not busy with school I took my daughter to local parks and shopping malls.  Chuck E. Cheese was a big one for us.  Chuck E. Cheese was huge.

When both my wife and I were free we'd go exploring.  Sometimes we'd head down to Tacoma and try to find out what people did there.  Sometimes we'd head up to Vancouver B.C., always eating Chinese food and always buying trinkets downtown.  Stanley Park in B.C. was a favorite destination, as was Alderwood Mall, north of Seattle.

During vacations we'd go even farther, either camping or staying in hotels along our route.  We wandered around the Washington and Oregon coasts, northern California, Idaho and Montana.  North Cascades National Park was great in the summer.; we'd spend days and days up there.  There was also Spring Canyon near Grand Coulee, a good place to swim year round.

My most vivid memory from that year is Christmas.  Our daughter was three, my parents were delighted to have a grandchild present, and we got to watch my daughter unwrap gift after gift while the rest of us got pleasantly drunk around her.  I remember going to the "beer store" on Christmas morning, and buying twenty different kinds of beer for all the people in the house.  We drank, we talked, and as far as I know everyone had a good time.

That was over 17 years ago already.  Hard to believe it's been that long.  I miss those times, and I miss the people we used to be.  But maybe the way I remember it isn't way it was at all.  Maybe I'm just seeing it differently because I'm a slightly different person.  Who knows?

All I can say is that it was a good time in my life.  I was in my late 20s, I was happy with who and where I was, and I knew where I was going.  And just a year later I'd be done with graduate school, and on my way back to Taiwan.  Two years in Seattle passed us by as if they were only two months.

Most of all I remember that three year old enjoying Christmas in her pajamas.  That three year old, by the way, is 20 years old now.  That three year old is now a 20 year old college student, just eight years shy of my age in 2003.  And look at what a poor Lutheran she's become!  She hasn't said grace in 17 years!

I feel sad to say it, but that three year old is long gone.  Of course I see her outlines in the 20 year old person who visits me every weekend, but they're just the outlines mind you, nothing more.  It's the same with Seattle, where we spent those two years.  In the present city I can see the outlines of the place and the time I remember, but many of the people, places and things I associate with that city have changed, or else disappeared altogether.

I've changed too.  That 28 year old guy I used to be is still around to some extent, but he's obscured by all the things that happened after, all the places he hadn't been, and all the life he had yet to live.  There's a certain sadness in this realization, but then again we're all still here, right?  We all have something to live for, and that's a cause for celebration.

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Crossed Wires

Entry #204

Nonsense and Insensibility

A Report 報告

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 3

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Ligang Township 里港鄉

1a. The Ligang Police Bureau has a special investigative unit seeking out those who attempt to illegally dispose of waste in the area.  They recently apprehended individuals attempting to dump a trailer full of waste in Sandimen. 屏縣環警檢  "天羅地網"  聯手破獲非法棄置廢棄物

2. Gaoshu Township 高樹鄉

2a. A resident of Gaoshu donned a facemask and fired a gun at the home of a former Township Mayor, hitting one of his windows.  The man was later apprehended, fined 50,000 NT, and sentenced to over 2 years in prison. 男變裝開槍射中前高樹鄉長住家  判刑5年半

2b. Pingtung County grows about a third of the pineapples in Taiwan, and many of these pineapples are grown in Gaoshu Township.  Farmers there were very worried about fluctuations in the price of pineapples, but the local farmer's association told them not to worry.  According to the farmer's association the price has been relatively stable. 鳳梨價格  高樹農會總幹事 : 3月低盛產期是觀察重點

2c. ..and speaking of those locally grown pineapples (and wax apples), a large shipment of both was recently sent from Gaoshu to Canada. 屏東鳳梨 , 蓮霧坐飛機空運加拿大

3. Sandimen Township 三地門鄉

3a. The Aboriginal Curriculum Development Center has created a set of textbooks in the Paiwan language for use in public schools.  The sixth graders graduating this school year from Dimoer Elementary School in Sandimen Township are the first students to have used the textbooks from the first to the sixth grade. 全國首套排灣族本位教科書  師博老師與孩子們一起成長 (1)

3b. The birthrate for Pingtung County is declining, yet Sandimen and several other townships with more aboriginal residents are bucking this trend.  Townships such as Sandimen credit new policies favorable to aboriginal residents, and an improved standard of living. 屏東原住民鄉出生率高於全縣  卻存在 "南北差異" (9)

4. Wutai Township 霧台鄉

4a. Dawu Village's administration of an ecological and cultural site in Wutai drew sharp criticism from many tourists visiting the area.  Some of these tourists were overcharged, others arrived to find that their names were not on the list of approved visitors, and others noted that the number of people visiting the area far exceeded the limit set by the local government.  The head of the Wutai Township Office tried to intervene, but the situation isn't likely to improve any time soon. 霧台哈尤溪祕境亂象  遊客怒批價格貴 , 配套不完善 (2)

Here's an article introducing Akame, a restaurant in Wutai Township, which sells aboriginal fusion cuisine.  It looks good, but be warned that seats are hard to come by. 屏東原住民料理Akame  魯凱族主廚打造南臺灣最難訂位的的秘境餐廳 (8)

5. Jiouru Township 九如鄉

5a. A new care facility will open on Children's Day in what was formerly a dormitory on the Jiouru Elementary School campus. 九如照顧園區  4月啟用

5b. A refrigerated storage company was shut down due to outstanding debts.  The Bureau of Land Managment then attempted to auction off the property three times, but no one put in a bid. 法拍3次均流標 !  九如大型冷凍廠底價降至2億億7千多萬元

6. Yanpu Township 鹽埔鄉

6a. A 22 year old man riding a scooter collided with a gravel truck on a flood control road and died at the scene.  The cause of the accident remains to be determined, and many are suspicious of the truck driver's version of events. 屏東鹽埔22歲騎士與砂石車碰撞身亡  家屬求畫面討真相 (3)

6b. Someone spotted multiple fires along a river in Yanpu.  The fire department was called in and they quickly extinguished the fires. 屏東隘寮溪振興堤防雜草燃燒逾7小時  消防漏夜警戒 (4)

6c. Yanpu Junior High School's girl's basketball team advanced to the Southern District semifinals, but were defeated by a team from Taichung.  They vowed to return next year. 明年再 !   鹽埔國中

7. Pingtung City 屏東市

7a. The Pingtung County Residents' Park will host a "sunset market" this Saturday and Sunday from 3 pm to 8 pm. 屏東縣民公園  "日落市集"  絕美快閃  3大市集推薦  賞夕陽 , 逛文創攤位

7b. Many people living on Jian Guo Road were parking their cars on sidewalks due to a lack of parking spaces in the area.  These illegally parked cars were being reported to police on a regular basis.  The residents thus reported recently sought the help of a Pingtung County Council member in the hopes of solving this problem. 屏東市建國路住戶車輛屢遭檢舉  居民無奈找縣議員陳情 (5)

7c. Fuxing Park in Pingtung City has been renovated, and many residents there were very happy about their "new" park. 變漂亮了 !  屏東市復興公園大改造  當地居民樂見新景點

8. Chang Jr Township 長治鄉

8a. The local Rotary club donated money to Dexie Elementary School for the completion of their ecological pond.  A stone was inscribed to commemorate the event. 民間社團協助  長治德協國小生態池揭牌

8b. Their coach might have died, but the Changjr Junior High soccer team still won the Gold Cup recently.  They dedicated the win to their departed coach. 化悲為力  長治國中足球隊奪縣冠軍獻教練

8c. Taiwanese celebrity Ella (formerly of S.H.E.) visited a noodle restaurant in Changjr, further increasing its popularity.  Ella is originally from the area. 返鄉吃到屏東肉圓  藝人Ella加持讓排對名店人更多了

9. Linluo Township 麟洛鄉

9a. Tsai Zhi-he, former mayor of Linluo Township, was given prison time for taking bribes and being involved a graft scheme centered around road construction projects. Due to begin his sentence last month, he has since disappeared, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. 屏東前麟洛鄉長蔡志和發監前潛逃 檢將發布通缉 (6)

10. Jhutian Township 竹田鄉

10a. Students at Jhutian Junior High School are learning about the area's agricultural history through old maps.  Coconuts?  Not so much demand for those now. 認識家鄉農業  竹田國中用台灣古地圖講古

10b. A farmer in Jhutian won an award for his "Angel Garden," a recreational farm specializing in orchids. 竹田鄉農民陳宏志打造  "天使花園"  獲選第32屆模範農民

10c. A man riding a scooter was attempting to pass a car on the wrong side when he was knocked into a nearby breakfast restaurant.  Watch the video!  That must have hurt... 超車不慎釀擦撞事故  屏東騎士連人帶車噴進路旁早餐店

11. Neipu Township 內埔鄉

11a. Meihe University of Science and Technology recently finalized an agreement with the Chaozhou and Neipu township offices to integrate academic and vocational exchanges between Meihe and these two townships. 美和科大攜手潮州 , 內埔鄉公所簽訂策略聯盟

11b. Several environmental technology companies want to invest in a biogas wastewater treatment plant to be built in Neipu.  The plant would use wastewater from pig farms to create gas.  Presently farmers in the area are dumping their wastewater into local rivers, and this is a major source of pollution. 養豬廢水澆灌農地  發電  內埔擬建處理廠

11c. An elderly resident of Neipu, targeted by scam artists, was withdrawing money from his account on a regular basis.  Local law enforcement was alerted to the situation, and despite the elderly man's initial reluctance to cooperate they managed to resolve the situation. 老翁匯款稱拯救酒店公關  屏東內埔警阻詐178萬元 (7)

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Air Quality in Pingtung 屏東的空氣品質 1

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 2

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 2

No Man is an Island, and Some Islands aren't Big Enough for the Two of Us

1. There are definitely pros and cons to this approach to education.  On the one hand it preserves tribal culture, and the other hand it removes aboriginal students even further from the larger Taiwanese culture which surrounds them.  I live not far from a couple Paiwan villages, I teach several Paiwan students, and I've seen parents deal with this issue firsthand.  Should I keep my kid in a village school and strengthen tribal ties?  Or should I send them to another school outside the village, in the hope that it prepares them for life and work outside the tribe?

2. I haven't been to this place yet, but I think it might be overrated.  You can see rocks like that in several other mountain locations, both inside and outside of Pingtung.  It just so happens that those other mountain locations aren't famous.

3. This kind of traffic accident happens a lot.  I was driving on Highway 27 between Pingtung City and Donggang the other day, and saw two such accidents along the road.

4. With Tomb-Sweeping (Qingming) Day coming up, it's very possible that someone lit a fire to clear brush from a grave in the area, and then left thinking it was extinguished.  Many people fulfill this duty in advance of the upcoming 4-day holiday.  Doing so leaves them free to do other things on their vacation.

5. Tough area to park in.  There's a Carrefour near there, and it's not far from the Pingtung Train Station.

6. What's the deal with Linluo?  That place is gangster.

7. My grandpa had Alzheimer's and I sympathize.  Reigning in lonely older people with dementia isn't easy.

8. I can't be bothered with this kind of restaurant.  Somewhere that far in the mountains?  And I have to make a reservation?  Nah, I'll go somewhere closer instead.

9. This article goes on to state that people in Shrdze and Mudan townships, which also have a high percentage of aboriginal residents, are NOT having more children than the rest of Pingtung.