Thoughts on the Last Election

I'm not what you'd call a political guy, though I do make an effort to stay informed.  I might not know all the names, I might not know all the faces, but I like to think that I know what's going on in a general way, if not in every particular.

So yeah, the election of county magistrates, city mayors and other positions was concluded last Saturday, and by now we've all had to time to contemplate what these elections might mean for the present and future of Taiwan.

The election results can be viewed on the Central Election Commission's website.  Applause to them for making these results available in English.  I didn't see any voter's guides available in English, but maybe voters had to specifically request them.  Making election information available in a variety of languages helps ensure a vibrant democracy, and the Election Commission has made great strides in this area.

Let's start with the party votes.  As you can see from the website, it was a big win for the KMT.  The Kuomintang, or Chinese Nationalist Party, won 50.03% of the popular vote against 41.62% for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).  As a result President Tsai Ying-wen offered to resign as head of the DPP, though this was largely a ceremonial gesture.  In third place was the Taiwan People's Party, which received only 1.49% of the vote.

I can't see this "KMT resurgence" as the damning critique of DPP rule some are making it out to be.  I think the DPP just got too complacent after Tsai Ying-wen's landslide reelection, and some of the candidates they were offering were uninspired choices.  Chen Shih-chung, who was running opposite the KMT's Chiang Wan-an in Taipei City, might have seemed like a solid choice, but he's also the face of COVID in Taiwan, and thus a living reminder that the last two years sucked.

As for individual city and county mayors and magistrates I have less of an opinion.  I wasn't following the news regarding Chiang Wan-an, "Chiang Kai-shek's grandson" that closely, though I did often wonder at things he said in the news.  In the office of Taipei City Mayor he's not likely to wield enormous power, though the position this puts him in with regard to the next presidential election is worrying.  As a foreigner I'm of course not allowed to have opinions on the Cross-Strait Situation, the KMT vs. the DPP, or other facets of local politics, but let me just say that the KMT's Ma Ying-jeou was my least favorite Taiwanese president, and that's taking into account all the shenanigans Chen Shui-bian was guilty of. (1)

The elections in south Taiwan fall more into the province (heh heh) of this blog, as do the elections in Taitung County, where I used to live and which I often discussed here.  In south Taiwan the DPP is still going strong, winning the top posts in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.  Chou Chun-mi is the new Pingtung County Magistrate, though it was a very close race between her and the KMT's Su Ching-chuan.

Taitung is another story.  In Taitung the KMT's Yao Ching-ling won a second term by a large margin.  I credit this win to three factors: 1) longstanding local loyalty to the KMT, 2) the fact that the KMT is seen as "the development party" in that area, and 3) the additional fact that the DPP's candidate, Liu Chao-hao, was another uninspired choice by the DPP.  Though still a County Councilmember, Liu Chao-hao has zero charisma, and he's been losing the office of County Magistrate to KMT candidates for years.

On a still more local level, down to the area where I live, the KMT's candidate for County Magistrate Su Ching-chuan actually won Hengchun Municipality, which puts it at odds with much of the rest of Pingtung County.  The County Councilor position doesn't quite fall along township/municipality lines, but Lin Cai-ying, running unaffiliated for Constituency 15, won the "Highland indigenous" office.  KMT candidate You Shih-jing won the position of Hengchun Municipality Mayor, and Liao Wen-zhi, running unaffiliated, is the new Village Chief of Sigou Village. 

Hengchun Municipality voted for lowering the voting age to 18, though the Constitutional Referendum was vetoed by Taiwan as a whole.

And that was the last election, at least as far as I'm concerned.  No more trucks blaring loud music and entreaties for votes next to my house, no more strangers knocking on my door distributing leaflets, and no more fireworks and political demonstrations blocking my route home from school every day.  At least for now, that is.  One day - a day that will come all too soon - there will be another election, and in the weeks leading up to that election we'll all have to endure the noise, the distractions, and the inconveniences that every election inevitably engenders.

Democracy in Taiwan is alive and kicking.  I just sometimes wish isn't wasn't kicking as loudly, or as insistently, as it often does.

Related Entries:

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 7

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 2

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (North 北) 2

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 7

NOTE: The spellings of candidates' names in this entry conform to those used on the Central Election Commission's website.  In many cases these are not the spellings I would use.

1. I'm joking of course.  Hopefully that was obvious.  Taiwan isn't part of China... yet.

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 7

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. Linbian Township 林邊鄉

1a. A cool new park was recently opened near the Linbian Train Station.  The play structures in the park incorporate a giant train and wax apples. 屏東林邊特色遊戲場啟用  飛天火車 , 蓮霧森林孩子瘋玩 (1)

2. Jiadong Township 佳冬鄉

2a. An elderly woman from Jiadong wandered from her home and was unable to find her way back.  Police helped return her to her village. 屏東婦外出散步忘了回家的路 , 枋寮警查出身分助返家 (2)

3. Fangliao Township 枋寮鄉

3a. The Pingtung District Prosecutor's Office is investigating a former candidate accused of bribery.  The former candidate, who has since removed himself from the election, reportedly paid another candidate 150,000 NT to withdraw from the election, thus increasing his own chances of success. 屏東枋寮村長候選人搓圓仔湯  15萬元行賄對手棄選10萬交保

3b. A truck flipped over on Highway 1 north of the Pingnan Industrial Area. 枋寮鄉台1線戰備跑曳引車翻車

3c. With China having blocked the import of grouper and other local agricultural products into that country, grouper farmers in Xinlong Village are transitioning into local tourism, with local grouper farms conducting tourist activities. 枋寮石斑魚村轉型休閒觀光  漁民甩開石斑輸陸禁令不快 (3)

4. Chun Rh Township 春日鄉

4a. No recent news out of Chun Rh.

5. Fangshan Township 枋山鄉

5a. Zhou Chun-mi, DPP candidate for Pingtung County Magistrate, expressed her support for Luo Jin-liang, DPP candidate for Fangshan Township Mayor.  Both candidates pledged to join forces to assist local farmers. 枋山鄉聯合競總成立  周春米 : 全力以赴協助農作 , 養殖產業

5b. A temporary worker formerly employed by the Fangshan Township Office recently embezzled over 3 million NT from the township.  He was sentenced to two years in prison. 公所臨時員侵占公款3百餘萬  買車買保險還出國判刑2年 (4)

6. Shrdze Township 獅子鄉

6a. The Shansu Cultural Festival recently brought more tourists to Shrdze Township.  The area's climate and relatively low population make for a very diverse local ecology, and the township mayor is hoping that this biodiversity contributes to continued economic growth in the area. 山蘇文化節帶動獅子鄉觀光熱潮  鄉長周英傑推動文化傳承經濟基礎

7. Checheng Township 車城鄉

7a. Construction began on a new road, County Road 151, from Haikou to the Hengchun Airport through the eastern half of the township.  County Magistrate Pan Meng-an, a native of Checheng, was on hand to inaugurate this construction project. 打通屏東車城151縣道瓶頸  潘孟安向協議價購地主致謝 (5)

7b. Construction also began on a new Checheng Public Hygiene Office. 屏東車城鄉衛生所重建  動土

7c. This article promotes tourist sites in Checheng.  There are plenty of pictures.  I would strongly recommend NOT visiting the Sichongxi Hot Spring Area on a weekend. 2022屏東車城7大景點推應 !  "落山風藝術季" 登場 , "嗨 ! 營業中" 店面在這裡

8. Mudan Township 牡丹鄉

8a. A candidate for Pingtung's Aboriginal Council died recently.  Some were worried that this development would affect the upcoming election, but it was later determined that her death will not make a suspension of the election necessary. 牡丹鄉代候選人高嘉香病逝  屏縣選委會 : 選舉不受影響

8b. A food bank was recently opened in Mudan. 牡丹鄉社區食物銀行啟用  解偏鄉缺物資困境

9. Manzhou Township 滿洲鄉

9a. Local elections in Manzhou will be very close, with candidates likely to win by a handful of votes. 滿洲鄉代4號陳榮華陷入苦戰  懇求援手保最後一席

9b. This article (with video clip) introduces a local singer and musician keeping old songs from Manzhou alive. 國寶 "日貴阿嬤" !  傳唱滿州歌謠 , 傳承鄉土記憶

9c. This article introduces a business making sun-dried noodles in Manzhou.  The noodles they make are very unusual, incorporating ingredients such as dragonfruit and mushrooms. 在滿州 , 遇見彩虹麵飄揚 !  "小農麵攤" 打造100%本土日曬麵 , 紅龍果 , 雨來菇都入麵

10. Hengchun Municipality 恆春鎮

10a. The proprietor of a local mung bean dessert shop passed away recently, and many Hengchun residents lamented this occurrence. 恆春綠豆蒜傳奇阿伯殞落  當地居民哀悼不捨

10b. Residents of Hengchun have been complaining of noise from the local military base.  The army plans on compensating residents of the four villages closest to the base. 國軍演順影響居民  恆春擬申請睦鄰補助 (6)

10c. DPP candidate for Pingtung County Magistrate Zhou Chun-mi recently visited Hengchun's vegetable market on a campaign stop. 周春米 -- 早衝恆春市場  支持者笑說買菜還送 "米"

11. Liuqiu Township 琉球鄉

11a. Ballots for the upcoming election were delivered to Xiaoliuqiu by boat over a two-day period.  There are over 1000 registered voters on the island. 屏東選票昨 , 今運送  琉球選票運抵 (7)

11b. This article promotes the Qingxin Homestay on Xiaoliuqiu.  It has a cute swimming pool. 小琉球清新民宿推薦 , 海風拂面住宿太宜人

11c. Several shirtless men attempted to enter an elementary school on Xiaoliuqiu for the purpose of exercising on the campus, but the principal sent them away.  The men later complained to the Bureau of Education, claiming that their being shirtless had something to do with "sex equality education," but the Bureau came out in support of the school principal. 打赤膊想進校園遭校長勸穿衣  男子竟扯性平教育投訴教育部 (8)

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Food for Them and Food for Us 他們的料理跟我們的料理

Lame Things About Kenting Beaches

Pingtung City, Pingtung County 屏東縣屏東市遊記

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 7

1. Why so little news from Linbian?  Part of the reason is that it's TINY.  It's the smallest township on Taiwan's main island.

2. There was another article about a stabbing incident in Jiadong, but it was on Yahoo News, the link to the video was broken, and there were few details in the article.

3. Not really a new thing.  They've been doing it for at least two years now.

4. Seems to be a higher than average level of corruption in this township.  Linluo, east of Pingtung City, is another problem area.  Both areas are very rural, the average age is high, and both areas rely on agriculture to the exclusion of almost everything else.

5. It's a perplexing development.  The article talks of this new road relieving some kind of "bottleneck" in the area, but I can't figure out how it's going to help.  Tourists will still need to drive down Highway 26 before reaching Haikou, and a wide detour through the farmland east of central Checheng doesn't seem like it would be any faster.  Why not just stop people from parking along the highway through central Checheng?  Wouldn't that be a faster and cheaper solution?

6. I live some distance from this base, but even so I can still hear the training exercises at times.  They must be deafening in those four villages.

7. Won't you be glad when this election is over?

8. This seems to happen relatively often on Xiaoliuqiu.  "Strange guys enter school campus and attempt to do something strange."  There was another recent story about tourists trying to use a school's bathrooms to wash their feet and/or diving equipment.

Food for Them and Food for Us 他們的料理跟我們的料理

Every tourist spot has two kinds of restaurants: the restaurants local people visit and the restaurants for tourists.  This is just as true for Taiwan as it is for other places.  If you live somewhere like Taipei, Taichung or Kaohsiung you won't notice it as much, but in smaller cities and counties it's very obvious. 每個觀光地區都有兩種餐廳 ， 一種是當地人喜歡的，另一種是觀光客喜歡去的 。 臺灣和其他國家沒有兩樣 。  你如果是居住在台北 、台中或高雄那種大城市，你不會明顯的感受到區別 ， 可是在比較小的城鎮裡，這個現象超級明顯。

In Taitung very few local people go to Blue Dragonfly, "Under the Banyan Tree" or Beinan Pig's Blood Soup.  Most local people don't frequent the Gaya Hotel or the Sheraton, or visit the newer, trendier places up the coast.  Sure, once upon a time many local people tried these restaurants, but after a while the novelty wore off, and they stopped going. 在台東，當地人比較不會去藍蜻蜓 、 榕樹下米苔目跟卑南豬血湯。  也不常去潮度假酒店或是桂田的餐廳 ，或是東海岸比較流行的餐廳 。  當然很多當地居民去過這些餐廳 ， 可是那股新鮮勁過了之後， 就不再去了 。

It's the same in Fangliao, where I lived up until last June.  There are a few fancier restaurants in and around central Fangliao, and these restaurants serve tourists to the exclusion of almost everyone else.  There's the A-da Seafood Restaurant, Pi Coconut and Kasuga's Kitchen.  There are most of the places along the highway through Shuidiliao.  Fangliao is still a very rural place, and locals - if they eat out at all - prefer cheaper meals. 我住過的枋寮也一樣 。  枋寮市區有些較高級的餐廳的主要客人是觀光客，  阿達海鮮 、 椰門還有春日廚房 ， 和 台1線在水底寮那一段大部分的餐廳也是  。枋寮是個偏僻的地方 ， 當地人會選擇比較便宜一點的餐廳 。

Since I moved to Hengchun I'm discovering the same thing.  I'll ask coworkers about certain local restaurants, and they'll greet me with blank stares.  "What's that, you say?  What restaurant?  Where?"  Quite often they'll have no idea that a certain restaurant even exists, and discussions of where they eat invariably veer toward tinier places, down alleys near the main road through town. 我搬到恆春之後也發現這個現象。  我問同事當地某些餐廳好不好吃的時候， 他們就會用奇怪的眼神看著我說 : "哪一家 ?  餐廳在哪裡 ?"  他們通常沒注意到那家餐廳的存在 ， 跟他們討論地區餐廳的時候，他們都會提到一些小巷子中的小餐廳，靠近市區或中正路。

Me being the American that I am, I spent a couple months looking for good pizza and burger restaurants in the area.  This was done without any help from those I work with.  It's not that I'm blaming them; they simply didn't know.  Many times I'd visit some Western restaurant  outside of central Hengchun, and after returning to work the following Monday I'd tell them about where I'd been. 從美國來的我花了一、二個月尋找恆春的披薩跟漢堡餐廳 。 我的同事幫不了我， 因為他們根本不在乎那種餐廳 。  好幾個周末我去市區外的西式餐廳後， 在周一跟他們分享那家餐廳的經驗時， 他們每次這麼說 :

"What?" they'd say, "Where's that?" "什麼 ?"  "那家餐廳在哪裡 ?"

...but you know what?  I'm starting to share their lack of interest in the fancier restaurants.  A lot of the tourist-friendly places really are too expensive, and the food they offer really isn't that good.  The service is often terrible, and on weekends you have to make reservations far in advance. 可是你知道嗎 ?  我的想法越來越跟他們一樣， 很多友善觀光客的餐廳真是太貴了 ， 料理也沒有那麼好吃 ， 通常服務很差 ， 周末時也要很早就先訂位 。

Don't get me wrong, I still love pizza and hamburgers, but I'm finding that they're often not worth the effort.  Drive down to Manzhou to get a slightly better pizza, or just order from Domino's?  Wonder if that burger restaurant near my elementary school has a free table, or just go to McDonald's?  More and more I find myself going for the cheaper, easier option, and I'm sure most of those living in this area feel the same way. 不要誤會， 我還是很喜歡披薩跟漢堡 ，  可是我開始覺得它們不值得我花費的心力。  開車到滿州吃好一點點的披薩，或是去達美樂就好 ?  擔心在我國小附近的漢堡餐廳找不到位子，或是去麥當勞 ?  我發覺自己越來越傾向選比較便宜、方便的餐廳 。 我相信大部分的當地居民也是這麼想吧 !

There must be some kind of "happy medium" between the restaurants for tourists and the restaurants for local people.  Sure, people like "fancy," but people also like consistency and affordability.  A fancy place with a view of the ocean will always make money, but I often wonder if the less fancy places aren't actually making more money over time.  When all of the costs of starting a business are calculated in, how much money is that fashionable homestay, restaurant or resort really making over a 10-20 year period, minus monies paid to workers, landlords and suppliers? 應該有餐廳是介於以上二種餐廳之間，並且是當地人喜愛的 。  每個人都喜歡漂亮高級餐廳 ， 可是人們也喜歡固定時間會開門及划算的餐廳。  有海景的高級餐廳會賺錢 ，可是有可能以長時間來說， 一般的餐廳賺的錢更多 。 算一下開業成本，及員工薪水、租金......等， 那些新潮的民宿 、餐廳或是渡假村能在一、二十年中賺那麼多錢嗎 ?  

A steak dinner at Bossa Nova?  Sure, I'd enjoy that.  But if you're not that hungry maybe we could meet somewhere cheaper instead.  After all, how often is a 700 NT meal seven times better than a 100 NT meal?  And how many of us can afford to spend that much on dinner? 去巴沙諾瓦吃牛排嗎 ?  當然可以 ， 可是也可以選比較便宜的餐廳。  話說回來 ， 七百塊的晚餐跟一百塊的晚餐比較 ， 七百塊的晚餐真的比一百塊的晚餐好七倍嗎 ?  有多少人負擔的起這麼貴的晚餐呢?

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Gangshan District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市岡山區

Gangshan District is north of Ciaotou.  It's a very industrial area, and has been so for a long time.  At the time of writing it's the farthest north you can go using Kaohsiung's MRT system, though there is talk of extending the red line farther north. 岡山區位於橋頭區北部 。 這個地區成為工業區已經很久了 ， 高雄最北邊的捷運站在岡山區 ，市政府還在討論是否要把捷運系統延到更北邊的地區 。

For a slightly fanciful bit of local history, click here, just be aware that the origin of Gangshan's old name, "Agongdian" is far from clear.  There's evidence that the "Agongdian" was derived from a local aboriginal language. 這地區有傳奇色彩的歷史故事在這裡 。  但是岡山的舊名阿公店來源就不清楚了，  有可能這個名稱是從平埔族語來的 。 (2)

According to the last census, 95,159 people live in Gangshan. 上次的人口統計表示 ， 岡山的人口是95,159人 。

This is Wanwangye Park in Gangshan.  It's just across the border from Ciaotou. 岡山的萬王爺公園很靠近橋頭 。

The Taiwan Soya-Mixed Meat Museum has appeared in this blog before.  It's on the other side of Gangshan, across the border from Luzhu. 台灣滷味博物館在這個blog出現過，  它在岡山另外一邊  ，比較靠近路竹 。

I assume this "restaurant" is used for DIY activities.  It feels like the kind of place local kids would visit on field trips. 這個餐廳大概是DIY活動用的 ，很像這附近地區的國小戶外教學會來的地方。

This factory processes many different kinds of food, everything from fish to tofu, and their products can be purchased all over Taiwan.  The first floor is a store where you can buy their products. 這個工廠加工的食品很多 ， 從魚到豆干都有， 臺灣到處都買得到 。 一樓的商店賣工廠生產的產品 。

Central Gangshan is in the middle of the district.  This pond is in Gangshan Embankment Park.  As you can tell from the photo, the air quality in this part of Taiwan was not good that day. 岡山市區在岡山區的中心 ， 這個水池在河堤公園裡面 。  你從照片可以看出來那一天的空氣品質不佳。

The playground here looked really fun.  Subtract 40 years from my age and I'd be all over it. 這裡的遊樂器材看起來很好玩 ， 可惜我的年紀太大了 !

This is Jungshan Road near the center of town.  Nearby Highway 1 is where the train station is, though the South Gangshan MRT stop is actually south of here, on the other side of Embankment Park. 市區的中山路 ， 在台1線附近，也有岡山火車站 ， 然而南邊的南崗山捷運站在河堤公園的另外一邊。

Don't bother with Gangshan's old street.  The market near there is interesting, but the old street itself isn't worth visiting. 岡山老街沒有什麼特殊的， 但是附近的菜市場很熱鬧。

Mutton is popular in Gangshan.  This picture was taken at Daxin Mutton Restaurant next to the Wenxian Market.  You can order the meat stir fried or served in a hot pot. 羊肉在岡山很受歡迎 。  這張照片是在文賢市場旁的大新羊肉店拍的 。 你可以點熱炒羊肉或是羊肉爐 。 (1)

Central Gangshan still feels very much like a small town.  Yes, it's in Kaohsiung City, but downtown Kaohsiung is very far away. 岡山市區感覺很像個小鄉鎮 ， 它在高雄市沒錯 ，可是高雄市區離這裡很遠 。

"The Eye of Gangshan" sits atop Little Gang Mountain near the eastern edge of the district.  Again, air pollution was heavy that day. 岡山之眼位於小崗山上 ， 岡山區的東部 。 那一天的空氣很差 。

Visitors to this place should park their cars at the foot of the mountain and take a shuttle bus to the top.  We didn't know this at the time, got slightly lost on the way up there, and ended up taking a small but terrifying road to the top.  My advice: take the shuttle bus. 遊客要在山下的停車場停車 ，然後坐小區間車到上面 。  我們到的時候有點迷路 ， 不懂狀況 ， 最後開車走一條恐怖的農路上去 。 我的建議:  坐區間車上去一定比較好 。

This is looking south toward Ciaotou.  I think going there at night or early in the morning would have been a better choice.  As it was we couldn't see much. 往橋頭的方向看過去 ，  早晨或是晚上去應該更好 ，中午看不到風景 。

I will say, however, that parts of Little Gang Mountain are surprisingly scenic.  Up until visiting this area I thought Gangshan was all factories, but the parts near Yanchao have a lot more trees. 我最驚訝的就是小崗山部分的風景很不錯 。 我以前以為岡山都是工廠 ，現在發現它靠近燕巢的部分還有森林 。

This pond is near Agongdian Reservoir.  There's a suspension bridge near here that's locally famous, but we decided to skip it.  I've been to a lot of suspension bridges. 這個水池靠近阿公店水庫 。  附近的吊橋很有名 ， 可是我們決定不要去了 ，  我已經去過很多的吊橋了!

That hill in the background is Little Gang Mountain.  If you're driving around this area be careful.  People get lost and do crazy things on the road. 背景是小岡山 。  在這附近開車要小心 ， 很多駕駛迷路後會亂開車 。

Agongdian Reservoir.  It reminded me a bit of Sun Moon Lake.  The land begins to rise up on the other side of the water, and the mountains aren't far away. 阿公店水庫讓我想到日月潭 。  水庫另外一邊漸高的山丘離中央山脈不遠 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 11 (最後一個 The Last One)

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 2

Pingtung City, Pingtung County 屏東縣屏東市遊記

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 10

1. Is "mutton" lamb meat or goat meat?  Or sheep meat?  "Mutton" is defined as meat from older sheep, whereas a sheep in its first year is defined as a lamb, and thus its meat is lamb meat.  It depends, in other words, on the age of the sheep/lamb when it was slaughtered.  To make things more confusing, the "mutton" served in many parts of Asia is actually goat, and you'll see goats both pictured on the sign and kept near the restaurant.  In the case of goat it's better to say "goat mutton," but not every restaurant observes this practice.

2. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B2%A1%E5%B1%B1%E5%8D%80

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 11 (最後一個 The Last One)

The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Place Name Stories" 台灣地名故事, published by Windmill 三暉圖書發行有限公司 in 2021.  The Chinese text was written by Windmill and the English text was written by me.

This will be the last entry from this book.  As of this entry I've done the parts of the book covering Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung.

紀念義士的九腳桶

In Memory of the Heroes: Jioujiaotong

清朝乾隆年間 , 由於台灣百姓延續著明鄭 "反清復明" 的思想 , 又厭惡滿清派來台灣的官吏貪汙腐化 , 壓榨百姓 , 因此起義活動層出不窮 .  在屏東也出現一位名叫莊大田的抗清英雄 , 令滿清吃足了苦頭 . During the reign of Qing (Ching) Emperor Qianlong, the people of Taiwan persisted in the "overthrow the Qing, restore the Ming" thinking that stretched back to Koxinga.  They hated the corrupt, oppressive Qing officials who were sent to Taiwan, and for this reason one uprising followed another.  In Pingtung there appeared Zhuang Da-tian, a hero of the resistance, who caused the Qing Dynasty great difficulties.

那時候 , 林爽文在中部地區高舉 "反清復明" 的旗幟 , 聲勢非常浩大 , 許多起義軍紛紛響應 .  住在屏東番仔寮的莊大田為人豪氣 , 常主動接濟窮人 , 因此成為番仔寮住民的領導者 .  當他決定響應林爽文的起義時 , 當地居民立刻有上千人自願參加 .  莊大田出資製造軍器 , 又購買布疋製成軍旗 , 旗上寫著 : "南路輔國大元帥" .  南路是指天地會南路的意思 , 有意與 "順天大元帥" 林爽文南北相呼應 , 不過雙方並沒有隸屬關係 . At that time Lin Shuang-wen was recognized as the resistance leader in central Taiwan.  He was very influential, and he inspired many to join the resistance army.

Zhuang Da-tian lived in Fandzeliao and was a proud man.  He did his utmost to help the poor in Fandzeliao, and for this reason he became a leader in that area.  Once he decided to join Lin Shuang-wen's uprising, thousands of his neighbors immediately volunteered with him.

Jhuang Da-tian invested in weapons, and immediately had a flag made for his [part of] the army.  On the flag was written: "Southern Road, Auxiliary Grand Marshal."  The "Southern Road" was a reference to the Heaven and Earth Society, in which the "Shuntian Grand Marshal" was important.  Lin Shuang-wen exercised [nominal] authority over north and south [Taiwan], but he was for the most part unaffiliated [with Zhuang Da-tian's army]. (1)

一切準備妥當 , 莊大田便起義攻打鳳山縣城 .  鳳山縣城的參將胡圖里見莊大田的義軍來勢洶洶 , 不戰而逃 .  莊大田順利的佔領鳳山縣城 , 繼續招兵買馬 , 打算一舉攻下台南府城 . Once he was ready, Zhuang Da-tian attacked the Qing garrison at Fengshan.  Hu Tu-li, the general at Fengshan, saw Jhuang Da-tian's forces coming in great strength and fled without fighting.  Jhuang Da-tian easily occupied the fort, and from that point he continue to recruit soldiers and buy horses.  He planned on assaulting the provincial capital in Tainan [once he was ready].

這時候 , 在高雄左營的九曲堂 , 有十名武藝高強的壯士決定一起加入莊大田的起義軍 .  他們在戰場上非常勇敢 , 總是身先士卒 , 滿清的將士都知道這十位藝高膽大義士的名聲 . At that time ten mighty warriors from Jiuqutang in Zuoying, Kaohsiung decided to join Zhuang Da-tian's rebel army.  They were very brave on the field of battle, always the first to lead an attack, and word of these ten forthright men had even reached the ears of the Qing soldiers.

眼看起義軍的聲勢愈來愈浩大 , 滿清官員根據平定鴨母王朱一貴事件時得到的寶貴經驗 , 決定分化閩南人和客家人的情感 , 使他們產生嫌隙 , 進而一一擊破 . Watching the revolutionary forces grow in strength, the Qing officials fell back upon a strategy used during Zhu Yi-gui's uprising, exploiting the cultural differences between Hakka and Minnanese rebels, dividing one side from the other so that they could be picked off later.

受到分化的客籍人士忘了自己也曾受盡滿清貪官的迫害 , 齊聚忠義亭 , 宣誓效忠滿清 , 還前往台南支援清軍防守府城 .  The Hakka contingent thus estranged from [Zhuang Da-tian's] army forgot how they'd been persecuted by the Qing officials.  They went to the Jhong Yi Pavilion and swore allegiance to the Qing Dynasty, afterwards joining the Qing forces at the provincial capital in Tainan.

公元1787年 (乾隆52年) 1月7日 , 莊大田和林爽文合軍圍攻台南失利 , 林爽文率軍北走 , 莊大田則退屯大岡山 .  此後 , 莊大田和清軍不斷周旋 , 但是由於許多親信在戰場上捐軀 , 加上盟軍一一被滿清收編 , 莊大田部隊的聲勢已經大不如前了 . On January 7, 1787 on the Western calendar (the 52nd year of Qianlong's reign), Zhuang Da-tian and Lin Shuang-wen combined their armies in a failed assault on Tainan.  Lin Shuang-wen then led [his part of] the army north, while Zhuang Da-tian retreated [with his forces] to Dagang Mountain.  After this point Zhuang Da-tian and the Qing forces fought a war of attrition, in which Zhuang Da-tian lost many comrades on the field of battle while the Qing forces gained allies and grew in strength.  Zhuang Da-tian's army lost momentum and lacked its former power.

公元1787年11月 , 滿清加派協辦大學士福康安親率貴州 , 廣西 , 四川等省的精兵萬餘人 , 從鹿港登陸 .  這時候 , 滿清派來台灣的部隊 , 加上原本駐臺及從澎湖調來的軍隊 , 整體軍力已經比林爽文 , 莊大田剛起義時台灣原有的軍力增加十倍以上 . On November 1787 on the Western calendar, the Qing court consulted the great scholar Fu Kang-an, who personally led an army of over 10,000 elite troops from Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan and other provinces.  They disembarked from their ships at Lugang.  At this point the new troops, in addition to older troops from Taiwan ['s main island] and Penghu, formed in an army that was ten times stronger than Lin Shuang-wen and Zhuang Da-tian's combined forces.

過了不久 , 林爽文兵敗被捕 , 台灣中部的抗清起義軍徹底瓦解 .  福康安的部將繼續率軍南下 , 採取心理戰術 , 用 "善意呼喚" 對待莊大田的部隊 , 使得莊大田手下的大將李茂 , 謝檜山相繼投降 , 部隊只剩十分之三 .  莊大田只好率軍往南逃竄 , 最後也被逮捕處死 . Before long Lin Shuang-wen had been defeated and arrested, and central Taiwan's anti-Qing revolutionary army had completely fallen apart.  Fu Kang-an continued to lead his troops south, and using psychological tactics they made "housecalls" on Zheng Da-tian's generals, causing his generals Li Mao and Xie Kwai-shan to surrender in turn.  [Zhuang Da-tian's] army was down to a third of its former strength, and all he could do was flee south, where he was imprisoned and executed.

當莊大田敗逃時 , 十義士始終追隨左右 , 令莊大田非常感動 .  莊大田被清軍追殺 , 知道大勢已去 , 於是對十義士說 : "現在情勢非常不利 , 我遲早會血染沙場 , 為了替 "反清復明" 留一點香火 , 希望你們趕緊離開部隊 , 等待機會再給滿清政權致命的一擊 ." After Zhuang Da-tian fled following his defeat, the ten heroes continued to follow him everywhere.  This moved him greatly.  As Zhuang Da-tian was being pursued by the Qing army he knew their cause was lost, so he said to the ten righteous men: "Our situation is extremely unfavorable, sooner or later our blood will be spilled.  I hope you will leave our company quickly, in order to preserve some of the anti-Qing spirit.  You should wait for another opportunity to smash the Qing regime."

可是 , 十義士卻堅持繼續留在部隊裡 .  後來 , 實在禁不住莊大田一再的曉以大義 , 十義士才揮淚告別 , 逃回九曲堂 . Yet the ten heroes insisted on staying with the army.  Later still Zhuang Da-tian was forced to make the ultimate sacrifice [for their cause], and the ten righteous men fled in tears to Jiuqutang.

清軍肅清莊大田的部隊後 , 鳳山縣的守備陳明聲為了避免起義軍死灰復燃  , 於是以迅雷不及掩耳的速度 , 下令對各庄社進行 "清庄" .  剛回到九曲堂的十名義士立刻就被官府盯上 .  其中一人因為住得比較偏僻 , 平安脫險 , 其餘九人全部被捕 . After the Qing had wiped out Zhuang Da-tian's army, Chen Ming-sheng, commander of the garrison at Fengshan, ordered a lightning-fast sweep of the villages under Qing control in order to stamp out anti-Qing sentiment.  Nine of the ten heroes, just then arrived in Jiuqutang, were immediately identified and arrested by the government.  The tenth hero, who lived in a more remote area, lived on in safety.

陳名聲將這九名義士在庄內處斬 , 由於欽佩他們的民族氣節 , 就在每一位義士前面放置一個水桶 , 一共是九個水桶 , 以免頭顱斬下時被泥土沾汙 , 表示對義士的尊敬 .  因此 , 九曲堂又叫作九腳桶 , 也稱作九曲桶 . Chen Ming-sheng had these nine men beheaded in the village.  Out of admiration for their communal spirit he had a bucket placed before each man, nine buckets in all, so that their heads would not be dirtied by the ground after their beheadings.  This was how [Chen Ming-sheng] showed his respect for these righteous heroes.  For this reason Jiuqutang is also called "Jiujiaotong" or "Jiuqutong." (2)

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 2

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 10

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 9

Dzeguan District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市梓官區遊記

1. There are two places in Pingtung which may have answered to the name "Fandzeliao" at the time, one in Jiadong Township and another in Changjr Township.  

My explanation of the words on the flag is exceedingly inadequate, but I don't feel like diving into the Heaven and Earth Society's complete philosophy today.

2. Zuoying?  Way up there?  These places are very far apart.  Either the author is confused, there was another place by the name of Zuoying, or Zuoying was MUCH bigger back then.  At present Jiuqutang is in Dashu District, across the Kaoping River from Pingtung County.

3. 九曲堂 or Jiuqutang, as written on the train sign above.  九腳桶 means "nine feet bucket," a reference to the fact that the men were kneeling during their beheadings.  The bucket was placed near their feet to catch their heads.

Taiwan 101: Local Wildlife

Taiwan has many interesting animals, many of which are not easily observed in the wild.  I've been here 22 years, and there are still several native animals that I've never seen outdoors.  Take this "stone tiger" (leopard cat) for example, which was only recently identified.  At first glance you'd probably mistake it for a house cat.

If you're looking for an exhaustive list of species endemic to Taiwan click here.  What follows below is less than comprehensive.

1. Mammals

You'll see the Formosan black bear's likeness all over the island, but seeing a real one in the wild is hard.  They're very solitary animals, and you'd have to travel very deep into the mountains to see one.

Taiwan has deer, serow and muntjac, wild pigs and otters, whales and dolphins, but the animal you're most likely to see is the Formosan rock macaque, an animal universally hated by farmers and overfed by many tourists.  For the record I despise them.  They're both aggressive and very territorial.

Of the wild animals I've seen in Taiwan my favorite was a flying squirrel which flew across the road as I was cycling up the coast in Taitung.  The sun was just coming up, there were trees close to the road on either side, and the flying squirrel sailed right across my path.

I've seen a fair number of civets.  I've seen a Chinese hare.  I once saw a deer in a stand of trees along Highway 197 in Taitung.

Bats are easy to see at night.  The difficult part is telling one type of bat from another.

Rodents, shrews, moles and solenodons?  Same problem.  I used to go running a lot at night in relatively remote places, and rodents would often squeak at me if I got too close to them.  At night it was impossible to tell what kind of rodents they were.

A sign at Longluan Lake says that the area is inhabited by otters.  I've been over there around sundown a few times hoping to see one, but so far I've only spotted birds.

2. Birds

Taiwan has over 400 types of endemic bird.  I have two big books ("freshwater" and "saltwater") introducing these birds, and I have no doubt that you could spend years (maybe even a lifetime) attempting to photograph each type of bird in the wild.  Many of these birds you'll probably never see, while some are ubiquitous.

Little egrets can be seen around fields or rivers, the Taiwan barbet ("5 color bird") is an oft-used symbol of Taiwan's biodiversity, and the Mikado pheasant is on the 1000 NT bill.  I see brown shrikes everywhere.

3. Reptiles and Amphibians

I love snakes.  I love seeing them outdoors, going about their daily business.  I find them very interesting.

People new to Taiwan often worry over snakes.  Honestly, the odds of getting bit by one are extremely low.  Snakes such as the Chinese cobra, the many-banded krait ("umbrella snake") and the hundred-pace snake can definitely cause injury or even death, but a much larger percentage of snakes in Taiwan pose absolutely no danger to humans.  The most venomous snake is actually the sea snake, but their fangs curve inward and they're not generally aggressive.  As a general rule look at the head first.  If it's triangular the snake in question is probably a viper, and you should give it a lot of room.

In Taitung I saw a lot more snakes, and many more kinds of snakes, than I've seen in Pingtung.  The banded krait was fairly common, and people in the elementary school where I worked caught several Chinese cobras.  Big-eyed ratsnakes ("guo shan dao") and oriental ratsnakes ("southern snakes") were also easy to spot. (1)

I don't have much experience when it comes to turtles in Taiwan, but I can tell you that they love the irrigation ditches in and around Fangliao Township.  When my wife and I went walking around the area at night we often found stranded turtles next to the Mountainside Highway.

I know even less about Taiwan's amphibians, even though there are frogs and toads everywhere.  The lot across from where we lived in Fangliao had frogs (or toads) that would dry out with the weather, and these animals would magically return to life with the first big rain.  I found it somewhat unnerving.

4. Fish

My knowledge of fish only extends to the types farmed in Taiwan.  Oh, and there are also the "festival" types of fish such as tuna and sailfish.  The southern end of the island is surrounded by coral, so of course there are many types of fish to be found here.

5. Insects and Arachnids

You ever seen a giant grass mantis?  I saw one in Hsinchu once.  It was impressive.

Killer bees are a thing in Taiwan, so be careful when hiking in the mountains.  Perfumes, deodorants, and other things that make you smell like flowers should not be worn while hiking through dense vegetation.

On the level of day to day living you'll most likely be interacting with ants, mosquitoes and cockroaches.  These pests are more or less prevalent depending on the area.  Mosquitoes dislike wide open spaces, ants are constantly on the hunt for food, and cockroaches love moisture.  Older buildings will have more of these pests, while newer buildings will have less of them.

Spiders?  I wouldn't worry about spiders too much.  Those huge black and yellow bastards ("people face spiders") can be terrifying, but as long as you look where you're going they're fine.

6. People, Another Kind of Mammal

People are SO easy to see in Taiwan.  They're almost everywhere.  You have to work really hard to get away from people in Taiwan, but yes, it can be done.  There are more people on the west coast than on the east, and more people at lower elevations than there are at higher elevations.  My saying so probably seems obvious, but I've met many expats convinced that all of Taiwan is just like Taipei.

7. Places to See Animals

Are you an indoor or outdoor person?  And how do you feel about mosquitoes?  I'll start with the indoor places first, and then conclude this entry with the outdoor places.

Many of the forest recreation areas and national parks have interpretive centers where you can learn about local wildlife from a distance.  Of course the animals in these places are either stuffed or replicas, but hey, it's a place to start.

For living animals you can head to the Taipei Zoo, the Kaohsiung Zoo or the National Taiwan Aquarium.  I don't think that weird zoo in Tainan has any native animals.  Farglory Amusement Park in Hualien has a small aquarium, but it's not really worth the price of admission.  There are also the decrepit aquariums in Yeliou and Chenggong, Taitung County..  The science museum in Taichung and the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung have exhibits on native animals.  Is the zoo in Hsinchu still a thing?  I'm not sure. (2)

To see animals in the wild, you'll have to head toward the mountains -- the deeper the better.  Try to find somewhere people don't usually go, far from noise, lights and other disturbances.  Finding such a place isn't easy, but then again it never is.  Happy searching?

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Taiwan 101: Ten Important Dates

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1. Doesn't seem to be an English Wikipedia entry for the big-eyed ratsnake.

2. There's also a weird zoo in Nantou on Google Maps.  Never been there, no idea.  Last time I visited the Prehistory Museum in Taitung it was closed for renovations.  I don't know if it's open now.