Local Folkways of the Village

張貼日期：Jan 25, 2013 5:14:3 AM

Blythe

I lived in the village in my early childhood. The village which is located in Fukien of China of three hundred people is very small. It is different from the ordinary village. The villagers are enthusiastic. Some years ago, I returned to my hometown that I haven’t gone back for five years. I encountered some villagers who were very concerned about me. All people recognized me when I came back. The village has many particularities that are distinguishable from the city in many ways.

In the living function, shops, transportations and public buildings are unique. For example, the village has only a barbershop, an informal diner, and a grocery store. They provide service to all the villagers. If I want to go shopping, I must go to the more prosperous town nearby by car. The car is made up of a motorcycle in the front and a tent that has two benches inside behind the motorcycle. There are The Youth Exhibition and The Age Exhibition that are like those in Las Vegas. The villagers of all ages always gamble there. It is a special culture for them.

As for food, there are a lot of local foods that have the old-time delights. For instance, the villagers eat in the unique informal diner. They always eat pot side scrapings soup in the morning, which is also a specialty from Keelung. The village is the origin of the food named Ding-Bian-Cuo [Chinese translation]. I think that it is the most delicious food. One vendor rides his bicycle on the street in the afternoon. He hawks his Meat Swallow and uses the spoon to knock the bowl for attracting the villagers. The other vendor hawks his sugarcoated haws on the stick. He plays dices with customers. If the customer wins, he will receive the sugarcoated haws for free.

As to celebrations, there are a lot of local folkways to celebrate in the village. My family celebrated when we came back, because we haven’t returned for five years. As a tradition, the homecomers would prepare a Taiwanese opera program. We set off a great number of fireworks after the end of the Taiwanese opera. The program is a custom for the village to announce that the expatriates are coming home. Chinese New Year is celebrated grandly by the villagers, too. Children and some adults go around all the streets of the village, making a holy pilgrimage with Qi Ye, Ba Ye [Chinese translation], and other gods in the morning. They eat Chinese New Year Eve dinner in the evening. People give a long firework at twelve o’ clock at midnight, welcoming the coming of the New Year.

Above all, those things arouse my memories for my childhood. I want to go there to enjoy the delights of the folkways again. The village, named Biang-Lian is my hometown. It is distinguished from the cities and has special living function, foods, and celebrations. Fewer and fewer town can conserve the local folkways as the village does. Let’s feel its beauty.