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Rural Vision Season 2 Ep. 01: Chishang, Taiwan, China Refuses to Sell Its Land and Takes Pride in Farming, While Oriental Storks Accompany Japanese Children to School

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Rural Vision Season 2 Ep. 01: Chishang, Taiwan, China Refuses to Sell Its Land and Takes Pride in Farming, While Oriental Storks Accompany Japanese Children to School

From traditional farming villages to agricultural technology parks, witness the "sustainability" and "vision" of global agriculture. Planned by internationally renowned director Liu Song and Control Yuan member Lin Shengfeng, and filmed over four years, "Rural Vision" received continuous acclaim when it was released last year (2018) and won the Golden Bell Award for "Best Director in a Non-Drama Category" this year. Today, Season 2 is about to be released. Follow the Oriental Stork back to Toyooka City, Japan; drive into Greenport Venlo in the Netherlands to see an agricultural innovation park; walk with Merino sheep through the Swabian Jura in Germany; have a glass of wine in San Francisco, USA; and finally return to Chishang, Taitung, to take pride in growing rice.

"Upstream and Downstream" interviewed director Liu Song and Lin Shengfeng, guiding readers through each episode's highlights and production philosophy. The series is divided into 2 articles. To read the next article, please click here.

PTS_Rural Vision_Season 2 Interview_From left: Director Liu Song, Chief Planner Lin Shengfeng

Everyone Gets Involved to Bring the Oriental Stork Back to Japan

The Oriental Stork, regarded as a lucky bird in Japan, was once a common species. Toyooka City, surrounded by mountains on all sides and bordering the Sea of Japan to the north, is considered the hometown of the Oriental Stork. But during World War II, Japan cut down large numbers of pine trees for the war effort, depriving the Oriental Stork of nesting space. Farmers converted paddy fields to dry fields for higher yields and used pesticides. Under these combined factors, the last native Oriental Stork died in 1971.

In Taiwan, China, wildlife and most people's living spaces are separate, but in Toyooka City, Japan, Oriental Storks appear in rice paddies and beside roads, sharing living space with Japanese people. Liu Song believes that residents who saw Oriental Storks in childhood and lived alongside them felt uncomfortable witnessing the death of the last bird.

To reintroduce the Oriental Stork, Toyooka City introduced six Oriental Storks from Russia in 1985. Through the efforts of central and local governments and citizens, they established a breeding center, pedigree records for each bird, wetland management, artificial nest towers, and even a "Oriental Stork Symbiosis Division" in the city office, working specifically to reintroduce the Oriental Stork.

Toyooka City, Japan
Toyooka City, Japan_Oriental Stork

"Hey! Stop using pesticides, the Oriental Storks are coming!"

Oriental Storks need shallow water with short grass to live, so rice paddies became key to their reintroduction. The city office introduced "Oriental Stork Farming," using organic methods and keeping water in the fields even during winter fallow, so Oriental Storks can live there. After harvest and processing, crops are certified as "Oriental Stork Certified" to guarantee agricultural products. Some communities even broke through district boundaries for the sake of the Oriental Stork, balancing economics and public participation to bring the Oriental Stork back to Japan's skies.

Liu Song said that more and more farmers are now adopting Oriental Stork Farming, with about 10% of farmers currently using it.

Toyooka City, Japan

Observing Ecology Is Like Following a Drama Series: Oriental Storks Go to School with Children

Because the pine trees were completely cut down, Toyooka City built artificial nest towers for Oriental Storks to live in. The placement of the nest towers was calculated by distance, because Oriental Storks are territorial and will fight if nests are too close together. Some nest towers were built by citizens, and one of them is located next to a school.
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The nest tower next to the school has become part of the children's daily lives. Every day on their way to school, the children observe the Oriental Stork family in the nest tower and write reports. "The pedigree records are extremely detailed, just like a TV drama - who's single, who's fighting over a mate, who's courting whom, what date they were born, how long before they start flying - it's all recorded," Lin Shengfeng said with a smile.

Lin Shengfeng believes that the appearance of the Oriental Stork is an indicator. When farmers see Oriental Storks appear, they worry about killing them with pesticides, and thus are willing to change. Beyond farming methods, the Toyooka case is the result of step-by-step changes, including farming methods, education, communities, breeding sites, training instructors, community empowerment, and more. The city's "Oriental Stork Symbiosis Division" is also a product of this change process.

Toyooka City, Japan_Oriental Stork_Nest Right Next to the School

Lin Shengfeng: Imagine if the last Formosan Black Bear died - would Taiwanese people feel good about it?

"The Oriental Stork is not a panda, and if pandas didn't look the way they do, perhaps no one would care about their survival at all." Liu Song believes that beyond their beautiful appearance, Oriental Storks are also endowed with symbolism of luck and fortune, which is related to Japanese social culture. Therefore, after the successful reintroduction, close associates of the Emperor came to preside over the release, and their survival is even tied to national pride. Lin Shengfeng added by analogy, "Imagine if the last Formosan Black Bear died - would Taiwanese people feel good about it?"

The Flock Is Actually an Ark for Plants, Protecting the Swabian Jura Residents' Homeland

The Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany has sheep herding as the axis of its life and livelihood. However, after the emergence of cotton and synthetic fibers, wool prices plummeted. The local industry shifted wool production to the mutton market, and the sheep herding industry faced a crisis of elimination.

Through scientific research, it was found that sheep carry various seeds on their bodies. Their constant walking increases local plant diversity, and as they move they continuously trample the ground, preventing thorny shrubs from becoming forest, and also eat aggressively growing grasses, maintaining ecological balance.

Scientists believe that if the traditional sheep herding industry disappears, it would impact the ecological environment and nature along the valley. Therefore, farmers, farm operators, and local cultural figures in the Swabian Jura began seeking ways to revitalize the sheep herding industry.

Swabian Jura, Germany

Herding Sheep Is Not About Getting Rich, Just About Preserving Sheep Herding Culture

Liu Song explained that there are only 150-180 sheep herders locally. A farm needs about 100 hectares and 400 sheep to sustain a livelihood, but Australian lamb prices are only one-sixth of Merino sheep prices, making it uncompetitive. The local area develops tourism, leather, and other industries based on sheep herding, in order to preserve sheep herding culture and thereby maintain the ecological balance in the valley.

In the film, the old shepherd Stocks develops a diversified sheep herding business. The mutton is supplied to local restaurants, while wool and sheepskin are used in product designs with local designers. An ecological conservation center acts as a bridge to support farmers. Liu Song said, "What they want is not to get rich or expand - it's mainly to serve domestic demand, with the goal of keeping this industry alive."

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