The power bestowed by the bear! Lin Yung-Hung returns to Nan'an Tribe to promote organic farming, revive "butt beans," and launch Little Bear Bento to boost deep tourism

In July 2018, the quiet Nan'an Tribe welcomed the "15 minutes of worldwide fame" that Andy Warhol spoke of. Because a lost little black bear appeared at Nan'an Waterfall, the tribe not only became a news focus but also a spot where people rushed to take photos.

The "introduction" of the Nan'an little black bear made Nan'an Tribe instantly famous, but even before this glorious "15 minutes," Nan'an Tribe had already dazzled discerning consumers and travelers with its stunning beauty. One indispensable contributor was Lin Yung-Hung, this year's Green Oscar winner.

"In the past, when I introduced my hometown to others, I could only say 'Hualien,' or at most add 'Yuli.' As for Zhuoxi Township, nobody had ever heard of it." Lin Yung-Hung smiles, and his nasolabial folds stretch into left and right brackets. "Now it's different. When you say 'Nan'an Tribe,' who doesn't know it?" As soon as he finishes speaking, the brackets on his face stretch even wider.

To use a recent popular phrase, the copy written on Lin Yung-Hung's smiling face is: I am Nan'an, I am proud.

Though nature's gifts were abundant, childhood was still full of hardship

Making the tribe hold its head high is the achievement of Bunun youth Lin Yung-Hung after ten years of returning home. Just as beneath the "Batongguan Trail Construction Monument" displayed at the Nan'an Visitor Center, a stone plaque reads: "May the back mountain become the front mountain, may the hearts of descendants turn toward nature, and may the heart of nature turn toward descendants." Lin Yung-Hung led Nan'an Tribe in practicing natural farming, building a tribal brand, bringing young farmers home, and drawing visitors from far away. Even the Taiwan endemic freshwater fish, the Kikuchi minnow, which had disappeared for over 30 years, returned to this ecological land. Their hearts turn toward nature, and Mother Earth naturally gives back generous gifts: a stunning transformation that amazed the world; a homeland where people can live and work in peace.

But the Nan'an Tribe that makes Lin Yung-Hung proud was once a homeland he desperately wanted to escape. Because his parents worked long-term at an orchard in Lishan, ever since Lin Yung-Hung could remember, he had to shoulder housework and farm work on his own. By today's standards, social welfare agencies would have needed to intervene. He and his brother, 3 years older, had to get up at 3 a.m., either to light the fire and cook, or collect eggs and feed the chickens, or go to the fields to check the water. Then before school they had to prepare breakfast for their siblings and take their younger brothers and sisters to school.

"No, no, it wasn't going to school together." Lin Yung-Hung corrects himself. The ones going to school were him and his brother. Their younger siblings, who were not yet school age, could not be left alone at home. Fortunately, the teacher was accommodating and let them sit in the classroom as "study companions."

Leaving the tribe for the family livelihood, 22 years of military service

Even though he was naturally optimistic, looking back on his childhood Lin Yung-Hung still cannot help but feel forlorn. His parents only returned to the tribe once every half a year. Because of long-term estrangement, when his parents came back they never hugged or acted affectionately. But he always wanted to ask: "Why did you have to go so far away?" "Why did you come back only after so long?" Because he feared that if he spoke he would cry first, he always held back his grievances and acted like a sensible, resigned, good child.

But changing the subject, Lin Yung-Hung says tribal children knew well how to find joy in hardship, and much of this was thanks to nature's gifts. Rats hiding in the field ridges tasted best roasted; the fruit was all wild and free for the picking; the frogs caught while checking field water… But nature does not produce pencils, nor can it pay the water and electricity bills. Sometimes nature is actually the source of hardship: the scorching sun, the bone-chilling field water, the endless weeds, the vegetable garden that can never be fully watered. In order to escape the hardship of tribal life, Lin Yung-Hung followed in his brother's footsteps, walked out of the besieged city of crops, and entered the home of the air force.

During 22 years of military service, Lin Yung-Hung served in the Air Force 443rd Wing in Tainan. Besides being a master sergeant maintaining "Ching-kuo fighter jets," he also served as a quality assurance officer. When he retired after securing a lifetime pension, Lin Yung-Hung was only 39 years old.

Returning home after military service, using friendly farming to rescue out-of-control farmland

After returning to the tribe, Lin Yung-Hung discovered that because pesticide and fertilizer dealers had developed a business mechanism of "no need to pay first, just sign and you can collect goods," farmers had no concept of cost. Often only after harvest, when settling accounts with the dealers, did they realize that not only had they worked for nothing all season, but they had also worked themselves into debt. Lin Yung-Hung's mother was deep in debt. The business mechanism fattened the dealers, but harmed the farmers and also harmed the land.

Lin Yung-Hung could only go against the tribe's agricultural norm, recruiting like-minded people willing to practice friendly farming to change the corrupt, out-of-control situation together. But the farmers who had originally agreed to walk side by side gradually backed out, and the whole team was left with only 4 people. Looking at rice fields that no longer had frogs or rats, Lin Yung-Hung knew the changed land had no time to wait. He upheld the principle of "just do it," believing that even if success does not dock immediately, at least it will follow failure.

Tribal farmers were used to planting rice seedlings in straight lines, with rice and grass "irreconcilable enemies." After Lin Yung-Hung took over the family farmland, because he did not apply herbicides, the rice fields were very "green." Tribal elders began whispering to his mother: "Is your son planting rice? Or planting grass?" His mother also thought Lin Yung-Hung was not diligent enough, and the two repeatedly quarreled. In one big argument, harsh words were said, and from then on mother and son turned away from each other, and the thatched cottage had no smoke.

Tribal organic rice finally built a brand, growing from zero to a scale of 20 jia

Fortunately, through a convergence of causes and conditions, Yushan National Park provided funding, the Tse-Xin Foundation offered guidance, the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station provided technical instruction, and Yinchuan Rice drew on 18 years of successful experience, helping Nan'an Tribe's organic rice build a brand and allowing Lin Yung-Hung's hard work to be rewarded. The tribe finally learned that organic is a win-win practice for both agriculture and the environment. As long as the method is right, organic farming is not hard, and it can make pockets fuller, so everyone joined Lin Yung-Hung and the others one after another.

At present, Nan'an already has more than 20 jia of organic rice fields, and the crisscrossing landscape is no less impressive than Chishang in Taitung. In fact, Nan'an has a "Bunun Avenue," and beside the road there is also a large tree, but it has no celebrity name to lend it prestige, and everyone can "name it after themselves." "So to me, it is Lin Yung-Hung Tree." He says with a smile, and the brackets on his face stretch again, radiating infectious enthusiasm.

The black bear is family: helping the Nan'an little black bear find a home

Although the Bunun are a hunting people, there are three animals they do not kill: the black bear (family), the hundred-pace snake (friend), and the black bulbul (benefactor).

Two years ago, a lost little black bear appeared at Nan'an Waterfall, a family member of the Bunun. After tourists reported it, neither the Forestry Bureau nor the national park knew how to handle it. Later they contacted black bear expert Teacher Huang Mei-Hsiu, and decided first to enclosure-raise it near where the little bear was located. Unexpectedly, it escaped. Once the news spread, photo-taking tourists surged, and even tour buses solicited passengers. Everyone took pleasure in photographing the bear in treetops, by the roadside, and along the stream.

To prevent curious tourists from coming into contact with the black bear, at the call of the village chief and the tribal leader, Lin Yung-Hung and others formed a Bunun patrol team responsible for night watches; the Fifth Special Police Corps, the Seventh Special Police Corps, and the Directorate General of Highways jointly closed the road to block daytime tourists. About two weeks later, the Black Bear Association and the Bunun discovered cigarette butts in the little bear's droppings, and there was suspicion of diarrhea. With no other choice, they had to try to capture the little black bear and send it to a specialized institution for care, hoping to raise it to two years old and then release it into a suitable location once it was grown.

Finding a home for the little bear had no specialized intermediary; it relied entirely on the Bunun patrol team and Forestry Bureau mountain rangers. They spent a year searching everywhere for a release site, while also clearing surrounding hazards, striving for thoroughness. They went up the mountain several times a month, and each round trip took 5 days. If not for family, who would be willing to do this