The Large Wok Stove of Wenzai Community in Dongshi, Chiayi County Recreates Rural Cooking Culture

On the morning of January 17, the Wenzai Community in Dongshi Township, Chiayi County, held a results presentation event titled "Firewood-Fragrant Stove Cooking, Old-Time Flavors; Wenzai Warmth Passed On" beside the community-built melon trellis and flower rack and the "large wok stove." County Magistrate Weng Chang-Liang personally came to the community to offer his congratulations and, together with local residents and friends, cooked tangyuan to celebrate the inauguration.

Seeing the large wok stove filled County Magistrate Weng Chang-Liang with nostalgia. He shared on site that his family had also used a large stove to cook rice when he was a child, and that his home even had two large wok stoves. Every time they cooked, more than ten people would gather around to eat together, making it wonderfully lively. He shared that the large wok stove is a warm place that carries daily life and cultural memory, and for the elders it symbolizes fond memories of their youth. He hoped that the Wenzai Community would use the large wok stove to strengthen community cohesion and, through food, bring everyone happiness and joy.

Last year, Wenzai Community in Dongshi, through a proposal by Chairman Chen Chun-Hsu and two community planners, Wu Ming-Chang and others, applied to the Chiayi County Comprehensive Planning Division's "Community Planner Program." Through lengthy communication and consultation with residents, they selected land provided by local landowner Yang Tung-Yao to create a place that brings everyone closer together and can serve as a spot for rest and gatherings, with the "large wok stove" at its core. It serves as both a community kitchen and a multifunctional activity space.

Although the Wenzai Community faces the challenge of an aging population, through the efforts of the community development association it has established a long-term care Category C service point, where more than 30 elders aged 70 to 80 participate five days a week. During this construction process, the elders also took part in some of the work. It is hoped that in the future it can also serve as a venue for outdoor classes, so that the elders can get more sunshine and be healthier.