A Slow Early-Summer Journey Through Mino's Jiuxionglin: The Thousand-Mile Trail Round-Island Microcosm (6)
Text / Lin Yun-tzu (project secretary, Tmitrail Foundation)
Photos / Provided by Tmitrail Foundation
My impression of Meinong comes from a domestic film I saw during my university years, one set against the backdrop of Meinong's tobacco-growing culture in the 1970s: "Green Green Leaves Of Home" (adapted from Wu Chin-fa's novel "Autumn Chrysanthemum"). The scene that runs throughout the film: a whole field of lush green tobacco, with tobacco farmers walking through it harvesting the vivid green leaves that grow almost as tall as a person; a little farther off are betel nut trees, and behind them, layer upon layer of emerald-green mountains. Such a pastoral image -- quiet and natural, yet concealing a hidden vitality -- vividly became my romantic imagining of this place called Meinong.
It was only when I truly had the chance to walk into it on my own two feet and feel its beauty that I came here, following in the footsteps of Tmitrail. In 2011, we tried a tree-planting mini-trip format, combining the life experiences of eight distinctive farming and fishing villages in Taiwan, China to promote an activity called "Spend a Night in a Farming or Fishing Village," so that travelers would not merely pass through but could stay on, and then through the process of hands-on doing, embark on a low-carbon eco-tour together with the community. Meinong, the most beautiful Hakka village, was among them.
The Meinong Love-Home Association, organized out of the anti-reservoir movement, has for many years continued to devote itself to public issues defending its hometown, and also runs community building. By training local interpretive talent, it helps residents know the land they grew up on even better, and thus love and protect it. So the "Jiuxionglin Yangye Flying Work Team," formed by partners from Meinong's Guanglin community, carefully planned a wonderful itinerary to take friends from far away on a two-day, one-night slow-paced journey to appreciate the natural and cultural landscape of Jiuxionglin!
Tired? Find a spot to rest your feet for a while! The Butterfly Park, located at the corner where Guangjiu Street and Guangfu Street intersect, is a creative gathering space built by community residents with their own hands in recent years, with playful artworks displayed on the grass. And the inconspicuous little grocery store beside the local faith center, Shenghua Temple, hides a traditional good flavor that only Guanglin people know about. Order a bowl of the seemingly ordinary rice-grain ban (mi tai mu in Hakka), whose broth not only has a rich fried shallot aroma but also adds chunks of tomato-sauce mackerel, then crack in an egg -- just that simply delicious, leaving fragrance lingering between your teeth!
Riding a bicycle and wandering slowly is the best pace for getting close to Meinong's Jiuxionglin; you will not miss the cultural landscapes hidden in the streets and alleys, and you can also ride from the field paths deep into the emerald valley. Of course, you also need to find the right local expert and follow in the interpreter's footsteps to gently feel the stories that belong to this place. In recent years, the people of Meinong have carried on the spirit of the anti-reservoir movement, never stinting in sharing the beauty of their hometown, hoping through in-depth natural and cultural tourism to continue conveying the idea of loving one's hometown and loving the land, and also to let travelers who linger here deeply discover the beauty of Meinong and the richness of Meinong.