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Opium was used as herb to soothe the pain of sickness for locals. Years by years, more and more people were addicted to it. Most of local family took opium. Those addicted to it would give anything for opium. Some of them even sold their family for it. Some people would smash the seeds and fry and add it to the Din-Bian-Tsou(a traditional rice noodles), which tasted amazing.
Opium Den
Opium Den
Shaw-Wang-Ye Temple is the local religion center in Tangchi, and the Beigan traditional custom “palaquin carrying” was derived from this temple. The God worshiped here is called Shaw-Wang Ye. On Bai-Min period, which is the local traditional festival to thank Gods, all the ambrosial palaquins in the Temples in Beigan would come to Shaw-Wang-Ye temple.
Shaw-Wang temple dates back to Qing Dynasty. During the period, fishermen from Fujian had to move between Mastu and their hometown to do business. In order to pray safety, they would carry the God statue as their luck charm. When some fishermen settled down in Matsu, they would build an altar for Gods worship.
The Shaw-Wang-Ye statue was brought to Tangchi village by a fisherman called A-Mon. He set up an altar for Shaw-Wang-Ye statue. Several years later, A-Mon invited other people to worship and the followers increased more and more. In 1961, the followers raised funds to build a temple for this statue, and the temple became what we’ve seen todays.
Shaw-Wang-Ye Temple
Opium Den
This timber cooperation had a crucial meanings in the local: It made the first ambrosial palankeen in Beigan. The tinber Co. was used as producing ambrosial palanquins and coffins. Nowadays, it’s used as a house for living.
There is a romantic and heart-breaking saying. Mrs. Wang, the owner of this house said that when she was a child, her father warned her not sitting in the chair, which lied in the living room. Her father told her that a nymph often came to the house as a guest, and chose this chair to sit. When she grew up, she heard from the neighbors that the nymph before her death was her father’s lover. Her father met and fell in love with her when he fished and did business in Fujian. However, about 1949, the KMT government banned Taiwan people from visiting their friends and family in China. Therefore, they had been separated for several years until her girlfriend’s death. Her girlfriend crossed the Taiwan Strait and came to this house from China, to follow her father.
Opium Den
In the early age, this store was not only used as selling things, and also had many functions: shoes-fixing, clothes-Sewing and Mending, watches-fixing, and hair-cut. Since KMT Government banned the locals taking pictures outside since the government feared that the people would disclose the military secret by taking pictures. Therefore, this store provided photo-making as a photo studio. Also, this store provided the employees and troops meals, by killing a pig everyday to maintain sufficient food supply. It was such a multi-functional store.
The Store Bei-Gao
Opium Den
In the early age in Tangchi village, there wasn’t school. Therefore, the locals used this place to study and to learn knowledge. Until Tangchi elementary school was established, the site of learning hall had moved for about 4 times. This site was the last one, which has been preserved well. When Tangchi elementary school was set up, the center of learning shifted from the learning hall to Tangchi elementary school.
The learning Hall
Opium Den
The rice factory of Tangchi village sat on the spot where now lies the Beigan Library. Due to the arrival of Kuomintang (KMT) Army, people from Meihua area in China.The unhusked rice imported from Taiwan would be sent to the factory to shell and then be divided into white rice and rice bran which will then be packed by three employees. The white rice would be sent to soldiers and the rice bran would be sold to the civilians as pig fodder. The civilians would bring an evidence of payment to take the rice bran.
The rice factory
Opium Den
In the early period, about 1994-1961, there was no sanitary equipment and water supply equipment. Hence, the the locals and troops came here to take a bath. It cost 5 dollars per time(5 dollars is equal to 70 NTD). Te Tien Chuan was the most famous bathhouse in Tangchi village. The boss of this bathhouse was specialized in and was famous for the professional well-drilling.
Opium Den
This cinema was located in the site where now lies Tangchi Bus Station, and had had run for about 5 or 6 years. People had much memory there, including families, couples and soldiers. Bei-Gao Command had stood at this site and was rebuilt into this cinema, with bamboo walls and thatch roofs. That is why this cinema was called this way. Color movies were played in the cinema, which is a rare and precious thing to enjoy in 1940s-1960s. Everyone was crazy about color movies. The movies of *Huangmei opera was played the most. The ticket was really cheap. First, it was free, and several years later it became 2 and then 5 dollars. (5 dollars at that time are equivalent to75 NTD nowadays.)
*Huangmei opera; a popular folk melody originated from Anhui province, China
( Resource: http://www.ichacha.net/%E9%BB%84%E6%A2%85%E8%B0%83.html)
Thatch Roof Cinema
Kai-Yuan Timber Cooperation
Te Tien Chuan Bathhouse
Te Tien Chuan Bathhouse
Yang-Ba-Shi was born in Ho-Yang Village, Song-Gao Town, Fujian Province, China. He was a famous wizard in the village. When he was a 6-year-old child, her mother found out his smartness and brought him to learn sorcery.
There is a legendary saying:Yang-Ba-Shi and Dragon.
Yang-Ba-Shi met a dragon called Shi-Lon. When he and his mother went out to dry rice in the sun, the sky became dark and the rain poured. However, when they just went back home,the rain stopped. Yang-Ba-Shi then understood that this had something to do with Shi-Lon. Therefore, Yang-Ba- Shi used his sorcery and finally drove Shi-Lon away.
Yang-Ba-Shi grew up. When he host a Dharma meeting for a family in a sunny day, the mischievous Shi-Lon played a trick by the sorcery to make it rain. To make Shi-Lon surrender, Yang-Ba Shi used the most powerful magic. Unfortunately, he fianally fell to the sea and died. His body drifted to Hou-ao village, Beigan and was found by a fisherman. The fisherman took his body to find a good place to bury. He cast moon blocks and walked and decided this site to bury. Amazingly, after Yang-Ba-Shi rested in peace, the locals often got luck and incredible fortune. In remembrance of Yang-Ba-Shi, the local descendents set up a temple,called Yang-Ba-Shi’s temple,which is located the site where his body was found.
Yang-Ba-Shi’s temple is the only one where there is no dragon-painting in north-east Asia. Because the descendants thought that anything about dragon would offend him, including dragon flag and dragon dance.
Yang-Ba-Shi’s Grave
Te Tien Chuan Bathhouse
The restaurant is the first one in Beigan, called He-Ji-Hao. Mr. Nee, the boss of He-Ji-Hao, had worked in a troop and restaurants in Nangang as a cook. In 1952, he ran He-Ji-Hao. Because of the deficiency of electricity, refrigerator and transportation, he used oil lantern as illumination and walked to market to buy fresh food ingredient. He could make many delicious dishes with fishball and fish dumplings.
The First Restaurant in Beigan
The First Restaurant in Beigan
This site where the edible forest garden stands was originally a business trail, connecting Qiaozi village and Tangchi village in the Taiwan agricultural era. The locals brought fish hauls to Tangchi from Qiaozi through the trail.
Unfortunately, with construction of roads beside the trail, the trail became abandoned. In 2011, Tangchi Community Development Association renovated this trail into an edible forest garden. The association planted herbs there like lemongrass, edible rose, Mt. lemon marigold, rosemary, thyme, honeysuckle flower, and roselle. The herbs are cultivated by organic farming and irrigated with fresh water.
The association employs local unemployed women to take care of herbs and hand-made picked them up, and then to dry them into scented tea. In the several years, scented tea became the principal source of the association income.
Edible Forest Garden
This small shelter was built during the Taiwan Martial Period, as a place for the local refugees from the air raid. After the war, this shelter had been abandoned until 1960. In 1960, the local people and the local troop together renovated it, with the sponsor of China Shelter Society Trustees Incorporated. It cost 13 months to finish. In August, 2016, Tangchi Community Association invited Painting Masters and artists of Taipei, to add some local-based innovation and art to Tangchi Village, including this shelter.
The Camouflage Air-Raid Shelter
Find Tangchi, find Taiwan
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