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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

New Book Documents Penghu Village Life, Featuring Local Cuisine

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • National Cheng Kung University's History Department has published a new book, 'Chronicles of Villages 5: Penghu Baisha Cikang Village - Sea Persimmons, Deities, and Coastal Extensions.'
  • The book is the fifth in a series documenting local Taiwanese villages, with this volume focusing on Cikang Village in Penghu's Baisha Township.
  • A book launch event was held in Cikang Village, featuring a presentation of the book and a tasting of preserved sea persimmon dishes.

A new book, 'Chronicles of Villages 5: Penghu Baisha Cikang Village - Sea Persimmons, Deities, and Coastal Extensions,' has been officially released, marking the latest publication from the History Department of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The book, which officially launched on June 1, is the fifth in the 'Chronicles of Villages' series, a project that delves into the specific cultural and historical narratives of Taiwanese villages.

This particular volume focuses on Cikang Village in Baisha Township, Penghu County. The 'Chronicles of Villages' series originated from a micro-credit course at NCKU's History Department, where students and faculty collaborated with local authors. The project aims to capture the essence of local life through immersive fieldwork and detailed documentation, presenting the results in a format accessible to the public.

How should a village be written to make it three-dimensional?

— Hsieh Shih-yuanDescribing the core question guiding the 'Chronicles of Villages' book series.

The first official book launch event took place on June 6 in Cikang Village itself, drawing support from local officials, including Penghu Culture Bureau Director Chen Yu-yun. The series, conceptualized by Professor Hsieh Shih-yuan's team at NCKU's History Department, began in 2022 and has previously covered locations such as Matsu, Beimen in Tainan, and Minzu Village in Chiayi.

Professor Hsieh emphasized the project's goal of writing about villages in a way that makes them 'three-dimensional.' He highlighted the importance of using the language of the local people to tell their stories, ensuring the narratives are deeply rooted in the local context. The Cikang Village launch also included a tasting of preserved sea persimmon dishes and the announcement of a 'Cikang Summer Walking Tour' to further engage the public with the book's content and the village's heritage.

The most important thing learned in the field is that you must use the language that locals understand to tell local stories, so that the stories are close to the local context.

— Hsieh Shih-yuanExplaining the methodology and importance of local engagement in the book project.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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