Ripples in the Shihguei Settlement
Society
Deeply cultivation of the Huweixi River Basin-Taliwu Plain Fluorescence Project
National Formosa University
Shihguei, the earliest and most prosperous settlement in Dounan township, has a reclamation history that can be traced back to the Ming Zheng Dynasty three to four hundred years ago. “The Chronicle of Yunlin County” also records that the settlement was the second most populous village in Taliwu with roughly 250 households and 1,218 men. Due to its inherent geographical advantages as well as the progress in water conservancy facilities and infrastructure, the Shihguei village was among the most productive agricultural producers. The abundance of local products and agriculture in conjunction with the town’s location on the land route connecting the north to the south secured commercial success for the town.
In the heyday of Shihguei street, there were not only theaters, taverns, traditional Chinese pharmacies, hotels, but also popsicle vendors, pork butcher stands, and other businesses. Perhaps the most well-known product of Shihguei was the straw cape which was in high demand during the Japanese colonial period. Seizing the opportunity, the entire village mobilized and invested in the production of these capes, ultimately becoming responsible for producing more than half of the straw capes in Taiwan. However, with the changes in the social environment as well as the invention of lightweight raincoats, the Shihguei village could no longer rely on the sales of the obsolete straw cape. Similarly, the relocation of most of the population left the Shihguei village in decline.
The Shihguei settlement exists in the present-day Jingxing, Shihguei, and Shixi villages. Upon visiting, the prosperous and busy streets of old are instead quiet and unoccupied; seniors and elders can be seen amongst a blend of both timeworn and newly built houses. Some of these older, more historic buildings are unoccupied and on the verge of collapse. However, Shihguei, a village that has seemingly lost its vitality, still retains countless cultural assets such as cypress rice milling machines in operation for over 70 years old, century-old houses, remnants of the straw cape industry, as well as the savory Hakka rice cake and the traditional soy sauce that have been passed down across generations.
In efforts for Shihguei to retain its cultural traditions and for the village to regain its past memories, The National Formosa University launched the “Delving Deep into the Huwei River Basin-Spotlight on the Taliwu Plains” project in 2020 with Shihguei in the Dounan Township as the focal point. In addition to cooperating with the local community to initiate dialogue, the Professors of the NFU College of Applied Arts and Sciences are collaborating with the senior residents of Shihguei to lead students to on-site inspections for students to deeply understand the local culture and traditions of the village. Through community visits, problem-solving based learning, first-hand observations, interviews, and experiences, students began to come to the realization that the culture of Shihguei can be found amongst the seasoned lanes and alleyways. Through this project, the College of Applied Arts and Sciences hopes to inspire students' creativity and to empower them to tackle real-world problems.
The team spans faculty and students from the Departments of Biotechnology, Multimedia Design, Leisure and Recreation, and Applied Foreign Languages. In accordance with the spirit of University Social Responsibility, we have utilized numerous workshops, community empowerment, and cultural activities in the past six months to promote the cultural exchanges and the mutual understanding between our team and the Shihguei locals. The team often performs on-site inspections and consults the senior and elderly Shihguei residents for mutual learning and to plan the sustainable development of the Shihguei community. However, the team faces an important challenge of maintaining public dialogue and interaction after the events. After several months of searching and deliberating, the team found an idle old house on Siwei road to help tackle this challenge and to better understand the Shihguei culture. With the approval and support of homeowner Mr. Chibin Shen, the team renovated the defective old house filled with wastes into an exhibition space named, "Shihguei Shop." In addition to the renovation of the house, the team, along with the assistance of locals, designed and completed a public art exhibition on the walls close to the shop which features the namesake of Shihguei — clay plates resembling the appearance of turtles.
The Shihguei Shop not only serves as an exhibition of the six months of combined efforts of both the team and the Shihguei residents, but it also serves as a platform to display and promote the local culture and enables the outside world to learn about its rich history. The Shihguei Shop, a place overflowing with culture and creativity, also aspires to become a beacon of sustainable development and a center for both community gatherings and outsider visitations. The team hopes for Shihguei Shop, a house that was on the verge of collapse, transformed into an exhibition center, to become the turning point for the now isolated and quiet Shihguei settlement to once again create ripples in the world.
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