TUBA Church (基國派老教堂)

Note: As of September 2019, the Tuba Church is closed and a gate has been constructed to block access to the church for both the local indigenous community and tourists alike.

The period of closure is currently unknown due to a land dispute with the land owner holding the local community hostage for the price of $10,000,00NT.

Until the church reopens to the public, I’ll leave this notice here. If you are planning on visiting the area, make sure to check local news to see if it’s reopened or now.

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How many tourist spots in Taiwan designated by the Ministry of Culture (文化部) as one of the ‘Top 100 Historical Spots’ in the country and are empty on a Sunday afternoon? How many of them are a western-style church? I'm not counting, but I think it is safe to say that this one might be the only one and despite what it lacks in size and panache, this little church in the mountains is pretty cool. 

The TUBA church (基國派老教堂) is a small church nestled in the mountains of Taoyuan county and was built by the Indigenous people living in the area as a place to worship. The church no longer holds services and a more modern and larger version has been built next to the original, yet the original church holds special meaning for the people living in the area and is a well-preserved historical building. 

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It was was constructed by the Atayal people (泰雅族) in 1963 as a place for the people of the remote TUBA tribe (基國派) to worship. The tribe built the church with their own hands using stones that were carried one-by-one from the nearby Sanmin Batcave (三民蝙蝠洞.) 

The church was used between 1963 and 1992, but ultimately became too small for the growing population of the tribe.  After moving to the newer church, the original wasn’t used or maintained and fell into a bit of disarray. The community however realized the cultural value of the old church and decided to restore it to its original state. Today the church stands in its original spot and is celebrated as a monument to the preservation and cultivation of Atayal culture and history and is now recognized by the government as a national historical monument. 

If you find yourself between Daxi and Fuxing someday, turn left off the main road when you see the sign for the Sanmin Batcave and check out this old church nestled in the mountains. Its not very large and you don’t need much time to see it, but it really is quite remote as far as things go in Taiwan and the mountainous landscape around the church is quite nice. 

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots) 

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Taiwanese Opera (歌仔戲)

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I don't go on rants on my blog very often, but here we go - 

When you think of things that are uniquely Taiwanese, what comes to mind? Night markets? Bubble tea? Stinky tofu? 

I ask this because when most of us think of things that are “Taiwanese”, the first thing that comes to mind is usually food. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing - Taiwan is without a doubt a world-famous food-crazed country, but what else could we present to people coming to Taiwan as something that you can only see here?  

I would argue that an excellent example of something that you will only find here is the native theatrical opera which has evolved over the years into an important part of the cultural identity of the country. 

There are some people however who insist that the Taiwanese opera is actually not "Taiwanese” at all and constantly refer to it as the "Chinese opera" to fit their own specific narratives. 

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So here’s an analogy for you: In Canada, the earliest Europeans who arrived a few centuries ago came from the United Kingdom or France. I wonder if any of these people would use this knowledge to accuse me of not being Canadian? Would they say that because my country has influences of British or French culture that we are in fact not Canadian at all? Would they say that maple syrup or our love affair with hockey aren't actually Canadian at all? I highly doubt it. 

When it comes to the Taiwanese opera, I don’t think I have to make silly analogies to really prove that the opera is uniquely “Taiwanese”, but due to the precarious situation of Taiwanese-sovereignty this causes some people to have the inability to grasp the concept that the people living here, much like the people living in Canada have formed their own unique identity and cultural institutions that differentiate them from the land where their ancestors hailed from.

With our collective human history, I wonder if we can we truly argue that, just because something has “influences” from another land that it cannot really be a unique and celebrated aspect of another culture? 

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Roadside Opera (路邊歌仔戲)

So, let me talk about the origins of the Taiwanese opera and try to shed a bit of light upon why it is 100% Taiwanese.

It would be silly not to start out by mentioning that China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and despite the reality of the situation (Taiwan being an independent, free and democratic country), the PRC’s claim also includes more than just sovereignty over the land, but also things like Bubble Tea and the Taiwanese opera as their very own. 

Taking that into consideration, you might hear people say that since 'Taiwan is actually a part of China', then of course Taiwanese opera is "Chinese." The actual reality of the situation however is completely different and if are living here you should know full well that this is not the case. Taiwan is not a part of China and the People's Republic of China has never held sovereignty over the island or its people. 

I suppose the next argument you will see from most of these naysayers is that the Taiwanese opera is influenced by the folk-tales of southern Fujian Province (福建省) in China, which is one of the areas where the early immigrants who came to Taiwan originated. 

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Please don't disrespect my culture

If your opinion is thus solely based on literature coming out of China, or because the settlers who came to Taiwan centuries ago were “Chinese”, then I would argue that it would be best for you to stop reading propaganda and make an effort to actually attend a performance of a Taiwanese opera troupe and then also one of Taiwan’s various Peking Opera troupes which regularly performs in Taipei so that you can see with your eyes the differences between the two. 

One of the most important differences is that the opera here is performed entirely in the Taiwanese language (台語) rather than in Mandarin. A difference in language is probably not enough to prove my argument though, especially since the people I'm ranting about likely speak neither Mandarin nor Taiwanese. 

It would be extremely difficult for them to fully understand the poetic complexities and word play of the Taiwanese opera as opposed to styles found in China - but the visual aspects and differences between the two should be more than enough for even the most uninitiated to notice.

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Historically, the first recorded instance of any form of opera being performed in Taiwan was in 1624 - From that time on several performance styles and forms of singing and acting were brought to Taiwan by immigrants from various regions of China. The people living here at the time took these various styles and combined them to form their own opera and opera troupes began forming around the country in order to offer some entertainment to the mainly agrarian population. 

The Taiwanese opera that we know today originated in what is now Yilan County (宜蘭縣) and while early performances used folk stories from Fujian province, the opera quickly evolved and started using folk-songs and stories that were set in Taiwan and dealt with the sometimes harsh nature of living in the country at the time. These stories have helped to not only preserve historical events on the island, but also act an important educational tool about the cultural heritage of the island.

While the development of the uniquely Taiwanese-style opera is interesting, the history of the opera has been one of survival and adaptation that has seen its popularity rise and decline due to social transformations in the country (Ex: Japanese colonialism, WW2, The Chinese Nationalist takeover and a modern entertainment industry to compete with.)

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At the height of its popularity, the opera was performed both on stages inside and outside, as well as on the radio, in movies and on television. One of the main reasons why the opera has been able to survive is due to its ability to adapt and modernize - Which I would argue is an area where the Peking Opera (and its rigid system of rules) has fallen behind when it comes to appealing to modern audiences. 

The resurgence of the opera over the last decade is also in part due to the success and hard work of the world famous Ming Hua Yuan Opera Troupe (明華園總團) which is well known for combining intricate performances with modern technology and has made the opera more appealing and accessible to younger Taiwanese as well as promoting Taiwanese culture and art to the global community. 

The photos I’m sharing today are not from Ming Hua Yuan, but a small travelling Opera troupe that performs on the roadside during temple festivals or whenever anyone contracts our their services. The cool thing about living in Taiwan, and one of the major differences between this country and China is that it is quite common to see these amazing performances on the road or at temples during festivals.

The opera troupe performing in these shots is the “Hong Ming Opera Troupe” (鴻明歌劇團) which performed a few different operas for a very small audience outside of Keelung’s Lao Da Gong Temple (老大公廟) which I was visiting in order to get shots of the Ghost Gate before Ghost Month finished up. 

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Roadside opera performances are quite common in Taiwan and while the actors are performing out of a makeshift stage (that they pack up each and every day) they put on excellent live performances with music performed by an in-house band and are always free of charge (or paid for by local temples.) 

The Taiwanese opera doesn't rely on high-flying acrobats or high-pitched singing voices like its Chinese counterparts - Performances are often quite laid back and rely on short Haiku-like sentences of five or six words, facial expressions, hand gestures and the imagination of the audience. 

If you take away all the modern technology and the radio and television performances, the modern opera continues to be grounded in its grassroots origins and is still faithful to the stories about the simplicity of early life on the island for the immigrants. This simplicity is what continues to make the opera endearing to Taiwanese people and is also indicative of both the history of the country and the cultural identity of the people living here. 

The precarious nature of the political situation of this country can be solved another day, but the question as to whether or not the Taiwanese opera is uniquely Taiwanese shouldn't be up for debate by anyone both inside or outside of the country. 

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I would hope that through this rant, that the people will look at the Taiwanese opera in a different light and respect the people in this country who formed their own style of traditional entertainment and have kept it alive through hard work and dedication. 

I will be shooting Ming Hua Yuan, Taiwan's most famous opera troupe next month, so expect some more shots of these great actors and actresses and some more promotion of this important part of Taiwan's culture. 

I'm embedding a Youtube video below that explains a bit of the origins of the Taiwanese opera in English and Chinese (with subtitles) and talks a little about the differences between Taiwan's native opera and that of the opera in that other country. 

As always, if you have any questions, comments or criticisms, please comment below or get in touch with me through the contact section on the menu below. 

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The Pigs of God (義民節殺豬公)

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Ghost Month (鬼月 or 中元節) is a month long festival that takes place in Taiwan during the lunar month of July (August on the western calendar) and is probably the most confusing times of the year for expats and tourists in the country. Ghost Month is a festival steeped in ancient tradition, culture and religion and even understanding the basics of the holiday can be a bit difficult for the average person living here. 

The festival starts on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar. It opens with the ritual opening of the ‘ghost gate’ or the 'gates of hell' (鬼門) at the Laoda temple (老大公廟) in the port city of Keelung.

When the gate opens, ghosts escape and wander freely around the country for the month. During this period of time it is superstitious for people in Taiwan to wander around alone at night, go swimming, get married, move to a new house, open a business, hang laundry outside, wear red (ghosts like red), sing songs or whistle, etc. etc. etc. 

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One of the Three Princes (三太子)

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One of the Three Princes (三太子)

It is important that people do their best not to disturb the (easily irritated) ‘hungry ghosts’ which are wandering around the country. Instead families should prepare offerings of food, alcohol and of course burn ghost money so that the ghosts have their fill and get enough money to live comfortably in the underworld. 

During Ghost Month there are different rituals held on specific days, but what I'm going to focus on today is a specific ritual practiced by the Hakka (客家) people in Taiwan called the Pigs of God Festival (中元普渡殺豬公).

There are various festivals with Pigs of God held throughout the year in Taiwan and even though they're all somewhat similar, the one I'm talking about today is the one held during Ghost Month. 

So what is the Pigs of God festival? To put it briefly, it is a cultural and religious event in Taiwan that involves animal sacrifice and growing a pig to a size of extremely unhealthy proportions in order to offer it to the gods and of course, during Ghost Month, to the ghosts wandering around Taiwan. 

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Bringing the Pigs of God into the Temple grounds. 

This Pigs of God festival has become a controversial one over the past few years with many arguing that Taiwan has become a modern country and this sort of practice should not continue while others argue that it is a traditional aspect of Hakka culture and therefore it should be preserved.

The pigs in question are raised on farms and contests are held throughout the year to see who can raise the largest. The winner this year was 1682 "Taiwangrams" (台斤) which (if my calculations are correct) is 1009 kilograms. (Taiwangrams is a crappy translation).

I'm not sure how large a typical pig grows, but I'm sure it's not anywhere close to that size.

The pigs are raised in a way that they are constantly overfed which ultimately makes them immobile and forces them to just lay there in their room until the time comes for them to be sacrificed. This lifestyle is extremely unhealthy for the animals as they develop painful bed sores and often suffer from organ failure. 

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A Taiwanese woman checking out the "winning" pig. 

This festival still attracts crowds of people each year, but it has started to lose its appeal in larger cities and animal rights activists consistently point out the unnecessary suffering that it causes these animals.

Coincidentally this sort of activity is actually illegal in Taiwan yet the government fails to enforce laws when it comes to this kind of thing as they are afraid of the backlash they'd receive. 

Evidence of this inaction is that the festival was used by local politicians (looking to be elected in the elections in January 2016) to get out and mingle with common folk and to take part in these carnival-style temple festivals.

While walking around I saw several legislators and politicians from all the major parties making the rounds and showing their reluctance to actually make a positive change. 

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The second place winner.

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Third place

This year I attended the Pigs of God sacrifice ritual at the local Yimin Temple (義民廟), a popular multi-religious Hakka temple in Ping Chen City (平鎮市) I arrived earlier than the Pig Gods (they're not slaughtered in public any longer) and had a chance to shoot some of the preparations and talk to the temple chief who seemed more like a successful politician than a religious leader. 

When the Pigs of God arrived there was a lot of fanfare including taiko drummers, fire crackers and traditional Chinese music being played on deafening horns. The Pigs of God arrived in vehicles that were retrofitted in an ostentatious religious fashion that would be ‘appropriate’ for transporting the animal sacrifices or a disco party. 

Typically at least three Pigs of God are brought to the temple after being paraded around the city and they represent the first (特等), second (壹等) and third prize in terms of weight. The largest pig is placed in the middle and gets the most attention from onlookers while the other two are on either side. The pigs are shaved and their skin is painted white and black; The dagger used to kill the pig is jammed into its back and pineapples are placed in their mouths as their skin is spread out and put on display with ribbons and flowers draped around it. 

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I have no words for this. 

It is believed that the fatter the pig the more blessings people will receive from the gods so over the last few decades people have come up with more ‘efficient’ and essentially cruel ways to submit the largest pig possible to the gods. During Ghost Month the pigs are put on display and their meat is offered to the ghosts as a sacrifice. When the ghosts have had their fill, the meat is butchered on site and passed out to the people who took part in the event. 

As if sacrificing the The Pigs of God wasn't enough, other animals have the unfortunate luck to be sacrificed to the gods as well. This year there were a stuffed ostrich and several skinned goats (wearing sunglasses and smoking cigarettes) which were brought in to accompany the pigs.

While speaking with the temple chief I mentioned that it was the first time I had seen an ostrich at the festival. He laughed and said every year is different and sometimes they even have crocodiles. He went on telling a long story about the importance of each animal in mixed Mandarin and Hakka (forgetting that I was a foreigner) and I just smiled and nodded.

I didn't stick around for the whole night this time around, but just to explain some of the entertainment that was going on around the festival, there was a Taiwanese opera troupe performing off to the side, there was a stage set up for later in the evening where middle-aged ladies dressed in skimpy clothes would sing and dance, a Three Prince (三太子) dance and a night market was set up selling traditional night market fare on the street next to the temple.

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The Three Princes taking a break 

The entire festival has a carnival-like atmosphere and for most people, I'm sure it is easy to forget that there are massive dead pigs on display.  

The whole thing is a bit surreal and even though there is a lot of strange and almost unbelievable things happening, it is still a rather interesting event to take in while visiting Taiwan. I would obviously much prefer that the Pigs of God weren't real animals who lived a life of tremendous suffering and cruelty before being slaughtered, but as far as culture goes, I suppose we have to respect it despite our objections.

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Say "Cheese!" 

Things are changing in Taiwan and young people are no longer amused by this type of activity. Animal rights activists can take solace in the fact that because of their hard work certain aspects of this festival will be either phased out or completely replaced.

If you are genuinely interested in experiencing the festival, then by all means attend one and check it out. If you are squeamish or have a dislike for extreme noise pollution, it isn't the best place for you. 

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An altar set up where fireworks will be set off at midnight

I haven't included the full set of photos in the gallery below so if you are interested, click the Flickr link to be brought to the high res set off-site. As always, if you have any questions, comments or complaints, don't be shy and comment below!

Update: Check out Part Two to the Pigs of God

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)