Xiao Men Cai Zhai Introduction
Walking along the trails of Xiaomen Islet, one can see the local characteristics of Penghu, including the stone guardians used for warding off bad spirits. You can also observe the unique agricultural cultural landscape of the Penghu Islands – "vegetable houses," also known as "宅內" or "圍仔," which utilize stone walls for protection against wind and to shield crops in the fields. Most vegetable houses are constructed from locally sourced volcanic stones, while in areas with abundant water, some use bamboo as windbreaks. The construction method of vegetable houses is quite special, where basalt and volcanic stones are sun-dried to remove impurities. During assembly, large stones are used as the foundation and smaller stones as fill, without the aid of cement or lime; the angular shapes of the stones interlock to form a sturdy windbreak wall. This construction method, while appearing rough, can withstand the strong northeasterly monsoon winds. In spring and summer, the crops grown inside the vegetable houses mainly include pumpkins, Penghu cucumbers, and Penghu beans; in autumn and winter, they are primarily planted with cabbage, tomatoes, and chrysanthemum greens. Besides seasonal vegetables, the main crop cultivated is sweet potatoes, locally referred to as "zai mu." However, this technique requires a long time to master, and due to the difficulty of sourcing materials, this traditional craft is slowly fading away. Nowadays, modern vegetable houses are often built using different materials.