Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area Introduction
Erkan Village was designated as the first traditional settlement preservation area in Taiwan by the Ministry of the Interior in 2001. In recent years, the restored historic houses have been fully utilized by the Erkan Village Settlement Association, developing into various small exhibition halls featuring local cultural characteristics, such as the Common People's Life Hall, Intertidal Zone Hall, Community Museum, Herbal Medicine Hall, Toy Museum, and Ballad Hall. Upon entering Erkan, the most eye-catching sight is the walls of historic houses adorned with self-created ballads from local residents, describing everyday life or expressing romantic feelings in the Southern Min language, which is sure to be entertaining to attempt. When hungry, one can visit the grocery store to enjoy "Tuirin Cake" and "Golden Pumpkin Cake," and when thirsty, sip a cup of authentic almond milk. Inside the quaint historic residences, listen to the elderly grandmothers sing the original ballads, or engage in spontaneous duets that are full of creativity and enjoyment. Around the late Ming Dynasty, Mr. Chen Yan-yi crossed the sea from Kinmen to Penghu, landing at present-day Dachi Village, and engaged in agriculture and fishing at the foot of Guishan Mountain on the southern side of Zhuwan. After starting a family, and as the family grew, he decided to settle in Erkan near Zhuwan. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, it gradually developed into a settlement. After the First Sino-Japanese War, traditional livelihoods became insufficient, forcing many young people to leave home for work in Taiwan, leading to the village's gradual decline. The Chen family’s ancient house is the representative example of Erkan's historic houses, built in 1910 by Chen Ling and his brother Chen Bang, who became wealthy operating a Chinese medicine business in Tainan and returned home to expand the existing ancient house. The luxurious layout of the "Sanluo Big House" is unique in Penghu and has now been designated as a county-level historic site. The master who designed and constructed the historic house was only about 29 years old at the time and came from Chidong Village. Observing the architectural details of the Chen family house, the overall construction and decorations, including carvings, tile paintings, and stone carvings, are rich in creativity, elegant, and vivid. The internal design, gradually becoming more private from the outside, follows the traditional construction methods of residential houses, ensuring safety and representing a blend of local and Western architectural styles. In the Erkan traditional settlement, children inside the Chen family ancient house are diligently practicing writing Spring Festival couplets, while others run through the traditional village with red "good fortune" and "happiness" kites. In the vast grasslands of Erkan, children run along with the swaying kites, and the festive red colors intermingle with the historic lanes of ancient houses, harmonized by the background song "Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow," creating a picturesque scene. Do you remember? Yes! In 2001, a "McDonald's" advertisement was filmed in Erkan, full of festive atmosphere. The expansive grasslands featured in the music video of Golden Melody Award winner Janiva's "Continuing Fate" were also in Erkan. Additionally, her "Penghu Love Song" music video was filmed in Erkan, which opens with a ballad sung by Grandma Yang A-Song, featuring a unique melody sung in Southern Min - "Eighteen sends you to Taiwan, your eyes red and mine too, tears heavy as a pound, falling to the ground." This leads listeners, evoking the emotions of parting as if right in front of their eyes, and the rendition of ballads carries a nostalgic flavor.
Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area
Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area
