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 ancient houses have been fully utilized by the Erkan Village Settlement Association, developing into various small exhibition halls with local cultural characteristics, such as the Common People's Life Museum, Intertidal Zone Museum, Community Museum, Chinese Medicine Museum, Children's Toy Museum, and Ballad Museum. Upon entering Erkan, the most eye-catching sight is the walls of the ancient houses adorned with self-created ballads from local residents, which describe snippets of life or convey romantic feelings between men and women. Try reciting them in Minnan (Hokkien) for a guaranteed dose of fun. When hungry, head to the local store for some "Turen Cake" and "Pumpkin Cake," and quench your thirst with a cup of authentic almond tea. Inside the quaint residential homes, listening to the elderly grandmothers sing traditional ballads in their purest form, or engaging in impromptu duet performances can be both creative and entertaining. Around the late Ming Dynasty, Mr. Chen Yan-yi crossed the sea from Kinmen to Penghu, landing at present-day Dachi Village. After settling down at the foot of Guishan Mountain south of Zhuwan, he engaged in agricultural and fishing activities. After starting a family and seeing his household grow, he decided to move to Erkan near Zhuwan. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, it gradually developed into a settlement. After the First Sino-Japanese War, traditional livelihood activities were no longer sufficient, forcing many young people to leave their hometown to work in Taiwan, leading to the gradual decline of the village. The Chen family's ancient house is the representative choice among the ancient houses in Erkan. Built in 1910, it was expanded by brothers Chen Ling and Chen Bang, who became wealthy running a Chinese medicine business in Tainan and returned home to renovate their original house, bringing glory to their family. The luxurious layout of the "Three-Section Big House" is the only one of its kind in Penghu and is currently listed as a county-designated ancient site. The master builder who designed and constructed the house was only about 29 years old and came from Chidong Village. Observing the architectural details of the Chen family house, the overall design, paintings, and beams are quite creative, with the wood carvings, mosaic tiles, and stone carvings being elegant and vivid. The layout features a design that gradually becomes more secluded from the outside in, following traditional residential construction techniques while ensuring safety, making it a representative work of architecture that blends Eastern and Western styles. A star-spotting location in the Erkan traditional settlement features children earnestly learning to write spring couplets inside the Chen family ancient house, with kids running through the traditional ancient house settlement while holding red kites with the characters "Ji" and "Xiang." In the vast Erkan grassland, they run joyfully together with the swaying kites, as the festive red of the New Year flits through the historical alleys of the ancient houses, harmoniously accompanied by the song "Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow." Does it ring a bell? Yes! In 2001, McDonald's filmed an advertisement in Erkan, filled with the flavor of the New Year festivities. The expansive grassland featured in the music video "Continuing Affection" by Golden Melody Award-winning singer A-Yuan was also shot in Erkan. Additionally, her "Penghu Love Song" music video begins with the ballad sung by Grandmother Yang Ah-Song from Erkan, featuring a unique melody in Minnan, singing – "Sending you to Taiwan at eighteen, our eyes red, tears as heavy as a pound, falling down to the ground." This leads the listeners to feel as if the emotions of parting at that time are still in front of them, with the transmission of ballads carrying a nostalgic flavor.
Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area
Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area
