Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area Introduction
Erkan Village was designated by the Ministry of the Interior as the first traditional settlement preservation area in Taiwan in 2001. In recent years, the restored ancient houses have been utilized by the Erkan Village Settlement Association to develop into small exhibition halls with local cultural characteristics, including the Common Life Museum, Intertidal Zone Museum, Community Museum, Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum, Toy Museum, and Ballad Museum. Upon entering Erkan, the most eye-catching sight is the walls of the ancient houses adorned with ballads created by local residents, describing snippets of life or expressing love through the lens of Minnan culture. Try reciting them in Minnan; it's guaranteed to be entertaining. When you're hungry, stop by the local store for "Turen Cake" or "Pumpkin Cake," and quench your thirst with a cup of authentic almond tea. Inside the charming ancient homes, listen to the elderly grandmothers singing traditional ballads, or enjoy impromptu duets among a few people; the creative exchanges are captivating and endlessly delightful. Around the end of the Ming Dynasty, Mr. Chen Yan-yi crossed the sea from Kinmen to Penghu, landing at what is now Dachi Village and engaging in farming and fishing at the foot of Guishan, south of Zhuwan. After establishing a family and as the family members gradually increased, they decided to move and settle near Erkan. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, it gradually developed into a settlement. After the First Sino-Japanese War, traditional livelihoods were insufficient for sustenance, leading many young people to leave their hometowns to work in Taiwan, causing the village to decline. The Chen family's ancient house is the representative selection of Erkan's ancient houses, built in 1910 by brothers Chen Ling and Chen Bang, who moved to Tainan to operate a traditional Chinese medicine business, returned home to expand the original house, thus bringing prestige to the family. The luxurious layout of the "Three-Fall House" is a unique ancient house in Penghu and is currently designated as a county historic site. The master who designed and constructed the house was only around 29 years old at the time and came from Chidong Village. Observing the architectural details of the Chen House, the overall structure, paintings, and beams are highly creative, with elegant and lively wood carvings, tile paintings, and stone carvings. The design features a gradually intimate layout from the outside to the inside, following traditional residential construction methods while ensuring safety, making it a representative work of the integration of Chinese and Western architecture in the area. In the traditional settlement of Erkan, children are seriously learning to write Spring Festival couplets inside the Chen family ancient house, while others carrying red "Fortune" and "Auspicious" kites weave in and out of the traditional ancient houses. In the large grassland of Erkan, they run together with the swaying kites, and the festive red of the New Year flits through the historical alleys of ancient houses. Accompanied by the song "Walking on Snow to Seek Plum Blossoms," it creates a harmoniously picturesque scene. Does it ring a bell? Yes! In 2001, a McDonald's advertisement was filmed in Erkan, filled with the rich atmosphere of the holiday season. The expansive grassland featured in the music video of Grammy-winning singer A-Mei's "Continuation" was shot in Erkan as well, along with her "Penghu Love Song" MV, which opens with a ballad sung by Grandma Yang A-song from Erkan. With its distinct melody, it sings in Minnan: "Eighteen sending you to Taiwan, your eyes red, mine also red, a tear weighing a pound, dripping onto the earth." This leads the audience, evoking the bittersweet feelings of parting that seem to come alive, with the ballad's transmission bringing a unique nostalgic flavor.
Erkan Traditional Settlement Preservation Area
Erkan Traditional Settlement Conservation Area
