2008/02/16, United Daily News

TFAC

元宵

Newsletter Vol. 41

photo by vixyao@flickr

Festival is originally known as Yuanxiao A man making Yuanxiao (元宵). Lantern

in the sticky rice powder as shown in the figure.Festival. Yuanxiao is made by rolling the filling

Use certificated gas barrel and cooker and put them in a adequately ventilated

place

Stay around the cooker and watch it when it is blazing, making sure the fire

isn’t extinguished by spilt soup or the wind. Turn off the rotary switch before

going to bed, and check the rubber tube frequently.

While the gas is leaked, open the window gently and let the breeze blow away

the toxic gas. Neither ignite fire nor turn on any switch, include the electric fan

and exhaust fan.

Those who are poisoned should be move to a ventilated place, loose his/her

clothing and make he/her released. Call 119 as soon as possible, and check

sufferer’s breath status.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST

INVISIBLE KILLERPeople use natural gas more frequently in winter, a high

season for carbon monoxide poisoning and other related

accidents. TFAC would like to offer a few reminders for

the gas safety:

The most important thing to remember is using natural gas in well ventilated places.

Compared with the new courthouse on Jiankang Road in Anping, which is a modern building that looks large enough to employ half the city, the old courthouse seems antiquated and small. That wasn’t the case when the old courthouse was built. It was an immense and modern building at the time. However, time has taken its toll on the once grand structure. People have to use their imagination to see the glory of what now stands as a derelict and dilapidated building. Ugly metal support beams surround the building, holding up a metal shelter that puts a temporary delay on the decay of the building’s roof and dome. Plans to refurbish this historic site seem weighed down by the immensity of the project. Talk of an art museum has been kicking around for some time, but who knows when and if that will actually happen. While the future of this building remains uncertain, its past is clearly marked in history as a remarkable piece of architecture and as the home of one of Taiwan's darkest events.

The building was constructed by the Japanese in 1912. It pre-dates the old Tainan Prefecture Hall by four years, and it doesn’t take a trained eye to see their architectural similarities. They both have a heavy French Baroque and mannerist influences, particularly in their Mansard roofs and oeil-de-boeuf windows. But while their decorative treatment is similar, they have a very different layout. The old Tainan District Courthouse is an asymmetrical building. The eastern wing is anchored by a dome and a classical porch at its entrance, while the entrance to the western wing was highlighted by a tall tower that no longer exists. The building uses red brick walls accented with cement to create decorative patterns around the windows and doorways.

The courthouse was built on the grounds of Zheng Chenggong’s old cavalry camp, and perhaps the tumultuous clops of running horses left their echoes there, for the building is mostly remembered as the site of the turbulent trials involving theXilaian uprising. This was a rebellion against Japanese rule that began on April 9, 1915, in the nearby town of Yujing and then spread across the island. It was the largest uprising against the Japanese ever, and was put down by heavy force and massacre. Many villages were destroyed and thousands of people were killed. On August 25th of the same year, 866 people began a sixty-day trial at the Tainan District Courthouse for their involvement in the incident. All were found guilty and sentenced to death. International outrage pressured the Japanese government to reduce the number of executions to about a hundred, but the incident still stands as one of the darkest times during the Japanese rule.

The building survived WW II and the take-over by the KMT who considered demolishing it. It would later go on to become the first Japanese-era building in the city to be registered as a historic landmark. The building was in use up until 2008, but these days it sits empty. The tower has been demolished, the roof is in disrepair, and its only residents appear to be rats and cockroaches. Right now, visitors can only look from the outside and try to imagine what the building once looked like. Hopefully, the proper repairs will be completed and the building will have a new place in Tainan’s tourism industry.One thing you can see at the old Tainan District Courthouse is an old marriage license window that has been made into a small monument along the west side of the building. The dates from 1972 to 2008 mark the years of its operation and perhaps give people better memories of the building than its historical legacy under the Japanese. 19,505 marriage licenses were issued during those years.

Location: No.307 Fuqian Road (Fucian Rd. 府前路) Sec. 1, West Central District,

Written by Karl Bergman on his own blog “Tainan city guide” on October 14, 2010

The OLD TAINAN DISTRICT COURTHOUSE you don’t know

Chinese New Year Festival, Lantern Festival never sleeps

Date: 2011/2/3 ~ 2 / 17Location: Tainan Tucheng Orthodox Luerhmen Sheng Mu Miao

In order to welcome the year of the Rabbit 2011, Tucheng Orthodox Luerhmen Sheng Mu Miao specially plans series of exciting activities of the Chinese New Year Carnival. The contents include An Tai Sui for security and peace, crossing peace bridge for misfortune relief ceremony, passing under the sedan chair, folk art shows and new year toy food avenue, touching spring cattle for good fortune, old cattle cart tour in Sheng Mu Miao, hanging golden wish card, ringing the lucky bell, 3 million venture capital fund for achieving the dream, the ten thousands people parade in Lantern Festival night, and grab spring cattle activity. Expect those activities; the most anticipated is Great Beehive Fireworks and aerial fireworks show. It is worthto be expected.

2011 Yanshui Beehive Fireworks heat up Lantern Festival According to the legend, Yanshui Beehive Fireworks was originated in the Qing dynasty. During the period, diseases were spreading among Yanshui old streets, and numerous people were dying because of the serious illness. Therefore, people began to pray to Guan-Sheng-Di-Jun (a.k.a. Guangong, a religious �gure) for resolving the disaster. It happened that Guangong came out from the temple on the night of Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Festival) for an inspection in Yanshui Township in order to clean up those evil spirits, (people believed that evil spirits were the cause of the disaster) and believers followed Guangong’s God sedan going around streets and se�ing o� �reworks till the sunrise. Since then, locals would continue se�ing o� these �reworks tradition during Lantern Festival, and it eventually becomes the well-known and unique “Yanshui Beehive Fireworks.”

There is always a huge amount of tourists gathering in Yanshui waiting to witness the spectacular event during Lantern Festival, so it makes Yanshui �reworks a famous festival.

However, Yanshui �reworks are considered as a dangerous event. People who are willing to a�end to �reworks must wear co�on fabric coat and trousers, and also prepare a full-face helmet, co�on mask, and co�on towel. If you do go, please beware of your own safety, so that �reworks will not hurt you.

T F A C Tainan Foreigner Assistance Center

2F, No. 6, Sec. 2, Yonghua Rd., Tainan Cityhttp://foreigner.tainan.gov.tw/en

Hotline 1999 for Residents of TainanTFAC on facebook (clickable)