Cultural History

Fong Tian in the Japanese Colonial Period

San-Ben tribe of Fong Tian Village, 1913 Photo source: Niu Li Community Association, Hua Lian County
Because Fong Tian was a fertile plain, this area was chosen as the model Japanese immigration village. In 1912 the Japanese built their immigration village in Fong Tian. At that time, Fong Tian was administratively divided into three sub-regions, or tribes. They were Da-Li, Zhong-Li, San-Ben and Shan-Xia. In 1917 (the 6th year of the Da Zheng period) it was estimated that there was a population of 912 people, living in 180 households. The administrative center was set up in Zhong Li (today's Fong-Li Village). At around that same time, community services and organizations were established. These include Fong-Li Elementary School, and all the necessary administrative units, such as the Immigration Guidance Office, clinics, police stations and the Bu Jiao Suo (like a Japanese temple). Back then, this was a Japanese village, so all the residents were Japanese. They intended to live separate from all the local people in that area at the time. Thus, those Hakka immigrants from Taiwan's Xin Zhu and Miao Li areas, as well as some Min Nan immigrants from Fujian Province in China who were living nearby could continue to live there, but only outside the immigrant villages. The non-Japanese tended to live in the poor houses on the lands alongside the Hua Lian River.

Fong Tian after Taiwan's freedom

Hakka family the grandmother wearing a typical Hakka blue shirt. (Photo offered by Yin Xiu-E. Photographer: Liang Zhao-Nan. Photo source: Niu Li Community Association, Hua Lian County)
When Taiwan gained it's own autonomy after the Japanese government left, Hakka immigrants officially moved into the Fong Tian Village. There were also people from the A-Mei aboriginal tribe and from other provinces of mainland China. This made Fong Tian a very culturally diverse area for the time. The livelihood of the residents was based on farming, and they developed a typical farm society. Nowadays, the Fong Tian area includes Fong-Shan, Fong-Li and Fong-Ping villages. It's still diverse, with 80% of the residents of Hakka background. In recent years, Fong Tian has transformed its traditional farming industry" growing rice, corn and sugar" into mixed agricultural and aquaculture industry. Cultured clams from this area are a well-known thriving aquaculture business.

Bull cart in 1970s. Photo offered by Zhong Fa-Wang; Photo Restoration: Liang Zhao-Nan. Photo source: Niu Li Community Association, Hua Lian County
Today, most residents in Fong Tian immigrated here in the last 80 years. Why did they choose to live here? There are two reasons. One is the flood of August 7, 1959. Almost all of western Taiwan's rich farmland was flooded. Farmers looked for new land, and moved to this area. The second reason was the mining of jade. Like the gold rush in the USA, during the 1960's and 1970's, lots of people crowded into this area to mine jade after Fong Tian jade was discovered.

Miners' dormitory, 1969 Left: Mr. Cai Wan-Yi. Right: Mr. Cai Wan-Zhi, Mr. Cai Wan-Yi's father.(Photo source: Mr. Cai Wan-Yi; photographed by Liang Shao Nan, Photo source: Niu Li Community Association, Hua Lian County)
"There were over 30 taxies around the area, doing their business taking guests up and down the mountain. Whatever the rock you picked then could be a jade stone", according to the local people Mr. Chang. A couple from I-Lan came to here to collect jade 20 years ago said, "The jade stones were mined and carried by miners to a specific site, and then carried down the mountain by a cable car. Each piece of rock was worth more several 100 thousands NT dollars or even over one million NT dollars. And the people at that time were very rich." But the oil crisis impacted global economy. At the same time product quantity from jade mines was in decline, and the whole business around jade mining started its decline. Thereafter, people began moving out of this area, movie theaters shut down, the taxi business they were so proud of shrunk, and again Fong Tian returned to its agricultural lifestyle.

The Fong Tian area has its present look thanks to it's unique history, including the Japanese government's impact, the "August 7 flood" and 3 waves of immigration influx brought by the mining of jade. Each of these had its day. The Japanese left. The jade mining faded. And now, the only things left are the memories of the elders, the dilapidated theaters, the Japanese style Bi Lian temple, other Japanese architecture and of course, the distinguished Fong Tian jade.

Group photo of Mr. Cai Wan-Yi and miners at the entrance of mine, 2001 Left: Mr. Cai Wan-Yi. Right: Mr. Cai Wan-Zhi, Mr. Cai Wan-Yi's father.(Photo source: Mr. Cai Wan-Yi; photographed by Liang Shao Nan, Photo source: Niu Li Community Association, Hua Lian County)
Today the entire population in the three villages of the Fong Tian area is 5,223. Most (70%) are Hakka people, the second group is Min Nan people (mostly from Fu Jian Province, China). There are also some other minorit from A-Mei aboriginal tribe and other provinces of mainland China (source: http://www.shoufeng.gov.tw/). Administrative and educational institutes in Fong Tian area are basically complete, including one junior high, two elementary schools, one model kindergarten, a branch of Farmer's Association, a branch of Post Office, police stations, irrigation association and so on.

 
The story of the name Fong Tian Natural Environment