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‘Brightness – The Stream Never Stops Flowing: The Familial Story of Liudui and Longjian’

     This book defines the three connotations of ‘culture’ through anthropology, and describes changes in Liudui Longjian (rice mill) and the labor and life of Longjian families (practitioners) from three aspects including material technology, social ethics and spiritual beliefs. Through the rise and fall of Longjian, the book explored the local culture and social situation involved in the economic changes of rice mills in Liudui.

    The economics of fruit orchards have overwhelmingly replaced that of rice and become the main body of the current agricultural landscape in Hakka villages in Pingtung Plains. In contrast, at the same time, Youdui as located in the north of Liudui has experienced a ‘delayed shift’ in its rice industry through the fight for monopoly tobacco crops, thereby generated a ‘cultural insulation’ effect indirectly.

‘Brightness – The Stream Never Stops Flowing: The Familial Story of Hsingchunqin and Longjian’

      The protagonist, Lizhen, aged 28, is reminiscing everything she went through from when she was still small on the eve of her wedding. In the three months of preparation for the wedding, from the thunderstorms in the summer afternoon, the bowl of pork blood soup on the dining table, the scenery of the plain after the autumn harvest, to photos of the family trip… everything reminds her of the historical memory of the family.

    The life of her great-grandfather, born at the end of the Qing Dynasty, marks beginning of the flourishing family history. From small traders to grocery stores and even in curlews; the curlew set up by her grandfather harvests paddies from Pingtung Plain every winter year after year. Her father inherited the fire curlew when the Taiwanese society is under the transition from Japanese rule to the post-WWII historical wave. With his familiarity and passion for machinery, the family’s fire curlew headed for expansion, collection of public grain, and consistent management. However, with the implementation of agricultural policy reforms, the area for rice planation declined by year, and the earned profits were no longer able to offset the expanses of plantation. Her father started to consider thoughts of whether he should continue the business of rice harvesting.

    As the youngest daughter of the family, Lizhen only learned of many stories from the mouths of her grandmother, father, mother or sisters. Before forming her new family, she wants to do something for the family, leaving something for the agricultural business of the land. As the end of her wedding video draws near, her reminiscing comes to an end. This is when a new chapter for the family begins with the thoughts and decisions of Lizhen…

Directed by: Hakka Affairs Council
Party of Issuance: Hakka Culture Development Center, Hakka Affairs Council

Issuance address: No.6, Tongke South Road, Jiouhu Village, Tongluo Township, Miaoli County

Tel.: (037)985-558

Issued by: Jin-liang, He

Administrative Execution: Chang-cheng, Wu, Mei-li, Yang

Reviewed by: Shao-heng, Huang, Mei-ying, Wu

Written by: Hsing-lan, Hung ‘Brightness – The Stream Never Stops Flowing: The Familial Story of Liudui and Longjian’

Written by: Yu-hwa, Tung ‘Brightness – The Stream Never Stops Flowing: The Familial Story of Hsingchunqin and Longjian’

Illustrated by: Hsiang-jun, Wang ‘Brightness – The Stream Never Stops Flowing: The Familial Story of Hsingchunqin and Longjian’

Executive Editor: Ling-hsiu, Su

Art Editor: Mei-rong, Song

Photographer: Hsiao-ching, Hsu, Hsing-lan, Hung

Administrative Assistant: Shi-jie, Kuo

Party of Execution: Graduate Institute of Hakka Culture, National Kaohsiung Normal University

Date of Issuance: June, 2017  First edition

Cost of Book/Works (fixed price): NTD $400

GPN：1010600806、1010600807
ISBN：978-986-05-2717-9、978-986-05-2718-6