Anticipated by friends of all ages every year, the Agricultural Workshop took place from February 22 to 23, and encompassed agricultural knowledge classes, environmental education, ecological observation, rice food experiences, and family camping, among other activities.
The Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center (THCDC) said that the 2-day, 1-night cunˊ kiˇ sii tienˇ Overnight Ecomuseum enjoyed huge popularity and the activity became fully booked in a short moment. The diverse and extensive courses had a storyteller relate the life of rice in a vivid and entertaining way. Attendants then got to make treats using rice with their own hands, as children were taken to play games on the mud at the fields, relishing the most direct contact with the earth. Ecological observation excursions at night led attendants in search for nocturnal insects, frogs, and even owls.
Furthermore, white rice has been planted at the Liugdui Park in the past, but this year, it was decided that glutinous rice (Taikeng glutinous 3) should be cultivated, to teach people about the most important ingredient in various traditional Hakka rice dishes, such as rice dumplings, glutinous rice balls, glutinous rice cakes, savory rice dumplings, sweet rice wine, and rice cakes! In addition, the Liugdui Park has collaborated with the Pingtung Distillery, Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation in recent years to launch the Liugdui Hakka ˇhoˋjiuˋ (cooking wine), a shared accomplishment of cooperation with surrounding businesses.
Manual transplanting of rice seedlings—the main act of cunˊ kiˇ sii tienˇ—saw the participation of over 150 people of all ages, including participants of the entire 2-day 1-night event and attendants for the day. Traditional rice planting leaves no time for lazing around. From prayers to the land god Bag-Gung to instructions on the seedling planting process by local farmers, adults and children alike were able to immerse in the culture and come out of the experience with valuable insights. This also taught them about the unique custom of communal work in Hakka villages. After finishing their tasks, they were refreshed by a sweet grass jelly soup with glutinous rice balls to reward themselves for the tough farm work. Attendants also became closer with Hakka culture by learning some simple Hakka phrases as part of the instructions for the farming experience.
