Taoyuan

The Pigs of God (義民節殺豬公)

Ghost Month (鬼月 or 中元節) is a month long festival that takes place in Taiwan during the lunar month of July (August on the western calendar) and is probably the most confusing times of the year for expats and tourists in the country. Ghost Month is a festival steeped in ancient tradition, culture and religion and even understanding the basics of the holiday can be a bit difficult for the average person living here. 

The festival starts on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar. It opens with the ritual opening of the ‘ghost gate’ or the 'gates of hell' (鬼門) at the Laoda temple (老大公廟) in the port city of Keelung.

When the gate opens, ghosts escape and wander freely around the country for the month. During this period of time it is superstitious for people in Taiwan to wander around alone at night, go swimming, get married, move to a new house, open a business, hang laundry outside, wear red (ghosts like red), sing songs or whistle, etc. etc. etc. 

One of the Three Princes (三太子)

One of the Three Princes (三太子)

It is important that people do their best not to disturb the (easily irritated) ‘hungry ghosts’ which are wandering around the country. Instead families should prepare offerings of food, alcohol and of course burn ghost money so that the ghosts have their fill and get enough money to live comfortably in the underworld. 

During Ghost Month there are different rituals held on specific days, but what I'm going to focus on today is a specific ritual practiced by the Hakka (客家) people in Taiwan called the Pigs of God Festival (中元普渡殺豬公).

There are various festivals with Pigs of God held throughout the year in Taiwan and even though they're all somewhat similar, the one I'm talking about today is the one held during Ghost Month. 

So what is the Pigs of God festival? To put it briefly, it is a cultural and religious event in Taiwan that involves animal sacrifice and growing a pig to a size of extremely unhealthy proportions in order to offer it to the gods and of course, during Ghost Month, to the ghosts wandering around Taiwan. 

Bringing the Pigs of God into the Temple grounds. 

This Pigs of God festival has become a controversial one over the past few years with many arguing that Taiwan has become a modern country and this sort of practice should not continue while others argue that it is a traditional aspect of Hakka culture and therefore it should be preserved.

The pigs in question are raised on farms and contests are held throughout the year to see who can raise the largest. The winner this year was 1682 "Taiwangrams" (台斤) which (if my calculations are correct) is 1009 kilograms. (Taiwangrams is a crappy translation).

I'm not sure how large a typical pig grows, but I'm sure it's not anywhere close to that size.

The pigs are raised in a way that they are constantly overfed which ultimately makes them immobile and forces them to just lay there in their room until the time comes for them to be sacrificed. This lifestyle is extremely unhealthy for the animals as they develop painful bed sores and often suffer from organ failure. 

A Taiwanese woman checking out the "winning" pig. 

This festival still attracts crowds of people each year, but it has started to lose its appeal in larger cities and animal rights activists consistently point out the unnecessary suffering that it causes these animals.

Coincidentally this sort of activity is actually illegal in Taiwan yet the government fails to enforce laws when it comes to this kind of thing as they are afraid of the backlash they'd receive. 

Evidence of this inaction is that the festival was used by local politicians (looking to be elected in the elections in January 2016) to get out and mingle with common folk and to take part in these carnival-style temple festivals.

While walking around I saw several legislators and politicians from all the major parties making the rounds and showing their reluctance to actually make a positive change. 

The second place winner.

Third place

This year I attended the Pigs of God sacrifice ritual at the local Yimin Temple (義民廟), a popular multi-religious Hakka temple in Ping Chen City (平鎮市) I arrived earlier than the Pig Gods (they're not slaughtered in public any longer) and had a chance to shoot some of the preparations and talk to the temple chief who seemed more like a successful politician than a religious leader. 

When the Pigs of God arrived there was a lot of fanfare including taiko drummers, fire crackers and traditional Chinese music being played on deafening horns. The Pigs of God arrived in vehicles that were retrofitted in an ostentatious religious fashion that would be ‘appropriate’ for transporting the animal sacrifices or a disco party. 

Typically at least three Pigs of God are brought to the temple after being paraded around the city and they represent the first (特等), second (壹等) and third prize in terms of weight. The largest pig is placed in the middle and gets the most attention from onlookers while the other two are on either side. The pigs are shaved and their skin is painted white and black; The dagger used to kill the pig is jammed into its back and pineapples are placed in their mouths as their skin is spread out and put on display with ribbons and flowers draped around it. 

I have no words for this. 

It is believed that the fatter the pig the more blessings people will receive from the gods so over the last few decades people have come up with more ‘efficient’ and essentially cruel ways to submit the largest pig possible to the gods. During Ghost Month the pigs are put on display and their meat is offered to the ghosts as a sacrifice. When the ghosts have had their fill, the meat is butchered on site and passed out to the people who took part in the event. 

As if sacrificing the The Pigs of God wasn't enough, other animals have the unfortunate luck to be sacrificed to the gods as well. This year there were a stuffed ostrich and several skinned goats (wearing sunglasses and smoking cigarettes) which were brought in to accompany the pigs.

While speaking with the temple chief I mentioned that it was the first time I had seen an ostrich at the festival. He laughed and said every year is different and sometimes they even have crocodiles. He went on telling a long story about the importance of each animal in mixed Mandarin and Hakka (forgetting that I was a foreigner) and I just smiled and nodded.

I didn't stick around for the whole night this time around, but just to explain some of the entertainment that was going on around the festival, there was a Taiwanese opera troupe performing off to the side, there was a stage set up for later in the evening where middle-aged ladies dressed in skimpy clothes would sing and dance, a Three Prince (三太子) dance and a night market was set up selling traditional night market fare on the street next to the temple.

The Three Princes taking a break 

The entire festival has a carnival-like atmosphere and for most people, I'm sure it is easy to forget that there are massive dead pigs on display.  

The whole thing is a bit surreal and even though there is a lot of strange and almost unbelievable things happening, it is still a rather interesting event to take in while visiting Taiwan. I would obviously much prefer that the Pigs of God weren't real animals who lived a life of tremendous suffering and cruelty before being slaughtered, but as far as culture goes, I suppose we have to respect it despite our objections.

Say "Cheese!" 

Things are changing in Taiwan and young people are no longer amused by this type of activity. Animal rights activists can take solace in the fact that because of their hard work certain aspects of this festival will be either phased out or completely replaced.

If you are genuinely interested in experiencing the festival, then by all means attend one and check it out. If you are squeamish or have a dislike for extreme noise pollution, it isn't the best place for you. 

An altar set up where fireworks will be set off at midnight

I haven't included the full set of photos in the gallery below so if you are interested, click the Flickr link to be brought to the high res set off-site. As always, if you have any questions, comments or complaints, don't be shy and comment below!

Update: Check out Part Two to the Pigs of God


Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

Papa's Secret Lover (阿爸の情人)

This post is for all of you who have come and gone, those of you still here and especially for those of you thinking of coming back!  

Today I want to talk about a restaurant near where I live that holds a special place in not only my heart, but all the great people who have come and gone over the years. 

If you're one of the lucky people who have spent a year or more here in Taiwan and have had the chance of visiting this place, I hope some of these shots I'm sharing will bring back some great memories and a bit of nostalgia about your life in Taiwan. 

For the rest of you, I'm about to introduce a legendary restaurant here in Zhongli - one that is held in extremely high esteem by both Taiwanese and foreigner alike!  

Papa’s Secret Lover (阿爸的情人) or "Ah Ba" is a Hakka-style restaurant in Zhongli (中壢) near the traditional market in the old part of town. The restaurant looks like it has been open for decades, it is actually hard to tell how long it has been open, but for as long as anyone can remember, Papa's has been a constant fixture of life here.  

Papa's can be busy at times, but if you are one of the many who have made Papa's part of your going-away celebrations before leaving Taiwan, you probably don't have to make reservations and they will gladly take care of the forty of fifty people you have showing up - even though there might not be seats for everyone. 

國父您好~ Sun Yet Sen must be hungry watching everyone eat. 

The décor of the restaurant is best described as a 'blast from the past' and whenever someone new walks into the restaurant they likely feel as if they just walked out of a time machine! 

Every thing you see on the walls has historical relevance and are probably all from the early to middle 1900s. There is no real order to the way things are displayed and a lot of the picture frames seem to be crooked or falling off the wall. 

There are portraits of both Sun Yat Sen (孫中山) and Chiang Kai Shek (蔣介石) on walls opposing each other and they seem to be staring each other down. Having these portraits there is quite telling of the history that the Taiwanese people have endured over the last 60 years. 

Apart from portraits of political figures, the walls are full of wedding photos - of who know one really knows - and old movie posters and advertisements. There are posters of long-forgotten celebrities from 1960s-1970s Taiwanese pop-culture. 

My favourite piece on the wall is the old painted cigarette advertisements with the modern-looking ladies in Qipao's - something straight out of Shanghai in the 1920s. 

Fresh Tea

Peanuts to start

The tables and stools always kind of feel like they're going to fall apart, but truthfully the only time I've ever seen a broken chair in that places is one of the newer plastic stools the boss bought.

The wooden tables and chairs have obviously been loyal soldiers to the owners of the restaurant and they are probably all older than I am! 

The music playing in the restaurant has been exactly the same for as long as I've been in Taiwan and without fail every time you visit, you will hear the same songs over and over again. I actually have no idea how they haven't worn out the CD or whatever it is they use to play it

The music is likely a compilation of Taiwanese-language oldies and despite not understanding any of the words, most foreigners who have been going to the restaurant can sing the lyrics by heart after they've had a few Taiwan beers. 

The atmosphere, although extremely cool in the restaurant isn't what keeps people coming back though. The food is the main reason why everyone returns time and time again.

To give an example of how awesome the food is, I've heard stories several times of people showing up to Papa's a few hours before a flight and getting some food to go in a dish for a friend back home who used to live in Taiwan. Even if the food is cold and transported across continents, it is still amazing. 

You're not likely to find Hakka cuisine as good as what you'll find at Papa's and the dishes are so consistent that they taste exactly the same today as they did when I first showed up ten years ago. They don't mess with perfection. 

Everyone has their favourite dish but as far as I'm concerned, after travelling all over Asia, I can easily say that I've never had fried tofu as awesome as what you get at Papa's and it is on the table in front of me each and every time I visit.

Other people may not agree, but the great thing about Papa's is that there aren't any dishes that aren't awesome, so when you go with friends people will always share their favourites. 

I've introduced quite a few Taiwanese friends to the restaurant and it is always a bit hilarious to see their reaction as I take them through the front door. Most of them want to turn away thinking that it is the entrance to someones home or that it is too old and dirty to actually be a restaurant. 

On anyone's first visit to the restaurant they usually sit there with wide eyes in awe of the whole experience – When the food comes out however, they immediately fall in love. The food is always described to me as 「古早味」which is best described as old-style home cooking with flavours that are not as common today as they used to be. 

Foreigners don't really appreciate the old-style flavours as much as Taiwanese people do, but what we can appreciate is that the food is amazing and the restaurant has been the site of a lot of great times and good memories over the years. 

If you haven't tried Papa’s Secret Lover yet, make sure to get yourself over here to Taoyuan to have some great food in one of the strangest restaurants you'll ever experience! 

If you're back home in North America looking at these photos, I hope they bring back some fond memories of your time in Taiwan! 

Cheers! (乾杯!)

Address: 中壢市中山路401號二樓  

2F #401 Zhongshan Rd. Zhongli City.  


- Food Shots from my iPhone - 

Kung-Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁)

Deep Fried Tofu (炸豆腐)

Ginger Intestines (薑絲大腸)

Spicy Oysters and Tofu (蔭豆辣蚵)

Papa's Stir Fry (阿爸炒)

Beef with Pickled Vegetables (酸菜牛肉)

Sweet and Sour Spareribs (糖醋排骨) 

Ginger Beef (薑絲牛肉) 

Stir Fried Clams (炒蛤仔)


Dragon Boat Races (龍舟競賽)

Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) is a traditional holiday on the Chinese calendar with an over two thousand year history. There are various origin stories that dispute how the festival began, but one thing that all the stories agree on is that they all involve aspects of virtue, honour, loyalty and love for your family and friends. (Click the link for a better description of the various origins

The festival is celebrated as a statutory holiday here in Taiwan as well as in Hong Kong, Macau and (more recently) China while the traditional aspects of the festival are also quite popular in countries where there are large Chinese-speaking communities   

The Hong Kong Tourism Bureau reinvigorated the modern races in the 1970s and since then they have become somewhat of a world-wide phenomenon transcending racial and cultural barriers!

The team captain shouting orders. 

In Taiwan, the holiday is named "Duanwu Festival" (端午節) in Mandarin rather than "Dragon Boat Festival" (龍船節) as it is more commonly known in English. This can lead to a bit of confusion about the name of the holiday as the Mandarin and English names refer to different things. Never fear though, they are the same thing and while our Taiwanese friends will always call it "Dragon Boat Festival" in English. 

To explain a bit though, "Duanwu Festival" (端午節) refers to the lunar calendar and the time of the year when the holiday takes place - Which means that the holiday falls on a different day every year.  

Duanwu (端午) refers to the time of the year when the sun is the strongest, the days are longer and summer is in full swing.

In Ancient China, they believed that the sun, much like the dragon were representative of a man and that the summer solstice was the time of the year when a man would experience the peak of his sexual prowess - so the holiday falls on an important time of the year when dudes are more prone to be doing their thing. 

These days we have viagra, so its not much of a big deal to be at your sexual peak year round! 

An all female team grabbing the flag. 

Some foreigners may get confused that the Dragon Boat races are actually only a small part of the actual holiday while other traditions tend to be more important. 

In Taiwan, the most popular activity during the holiday is probably the preparation and consumption of "zongzi" (粽子) - sticky rice and other ingredients wrapped in lotus leaf. Families will get together and prepare the treats and eat them together and also share them with friends and neighbours. 

Another popular (yet somewhat strange) activity is balancing an egg on a flat surface at a specific time of the day. If you check Facebook or Instagram on Dragon Boat festival you are likely to find quite a few people posting shots of eggs standing up with some exuberant thumbs up and happy faces! 

Most people use the holiday as a chance to get away and travel to other places around the country with their family. Traffic is always a bit crazy during the holiday and if you plan on going anywhere during the days off, it would be a good idea to book tickets or hotels early as space runs out pretty quickly. 

A triumphant return to the dock

Different counties throughout the country will sponsor Dragon Boat Races and the races attract thousands of people who crowd around to see their friends and family taking part. Local governments will also allow vendors set up offering food to visitors before ending the festival with fireworks display after the championship race. 

I've been to the races in a few places around Taiwan over the years, but my favourite race is here in Taoyuan at the Longtan Lake (龍潭大池) The lake here covers a large area and offers better facilities and more space for visitors as well as better traffic control! 

The size of the boats vary but it seems like a 14-man team is the standard in Taiwan with twelve paddlers, a steerer and a drummer (although boats in other places could have anywhere from 22 to 50 people) who practice weeks and even months in advance of the holiday to put on a good show for the spectators. 

The races here in Taoyuan take place over a period of two days with a champion being crowned on the final day before the fireworks and the closing of the festival. 

A winning boat watching their competition finish the race. 

North Americans likely view Dragon Boat races as an event that happens in summer where groups will get sponsors to take part in the race with all the money going to a specific charity. The races here take on a different role as they are a cultural even and is an important way of keeping traditional culture alive - especially for younger people who tend not to care as much about its preservation. 

Whether you're in the audience or a lucky member of a boat crew, the dragon boat races are always a great cultural event to take part in here in Taiwan and if you have the time to check out the races be sure not to miss them! 


Gallery