Tainan Culture
Folk Culture
Tainan City is known as the ancient capital of culture in Taiwan. A large number of ancient Han people and cultural relics are scattered throughout the city. Tainan City has a number of unique local folklore techniques and cultural activities. Due to the transformation of society and various changes in lifestyles, the folk culture has gradually declined and disappeared. Today, Tainan people hold the Temple Celebrations in the spring and autumn.
Feng Shui
People in Taiwan admire Feng Shui, and there is a fixed style for all housing layouts and sitting directions. In order to ward off evil spirits and pray for a peaceful life, all kinds of objects and totems was appeared. such as the Eight Diagrams (八卦), Peach Wood Charms Against Evil (桃符) and the Wind Lion (风狮爷), etc. These vivid and interesting objects, commonly known as " talismanic objects" (厌胜物), have already been integrated into the life of Anping residents, which is a major feature of the architectural landscape here.
However, With the changes in society, Anping's ancient lanes are gradually renovated and widened, and most of the talisman disappeared in recent years. Nowadays, only in the lanes along the Xiaozhong Street (效忠街), Zhongxing Street (中兴街) and Anbei Road (安北路), that you can still find clues about talisman.Here are several talismans in Tainan.
Wind Lion (风狮爷): The Wind Lion is a soldier who is riding a lion. It is said that the soldier is the incarnation of Chiyou (蚩尤). The Wind Lion is made from red brick or clay. It is also known as the "General of the Wa". It is also said that there are many windstorms in Taiwan, and the Wind Lion is used for calming the wind. Today, there are only a few collections in the Haishan Pavilion (海山馆), and common residences are hard to find the Wind Lion.
Beast Card (兽牌): It appears as a lion holding a sword to expel the evil spirits invaded from the front door. Therefore, it is usually placed on the threshold of the outer wall. Beast Card is the most common talisman in Anping. The material of the Beast Card is diverse, with wood carvings and clay sculptures, as well as stone carvings, bronze sculptures, paintings and other materials.
Eight Diagrams (八卦牌): It is an octagonal wooden sign with the Taiji and Eight Diagrams patterns on the surface. Eight Diagrams is generally placed on the door. It is used to ward off evil spirit and keep the people healthy and safe. It is a common talisman for the local people.
Snack Culture
Tainan City, which was the first developed city in Taiwan, is the most representative snack culture town in the whole island. The theme tourism of Taiwanese snacks and historical monuments has become an important tourist resource in the city. Tainan’s famous snacks are usually not concentrated in the night market, but in the temples with historical developments, or in the market during the Japanese occupation. These markets may be destroyed or degraded due to urban development, but in order to indicate their source of origin, some vendors will add their names in front of the products they sell. Tainan's snacks usually do not use disposable dishes, because their tablewares will be printed with their own name.
Snack
It is a series of special street food in Taiwan. It is also one of the best representatives of Taiwan's local culture which is not easy to define. You may try to make the following distinctions: in the narrow sense, it only refers to snacks originated in Taiwan, such as: pearl milk tea. In a broad sense, it can also include those who prospered and innovated in Taiwan, and can be seen everywhere, such as: Fried baozi (生煎包) ，Oyster omelet (蚵仔煎), etc. The broadest definition can include any snacks that are very popular in Taiwan, such as scallions (葱油饼), , stinky tofu (臭豆腐), etc.
Traditional Cakes
Tainan preserves the strong social customs of Han people. It pays attention to traditional science and education, wedding and funeral customs. Therefore, the traditional cake shops that make wedding cakes and festival offerings are particularly popular. There are still a number of traditional cake shops, Wanchuan (万川号), Fu Xiangzhai (富香斋), Yongruizhen (永瑞珍), are the famous shops. In addition, special products such as Anping candied fruit (安平蜜饯) and Black Bridge sausage are also popular here.
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