Chapter 16 Section 4 Unique Folk Sports

Taiwan's folk sports activities are rich and varied. Although most of them originate from the mainland, they are unique in style and full of zest for life. In the southern provinces of my country, there is a custom of dragon boat racing on the "Dragon Boat Festival" (the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar). According to legend, this activity is to commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet in the Warring States Period, and it is still loved by people of all ethnic groups in our country.It is also popular in Taiwan. Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival (Taiwan people call the Dragon Boat Festival "May Festival"), from north to south, all the places near rivers and seas will hold grand dragon boat races, commonly known as "dragon boat picking".

It is the same dragon boat race, but Taiwan has many unique features: as early as more than a month before the race, all parts of Taiwan have begun to create the atmosphere of the competition. On the first day of April, the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, and the first day of May in the lunar calendar, there will be three "preparation dragon boat drums" , telling people: the annual "Dragon Boat Picking" season is coming again, everyone should prepare early, so Taiwan has a proverb "May Festival, Dragon Boat Drum"; ", to discuss specific matters related to dragon boat picking.Taiwan's dragon boats are generally more than five feet long and made of camphor wood. The central part is four and a half feet wide and one and a half feet high. The sides are painted with dragon scales, with gorgeous colors and exquisite structures.The bow of the boat is decorated with a red triangular dragon tongue flag, and the stern has a seven-foot-long red pennant with the words "Shuixian Zunwang" and the name of the competition unit.Some dragon boats are also built with various archways, which are very spectacular.The shape of the Taiwan dragon boat is also special: the "dragon head" of the Jiangnan dragon boat is high, the "dragon neck" is long and high, and the hull is in the shape of "Y", while the "dragon head" of the Taiwan dragon boat is forward, without a long neck standing up. The tail of the neck is just slightly raised; moreover, the Taiwanese dragon boat has to hold a "dotting the eyes" ceremony before it is launched into the water.It is said that this custom originated from the story of Zhang Sengyou, a famous painter in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, who "painted the finishing touches": Once Zhang Sengyou painted four lifelike dragons on the wall of Anle Temple in Jinling (now Nanjing), but he has always refused to put eyes on the dragons.He said that if you click on the eyes, the dragon will fly away.Everyone laughed dumbfounded after hearing this, thinking it was nonsense, but who knew that after he touched the eyes of two of the dragons with a pen, the two dragons really shook their heads and swayed, and flew away.Therefore, after the Taiwan dragon boat is built, it is never done immediately, lest it really fly away, and the dragon boat race will fail!The dragon boat race in Lukang is even more special. Before the race, a "Dragon King Sacrifice" will be held, and the participating dragon boats will be transported to the square of Longshan Temple. Please bring out the statue of the Dragon King, cover the dragon's eyes with a piece of red color, and hang a "magic lamp" on the dragon's horn. , Wreaths And Cake Rings.Then burn incense and worship.The drums, gongs, oars, rudders and other competition equipment on the dragon boat should also be pasted with "magic charms" one by one; finally, firecrackers were set off, the statue of the dragon king and the dragon boat were carried, and the ancient "Song of the Dragon King" was sung, and the festival was performed on the streets of the city. After a mighty parade, merchants and people along the street burned incense and worshiped, watching the excitement. After the ceremony, the competition officially started.

Taiwan's dragon boat grilling has the most local characteristics in Erlong Village, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County. The participants in the competition are villagers from two neighboring villages with the surnames Lai and Lin.Although there are many matches, the winner has never been determined. The reason is that they do not have referees.However, as long as one side feels that the momentum of the start of the stroke has not been grasped well, they will not play the gong, so the competition often lasts for an hour without a round; moreover, there is no referee at the finish line to capture the flag. Unless the strength is too disparate, there is no conclusion as to who will grab the flag first.Therefore, the villagers of these two villages consider themselves "champions" every year.Although there are only more than 160 households in Shang and Xia Erlong villages, it is said that this kind of competition has a history of more than 190 years.The villagers of Erlong Village firmly believe that the dragon boat has a dragon god, and if it is lost, it will bring bad luck.For the sake of safety, both the upper and lower villages worked very hard during the competition, determined to win.Moreover, they believed that if there were no competitions, there would definitely be problems in the village that year, and people would definitely drown in the Erlong River.That's why the competition is extremely fierce. It is said that in the past, there were six consecutive days of competition, but now it has been shortened to only one day.At that time, water lanterns will be set off and troupes will be invited to perform peace plays, which will be very lively.

The custom of dragon boat picking in Taiwan began in the 29th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1764). The then Taiwanese prefect Jiang Yuanshu presided over the competition in the Banyue Pool of Fahua Temple in Tainan.What is rare is that under the old feudal custom of "men are superior to women" at that time, most of the participants in the competition were women, so the event was unprecedentedly grand and had a great influence.However, women are never allowed to participate in the dragon boat races in Erlong Village, Yilan, because they believe that there is a "dragon god", so women are not even allowed to get close to the dragon boat.From this point of view, it cannot but be said that the "Prefect Jiang" more than 200 years ago was quite enlightened.

"Swinging" is the most characteristic sports activity in Taiwan. Every leap year, on the sixth day of the third month of the lunar calendar, the birthday of "Xuantian God" in Wudang Mountain, Chiayi City will hold a large-scale event.The swing used is made of huge thorny bamboo.Three days before the first day of the first month of every leap year, strong men are sent to Zhuqi and Meishan to cut down huge thorny bamboos. The bamboo required is more than 12 meters long and 40 centimeters thick. The bamboo is at least 10 years old. It is hand-built and piled. It is about 2 meters high and about 13 meters high, which is equivalent to the height of a four-story building; the main frame is tied with horizontal brackets, forming a "Bagua Wuji" shape; bamboo poles are used as suspension cables for the swing, and the frame is 1 meter high from the ground. If you don't have a considerable sports foundation, I'm afraid you won't even be able to get on the pedals.The competition was held on the afternoon of the sixth day of March. It was divided into two groups of individuals and groups, and each group was divided into three levels: teenagers, middle-aged and seniors according to different ages.Regardless of the time, the one with the highest swing wins.On weekdays, anyone can hang out on the shelves.On the day of the competition, there are huge crowds of people around the arena, people hold their breaths, tens of thousands of eyes are staring nervously at the people hanging on the swing frame, swinging higher and higher, sometimes the audience is silent, there is silence, and sometimes applause There were thunderous cheers everywhere, and it was very lively.

According to legend, the Taiwan swing competition began in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty more than 200 years ago.At that time, the plague was prevalent in the Chiayi area, and Taiwanese people worshiped Xuantian God one after another, praying for disaster relief and blessings. Sure enough, the plague stopped soon.In order to appreciate the blessing of the gods, the people decided to perform performances to entertain the gods after offering sacrifices to the gods, but they couldn't think of a good idea for a while.At this time, an eunuch saw his daughter swinging on a swing, so he had an idea, thinking that swinging into the sky could bring people closer to God, so he proposed to hold a swing competition.Since then, it has become a custom and has been followed to this day.This competition is held every leap year in the lunar calendar.

If the above two competitions originated from festival activities, then the following three competitions originated from labor. The "tug of war" competition is related to the "net pulling" of fishermen and boatmen.The tug-of-war competition in most places in Taiwan is no different from that in mainland China, except in Lukang, Changhua.Before the competition, the organizers of the competition set dozens of empty oil barrels in the river, and put a thick long rope on it, leading to both sides of the river, and five branch ropes were separated from the two ends of the rope.There are 20 people from each side of the competition, and a group of four holds the five branch ropes and spreads them out in a fan shape. When the referee gives an order, both sides pull vigorously at the same time. The loser is often pulled by the winner on the other side of the river. "The whole line collapsed", couldn't hold back his footsteps, fell into the water "plop", "plop", and became a "drowned chicken".When this kind of scene happened, no matter who lost or won on both sides of the river, they were all laughed out loud, burst into tears, and enjoyed themselves happily.

The origin of this competition is related to the oysters transported by fishermen in the past.At that time, fishermen along the coast generally used a two-wheeled cart to load oysters during the season of harvesting oysters. A full cart of oysters was very heavy, so the fishermen erected bamboo poles on the cart, propped up the cloth sail, and used the wind to push the oysters. Heavy cart.Later, this backward mode of transportation was replaced by automobile transportation, but people kept this labor method of their ancestors as an interesting form of sports competition.This kind of competition is most popular in Lukang. During the competition, two people have a car, one person is pulling the front, and the other is pushing the back. The car is loaded with items of the same weight, and the cloth sail is inserted to run faster than which car.When the wind is down, the car runs fast; if the wind is against it, it will be hard work!This kind of competition is held every year at the Lukang "Folk Festival".

Taiwan is rich in sugar cane, so sugar cane has also become a tool for Taiwanese sports competitions.This kind of competition is mostly held during the slack season, when the fields are resting, or during festivals: before the competition, sugarcane about nine feet long, thick and straight is selected, and the roots and shoots are cut off for later use.The contestants stood on the bench, holding a cane knife in one hand and sugar cane in the other. The referee gave an order and quickly straightened the sugar cane, placed the blade horizontally on the cross-section of the sugar cane, and quickly looked for the position and timing of the knife. , When he thought he was sure, he slashed down with a "crash".If the sugarcane can be split in half from top to bottom, or the sugarcane husk can be split in half, then it is considered a victory; If you lose, let someone else do it instead.If you are not a master, it may be difficult to win.Although this kind of competition is not as exciting as dragon boat picking and swinging, it is also very exciting.

The sugarcane splitting competition also has its origins. It is said that the "invention patent" still belongs to Zheng Chenggong!When Zheng Chenggong regained Taiwan, Taiwanese sugarcane farmers joined the war one after another. Zheng Chenggong said to them: You usually cut sugarcane horizontally and obliquely, and you are already skilled enough. Why not change your knife skills and come to it. ?So sugarcane farmers began to practice vertical splitting of sugarcane every day according to Zheng Chenggong's method, which can not only entertain but also exercise eyesight, hand strength and intelligence.To commemorate Zheng Chenggong's great achievements in driving the Dutch and restoring Taiwan, sugarcane farmers in Taiwan often hold sugarcane splitting competitions, which have been passed down to this day.From this point of view, the "Splitting Sugar Cane" competition is not only derived from labor, but also has a direct relationship with the glorious history of Taiwan compatriots' struggle against aggression!

This game was developed from children's games."Daganle [laobao]" in Taiwanese dialect means "pumping top".This kind of interesting game is very old. A game similar to playing a top was popular in the court of Song Dynasty, called "playing thousands of thousands".The name "top" officially appeared in the Ming Dynasty. It is made of wood, solid and has no handle. The bottom of it is whipped with a rope, and the winner or loser is determined by the length of time the top spins.This kind of children's game has been widely spread in our country for hundreds of years. The folk custom of "playing dry music" in Taiwan has been passed down from southern Fujian.In mainland China, playing spinning top is the "patent" of children, and adults disdain to participate, but it is not the case in Taiwan.In Daxi Township, Taoyuan County, men and women, old and young, all join the battle. Even grandparents in their 60s and 70s often happily lead their grandchildren to have fun together. Taiwan spinning tops are not only made of wood, but also made of iron and plastic, colorful, large and small, and different shapes.The smallest ones are only as big as a finger, and can be played on the palm of your hand; the larger ones weigh five or ten catties, and there are even extra-large spinning tops weighing 50 catties or hundreds of catties, which are as thick as a water tank.There is also a "Spinning Top Club" in Daxi Town. Among the members, there are several "Spinning Top Kings" who can play with a giant spinning top weighing 120 catties, which is simply astonishing!To pump such a large spinning top, the hemp rope used is thicker than a thumb and weighs four to five catties.When the top is started, one end of the hemp rope is wrapped around the bottom of the top, and the other end is wrapped around the waist of the person. After running fast, the top will spin rapidly, and then whipped with the rope.If you don't have a strong physique, extraordinary arm strength and agility, such a big spinning top, not to mention "pulling", even "moving" may be a problem! The "Playing Ganle" competition has strict rules and prescribed venues.During slack seasons or holidays, groups of people can often be seen happily playing spinning tops in temples or squares in front of houses in towns and villages in Taiwan.This kind of activity can be used for both entertainment and fitness. It is really a kind of folk sports worth promoting. "Song Jiang Array" is a magnificent, magnificent, mighty and magnificent folk martial arts sports performance.It evolved from the model of Song Jiang, the heroic leader of Zhongliangshanbo, who drilled the army and arranged troops, so it was called "Songjiang formation".Fujian's Songjiang formation has a long history and was widely spread in southern Fujian. Later, many children of southern Fujian followed Zheng Chenggong to recover Taiwan, so they brought the Songjiang formation from their hometown into Taiwan and spread it in Taiwan.At that time, Zheng Chenggong's rattan soldiers practiced in this formation.Since then, it has been widely circulated among the people in Taiwan, and it is deeply loved by Taiwanese people as a means of safeguarding the safety of villages and villages and practicing martial arts. Taiwan's "Song Jiang Formation" has a maximum of 72 people, or 56 people, or 42 people, and the most common is 36 people (excluding those who play gongs and drums).It is a formation formed by thirty-six heavenly gangs and seventy-two earth evil spirits. It is a folk art formation mainly based on arranging heads and supplemented by individual martial arts.The weapons used are various, including rattan and bamboo shields, green dragon swords, single and double swords, golden hooks, long forks, eyebrow-level sticks, double axes, Ge and so on. When performing the Songjiang formation, there are various formations with various names, such as the so-called "two-person chain formation", "five-flower formation", "four-plum blossom formation", "hundred-legged centipede formation", "hornet out of the nest formation", etc. ", "Eight Diagrams Formation", "Eight Cities' Circle Formation" and the circled "Big Flower Formation", the "Saber Formation" advancing in an S-shape, and the "Pai Ba Cities Formation" composed of two "Saber Formation" Wait.Among the many formations, the "Bagua formation" is the most mysterious and complex, so it is also the most difficult to rehearse, but once rehearsed successfully, it is also the most powerful.In addition to group formations, there are individual or double performances of various singles, doubles or triples.It can be described as a comprehensive martial arts routine performance that integrates boxing, equipment, and formations.Moreover, in Taiwan, there are not only male Song Jiang Zhen, but also children Song Jiang Zhen and female Song Jiang Zhen. At present, most of the Songjiang formations are used in traditional folk festivals, especially the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival or temple fairs, to add to the lively atmosphere of festivals and celebrations.During the performance of the Song Jiang formation, the sounds of shouting, shouting and fighting of weapons are intertwined, which is very majestic and mighty.Attack, retreat, circle, and formation are orderly.Under the command and guidance of the head flag, the soldiers held all kinds of weapons and drilled majesticly, changing the formation from time to time, which made people dazzled and excited. "Basket ball game" originated from a form of courtship activity of Amis men and women.When an Amis girl goes to work in the mountains, young men who pursue her often pick oranges or betel nuts and throw them into her back basket to show their admiration.Later, residents of the Han nationality found it interesting, followed suit and spread, and evolved into a kind of sports activity for festive festivals.The participants are all unmarried young people. During the competition, there are two teams of men and women. Each of the women's team carries a basket, and each of the men's team holds a certain number of small "balls" (betel nuts, oranges, sandbags, table tennis, etc. are all acceptable). ), line up about 5 meters behind the women's team.After the call to the competition was issued, the women's team ran forward while singing, while the men's team chased after them and threw small "balls" into the women's back basket.Later, the gameplay changed again: the participants are still divided into two teams, but not necessarily divided into male and female teams, and can also be mixed. One person runs forward with a basket on his back (male or female), and both teams chase behind. The team with the most baskets wins (the two teams have different "balls").This activity is very popular in Taitung and Hualien. It is full of fun and youthful vitality, and is very popular among young men and women. There are still many healthy and lively folk sports activities in Taiwan, such as shuttlecock kicking and kite flying, all of which are full of strong local flavor and interest in life.