Outlook Magazine / Let Jiaxian’s locals teach you: Relax without letting go, and embrace the experience of courage

Text by Zhu Yizhen | Photography by Dong Xuguan

After a bumpy ride, a purple-yam-colored steel bridge came into view. This is the Jiaxian Bridge, dazzling with colorful neon lights at night, as depicted in the movie *Pulling a River*, on the night when the Jiaxian Elementary School tug-of-war team returned to Jiaxian after winning second place in the national tug-of-war competition.

“Welcome homecomers!” Several local Jiaxian residents bounced excitedly at the bridgehead, holding up cardboard signs that read “Welcome Homecomers,” just like the parents and neighbors in the movie who gathered to welcome the tug-of-war team back.

Having lived in the city for too long, we were somewhat unaccustomed to such warmth. Fortunately, the awkwardness of meeting strangers melted away instantly in their unrestrained smiles. Seeing our confusion, Chen Jingzhong (Ah Zhong), the head of the Jiaxian Love Hometown Association and leader of the group, explained that anyone willing to come to Jiaxian and live among them—even if only for a day or two—is considered a Jiaxian local.

We felt warmly moved inside. So this was how the children had felt back then. Ah Zhong is now not only the protagonist of the movie but also the owner of the Taro Ice Shop, and serves as the head of the Jiaxian Love Hometown Association, carrying a strong sense of mission to revive Jiaxian’s tourism.

Experience making a ball of taro ice
Only by relaxing can resilience grow

“Come, come, come to Jiaxian—taro ice is your first welcome gift,” Ah Zhong called out. Along with his shop, there are three taro ice shops at this crossroads at the western entrance of the South Cross-Island Highway. Before Typhoon Morakot, regardless of weekdays or holidays, the place was bustling with people, tour buses coming one after another, generating a “pass-by economy” of 2.5 million NT dollars a month. It’s a stark contrast to the few elderly locals wearing straw hats and a few dogs leisurely crossing the street today.

“Wow, so delicious!” a young girl traveling with us exclaimed. It’s even creamier than the imported ice cream that costs 100 NT per scoop in Taipei.

The secret lies in the taro. Due to Jiaxian’s limited flat land, mountainous terrain, and soft soil, the taro grown here has a higher starch content than elsewhere. The higher the starch content, the better the chewiness and aroma. Just simmer it over low heat, and the fragrance will naturally come out.

To make the taro ice chewy, manual stirring (locally called “beating the ice”) is essential. The longer you beat it to whip in air, the chewier it becomes.

Isn’t this similar to the resilience and never-give-up spirit of the Jiaxian people? After Typhoon Morakot, Jiaxian grew taro using land-friendly methods—no pesticides or chemical fertilizers—and irrigated with unpolluted water from the Nanzixian River. Even though they’re all areca-heart taros, those from Jiaxian are uniquely fragrant, chewy, and soft. Taro used to be the most famous attraction for visitors to Jiaxian, but now it’s overshadowed by the fame of the Jiaxian Elementary School tug-of-war team.

Tug-of-war together, experience together
Don’t let go easily when there is hope

“One, two, pull—One, two, pull!” The scenes of the Jiaxian Elementary School tug-of-war team matches in the movie are the main thread running through *Pulling a River*. Children averaging just 12 years old practiced tug-of-war using tires and tree trunks, all determined to “bring glory to Jiaxian.” Watching adults in the audience quietly wiped away tears—many did so because of these kids.

The Jiaxian Love Hometown Association, which is working hard to develop new tourism opportunities for Jiaxian, gained the support of the school and coaches to include tug-of-war as a key part of immersive travel in Jiaxian. Travelers to Jiaxian can now experience tug-of-war and even have the chance to compete against the Jiaxian Elementary School tug-of-war team.

Coach Zhang Yonghao of the tug-of-war team showed up driving the same iron-gray car from the movie. A few kids who, in the film, used tug-of-war to lift the spirits of adults hopped out of the car. “This is Yu-Jing, that’s Rou-Wan; oh, Yan-Ting has grown up!” everyone chattered, as if seeing movie stars.

“Lower your center of gravity, step your left foot forward firmly, and lean your body backward,” the kids patiently acted as little tug-of-war coaches. Though a bit shy about being recognized—let alone asked for autographs or photos—they handled it all gracefully. “I think it’s great if we can get more people to come to Jiaxian and get to know it,” said the thoughtful Yu-Jing.

In a tug-of-war match between a Taipei team and the Jiaxian tug-of-war team, the thick hemp rope went back and forth. Three minutes later, the Taipei team gave up and collapsed to the ground. Indeed, brute strength alone isn’t enough for tug-of-war—you need to exert force at the right time to win, and you must never overlook the power of “attacking after a fall.”

The tug-of-war experience during our travels taught us a lesson about life through the thick hemp rope: as long as there is hope, hold on tightly to the rope and don’t give up easily. A fall may actually be the prelude to an attack.

Making guava packages with new immigrant moms
When you put in courage, life gains value

After eating taro and experiencing tug-of-war, the new immigrant moms from the movie *Pulling a River* became the third highlight of a Jiaxian trip.

In the movie, Lorna, a Filipino mom who was rushed to the delivery room to give birth, has now regained her slender figure. She and Wen-Xiang, a Cambodian mom who has been married to a Taiwanese man for 14 years, are inseparable best friends. Both feel deeply committed to Jiaxian, and whenever they hear about visitors, they show up to serve as guides whenever they can.

Their way of “guiding” is special: they take visitors to guava orchards to experience farming. Lorna skillfully hands out straw hats, plastic sheeting, and plastic bags, then announces, “Today, we’re going to wrap guavas.”

Learning to wrap guavas with Lorna, you realize every small movement—from selecting the guava, putting on plastic sheeting, bagging it, and even tying the knot—is a matter of skill. Otherwise, 50 days later during harvest, the guava could be doomed to be discarded and never become one of the handsome or beautiful ones that make it to Taipei.

Wen-Xiang and Lorna are now experts at growing guavas in Jiaxian. Wen-Xiang has even become the team leader at the guava packing facility.

The guava harvest season keeps them busy from morning to night, with an average of 200 crates (each weighing 20 kilograms) shipped out daily. Yet neither of them has ever complained. Typhoon Morakot destroyed Wen-Xiang’s guava orchard, and the 700+ guava trees replanted afterward took three years to finally bear fruit. Gazing at the orchard, Wen-Xiang unconsciously reveals a motherly smile of satisfaction—this warm smile in the bright sun radiates perseverance and resilience.

Farming experiences during the trip taught us another life lesson from the new immigrant moms: as long as you have courage and refuse to give up, everyone can create endless possibilities.

Kaohsiung Bus:
Zuoying HSR Station → Qishan Transfer Station (every 30 minutes)
→ Jiaxian (every hour)

By car:
From Kaohsiung City, take National Highway 10 via Qishan to Jiaxian,
Approximately 1.5 hours’ drive

1. There is a large temperature difference between day and night in the mountains; it is recommended to bring sun protection and a light jacket.
2. There are many mosquitoes in the mountains; please prepare mosquito repellent.

Jiaxian Tug-of-War Mini-Tour

Jiaxian Hometown Love Association
07-6754099

Fashion Travel Agency
02-25162260

[This article is excerpted from CommonWealth Magazine October issue; for more articles, please visitCommonWealth Magazine Online]
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