1. 吉安桐花小旅行

1. A Tung Blossom excursion at Ji’an

　　每年4-5月間，正逢農作休閒期間，也是年度桐花盛開季節，配合桐花盛開，以崇祖感恩之心，將客家人重視山林與土地的精神，藉由活動與祭祀的方式，辦理桐花祭活動。吉安鄉的桐花主要在花蓮林區南華工作站，園區內近百株桐花樹，每年四月份左右開始盛開，在春夏交替之際就可以看到數百株桐花綻放，形成美麗五月雪景象，賞桐之旅即成為每年3至5月最熱門的旅遊行程之一。而雪白景象令人陶醉在花雨之中，也是吉安鄉春季的一大盛事。

　　Between April and May, it is the fallow period and the annual Tung blossom season. Through various activities and ancestor worship at the time of the blooming of Tung flowers, people hold Tung Blossom Festival to commemorate and venerate the spirits of deceased ancestors and to demonstrate the Hakka spirit of valuing forests, mountains, and land. The Tung flowers at Ji’an are located mainly at Nanhua Workstation in Hualien Forest District. Nearly a hundred Tung Trees start to blossom in April. The blossom of hundreds of Tung flowers between spring and summer forms a beautiful scene of snow in May. Thus, an excursion to enjoy the sight of Tung flowers from March to May becomes one of the most popular travel itineraries. In addition, the snow-white scene is intoxicating; the fallen flowers, like rain contribute to a big event at Ji’an in spring.

　　2023年的「桐遊吉安風情-踏尋故事開始的秘境」即將於三月底正式開始。故事就從桐花紛飛開始，今年桐花小旅行從南華森林園區為起點，由專業導遊帶路，走入初音山下的過往風華，因為有著豐沛水力資源，吉安從日治時期即是稻米農作的重要產區，至今潺潺水圳可見當年繁榮景象。興盛的水稻文化，勾勒出富饒農村景象，也帶動水牛研究，因此至今仍保留相當難得的水牛完整基因密碼。初音山的故事還有一段歷經八十多年的種畜繁殖場，吉安有一座馬場，而且是極具歷史價值的種畜繁殖研究單位，不僅如此，種畜場宿舍群依然保存著日式生活樣貌，娓娓道來這一段故事，原來吉安深藏著諸多精彩，等著我們一一發掘。

　　“Traveling Together to the Tung Blossom at Ji’an and Looking for the Local Customs: Visiting the Secret Place for the Beginning of the Story” in 2023 will commence at the end of March. The story starts with Tung flowers flying in the air. The Tung blossom excursion this year begins from the Nanhua Forest District. Professional tour guides will lead you down to the glorious past of Chuying Mountain. Because of its abundant water resources, Ji’an has been an important area for rice production, and today you can imagine the prosperous past from the system of canals and irrigation ditches. The thriving culture of rice growing outlines the rich rural scene and brings about research on water buffalos. Thus, a complete, rare genetic code of water buffalos is still preserved at this place. The stories of Chuying Mountain also include that of an animal propagation station that has existed for more than eighty years. The stud farm at Ji’an is a research unit for animal propagation that has great historical value. In addition, the dorms at the animal propagation station still retain the appearances of the Japanese lifestyle and tell us a story. Apparently, a lot of amazement still lies deeply at Ji’an and waits for us to discover one by one.

2. 吉野村的森本咖啡園

2. Morimoto Coffee Farm at Yoshino Village

　　打開移民村時代吉野村的相片，看到的大多是水稻田、蔗田、菸草作物的景觀，然而台大數位典藏資料庫中，卻看到有標記著「花蓮港廳吉野村宮前山腳地四年生咖啡」及「森本元三郎氏農場咖啡」的照片。出處是總督府殖產局，1929年的影像。

　　Opening the photo album of Yoshino Village during the period of the Japanese immigration villages, you can see mostly the view of the farms of rice, sugarcane, and tobacco. However, in National Taiwan University digital archives, we can see the pictures marked with “The quadrennial coffee from Miyamae Mountain Foot, Yoshino Village, Karenkō Prefecture” and “The coffee from the farm of Mr. Motosaburo Morimoto.” They originated from the photos of the Bureau of Productive Industries, Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan, in 1929.

　　從上述的資訊已經可以得知，這個咖啡園應該就在宮前聚落，今日的慶豐村及太昌村附近，從灣生日本人戰後繪製的住宅地圖，可看到宮前聚落中確實有森本這姓氏的住家，位在今日吉安國中附近。而照片中的山腳旁的咖啡，透過歷史航拍及山勢地景的比對，推測有可能是在今日中山路四段的盡頭，太昌村日光步道入口附近。

　　From the information mentioned above, we can learn that this coffee farm might be based at the Miyamae Settlement, which is near the Qingfeng Village and Taichang Village nowadays. From the residential map drawn by the Wansei (Taiwanese-born Japanese during the Japanese imperial rule in Taiwan) after the WWII, we can see that people whose surname was Morimoto took up residence in the Miyamae Settlement, located near the Ji’an Junior High School nowadays. Moreover, by comparing the historical aerial photographs and the mountain ranges and the landscape, the coffee farm beside the mountain foot in the photo might be at the end of Sec. 4, Zhongshan Rd. nowadays, around the entrance of the Nikko trail at Taichang Village.

　　數十年過去，吉安鄉也快速的都市化發展，農作品除了稻米之外，也多了韭菜、龍鬚菜、芋頭的招牌農特產。不知道當年吉野村生產的咖啡味道如何？是否還有機會在吉安鄉見到在地種植的咖啡豆呢？

　　As the decades passed, Ji’an was also affected by the rapid development of urbanization. In addition to rice, Chinese leeks, the gracilaria, and taros were all became the signature produce. How was the smell of the coffee produced at Yoshino Village at that time? Do we still have the chance to see coffee beans being planted once again at Ji’an?

3. 吉野牧場_從騎牛改乘馬

3. Yoshino Farm: from bull riding to horse riding

　　根據2002年吉安鄉志的記載：吉安鄉的畜牧業始於大正九年(1920)，吉野村産業組合在此開設「吉野牧場」。牧場面積三五九甲，專責牛隻的培育繁殖，當時牧有牛隻407頭。爾後又創立「臺灣總督府花蓮港種馬所」，將當時臺灣東部的畜牧生產資源及人力全部投入，專為生產軍用馬匹。光復後，政府將「種馬所」改為「種畜場」，從事豬、牛、雞等民生物資生產。1976年花蓮區農業改良場畜牧課，撥屬台灣省畜產試驗所，正式改稱為「台灣省畜產試驗所花蓮種畜繁殖場」。時值今日，歷經多次改组的花蓮種畜繁殖場，仍以其專業知識，持續推廣家畜家禽的繁殖，及飼養與育種改良等工作，以利地方畜牧業的發展。

　　According to the annals of Ji’an in 2002, the animal husbandry at Ji’an started in the ninth year of the Taishō era (1920), and the industry group at Yoshino Village established the “Yoshino Farm” here. The farm, set in 345 hectares, was responsible for the breeding of cattle. There were 407 cows and bulls at that time. Later on, it established “Hualien Harbor Stallion Station, Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan.” All the production and human resources from animal husbandry in eastern Taiwan were put to breed military horses. After the Retrocession, the government turned the “horse breeding farm” into “livestock breeding farm” to produce staples like swine, cattle, and poultry. In 1976, The Agricultural Research and Extension Station in Hualien District became a part of Taiwan Livestock Research Institute, and officially renamed as Hualien Animal Propagation Station, Taiwan.” Up to now, after several times of reformation, Hualien Animal Propagation Station still manages to feed and breed livestock and poultry and to promote their propagation with its professional knowledge in order to benefit the development of local husbandry.

　　這段文字中，有個疑點，為何光復後是將「種馬所」改為「種畜場」，那原本那些牛隻呢？又，「臺灣總督府花蓮港種馬所」又是何時創立的呢？根據清水半平的《吉野村回顧錄》，有段「從騎牛改乘馬」的敘述，原本吉野牧場是以改良品種為目的，從印度引進「幸得」與「印度」兩種牛種，並將其作為耕種、食用兩用牛。昭和九年(1934)某日，總督府把清水半平找去，要求產業組合在此生產軍用馬並給予相關優惠條件。回憶錄中提到馬匹一年生產一頭，數年後全村到處都是馬，每傍晚回家時，來來往往都是馬，有如現代的汽車。後來這些馬在中國中南部戰場非常活躍，軍用馬、運貨用馬都是來是吉野。

　　It is confusing that the “horse breeding farm” was changed into “livestock breeding farm.” Then what about the cattle that were originally there? When was Hualien Harbor Stallion Station established? In Hampei Shimizu’s Memoir of Yoshino Village, we can find an account of “from bull riding to horse riding.” The Yoshino Farm was originally for genetic modification. It imported two species of cattle, “Xing De” and “Indian,” from India, so that they could be both edible and suitable for farming. One day in the ninth year of the Shōwa era (1934), the Government of Taiwan talked to Hampei Shimizu and asked the industry group to raise military horses here and provide special offers for him. In the memoir, Hampei Shimizu mentions that each horse bore one foal a year, and after years of breeding, the whole village was full of horses. When people went home in the evening, horses came and went, just like cars in the modern world. Later on, these horses from Yoshino were all very active for military usage and transportation in the war field in southeastern China.

　　那牛隻呢？清水半平的回憶錄中則提到昭和十五年、十六年(1940、1941)，牛隻就全部供給海軍食用，牧場專門養馬。這就是光復後牧場變成「種馬所」的主要原因吧！

　　What about cattle? Hampei Shimizu mentions in the memoir that in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of the Shōwa era (1940, 1941), cattle were all served to the navy as food, and the farm was particularly for horse raising. This is probably the main reason why the farm was transformed into a “horse breeding farm” after the Retrocession.

文字與圖片轉載自郭俊麟，「踏溯吉安」Facebook社團｜Texts and pictures are from Chun-lin Kuo’s Facebook club “A Stroll at Ji’an”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1251508029092820

譯者｜Translator：英美語文學系 楊禹婕｜Kate Yang, Department of English