The Significance of Pig in Taiwanese Society and Culture

• Main Authors: Pang-Yen Chang, 張邦彥
• Other Authors: Mau-Thai Chen,Ph.D.
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70450154590153681459

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 台灣文化及語言文學研究所在職進修碩士班 === 99 === In the four hundred years of aboriginal society, pigs were offered to Gods as sacrifice. The hunting of wild pig was one of the rituals of adulthood in tribal culture. At primal period of Han people’s immigration, pigs were mainly used as sacrifice as well, because the period of Taiwan was rich in the sika deer, is major source of meat. However, after Han people exploited and destroyed the food chain, the sika deer vanished gradually. The pig farming became popular in order to make up the food chain. During the Japanese colonial era, there was a report of pig farming worldwide in 1932. Taiwan ranked number four with 356pigs/per1000 people (Denmark 1361/1000, USA 486/1000, Canada 454/1000.) On the other hand, Taiwan jumped to number one in terms of pigs/farming square miles. The “closeness” between people and pigs in this small island. The pork industry can be divided into three periods: first, localization of Chinese pig (the Ching dynasty, before 1895); second, localization of the interbred (the Japanese colonial era, 1895~1946); third, three new breeds and the Taiwanese black pig (the Republic of China, 1946~). There are lots of jokes, slangs, riddles and even songs about pork industry. We will discuss the comprehensive wisdom of them in chapter three. Besides, some of the terms which are no longer in use, such as “pipe meat”,”shred meat”,”double layers meat” and new terms such as ”matsusaka pork steak” will be demonstrated in picture. In the past days, people believed that heart is good for heart and kidney good for kidney. We collect secret clinical recipes from field investigation as well as recorded documents for reference with no guaranty of their effects. However, some are experimentally proved effective: shampoo with pork gall will keep hair black and shining. We also discuss the issues of why the pork farmers used to be exploited by the butchers and how the heavy tax incurred stealthy butchery. How the personified character ”chu- ba-jieh (one character of Journey to the West ) ” became protector in the red light districts is an interesting topic as well. “Khan-ti-ko” – the mating director was indispensible in pork farming, but was disdained most of the time. In 1960’s, he enjoyed respect and popularity for a while. The development of artificial insemination and the foot and mouse disease in 1980’s actually put the profession to an end. Pig, sweet potato, and Taiwanese Han people are all immigrants. They have shared their lives in this island for four hundred years. Here are sayings about their rough and persevering destiny. A potato in earth is not dead, it grows in vine and leaves instead. A pig bow to the knife, more pigs still alive. Everything prospers in Taiwan, hybrid sage comes one by one.