A beautiful future – Tobacco curing barn wafts the fragrance of wheat

Tobacco curing barns were factories built by those growing tobacco during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. Following the decline of the tobacco industry, the majority of such barns fell into a state of disrepair. Secretary-general of Beilin Community Development Association in Hualien Township, Li Mei-ling (李美玲), hopes to develop the unique characteristics of each and every tobacco curing barn in the region, and to this end, built a bread oven in one such curing barn two years ago; to her great surprise, the oven became a massive hit with tourists.

Li Mei-ling said: “With women in the community able to bake bread and pizza etc., everyone became interested in the oven. It became a meeting point for local women, where they could bake things and chat. We slowly discovered that the oven was also attractive to visiting tourists.”

However, because the depth of a bread oven and its functional use are different from the barn’s original oven, which if used may have destroyed the tobacco barn’s original structure, Li Mei-ling and local people built a separate bread oven. People visiting the tobacco curing barn can learn about the early history of the tobacco industry and partake in culinary delights at the same time, satiating both their bellies and brains in one fell swoop. Rather than letting this old tobacco curing barn fall into decay with the passing of time, it has been given a new function in the community and a new lease of life.

A beautiful future – Tobacco curing barn wafts the fragrance of wheat
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/283585

(以下為中文對照)

【美好未來】菸樓傳麥香
 

菸樓，是日治時期種菸人家的工廠。如今菸業式微，大多數菸樓也在歲月摧殘中等待腐朽。花蓮縣北林三村社區發展協會總幹事李美玲，為了發展每座菸樓的特色，兩年前在這棟菸樓打造一座麵包窯，沒想到意外獲得遊客青睞。李美玲說：「媽媽們因為他們會做麵包、會烤東西、會做披薩，他們就對這個麵包窯，大家就都有興趣，就想說做一個麵包窯成為婦女可以一起做東西，可以討論的地方，慢慢會發現說其實這個麵包窯對遊客來說非常有吸引力。」

因為麵包窯的深度跟使用功能不同，而且可能會破壞到原來菸樓的結構，李美玲與在地人士就另外做了一個麵包窯，民眾來到菸樓，還可認識早期菸業史，品嚐美食之餘也能長知識。與其任由菸樓在歲月中腐敗，不如為其賦予新功能，為老房子的命運找出路。