Sustainable development in Daqiao: Revitalizing local customs

Each year, the rural community of Daqiao holds various activities to help build cohesiveness within the community. At the annual autumn and winter rice harvests, they try to bring some creativity into rural life through a raft of activities, including folk games, kite competitions, harvest thanksgiving meals, rice-cutting competitions, and mud battles. One of the most notable activities is the harvest thanksgiving meal. Seeing locals arrive in procession with food baskets on carrying poles and wearing traditional conical hats is truly a sight to behold.

The community transformation has now entered its twenty-seventh year! The starting point of the transformation was the community care center, which aims to ensure that elderly folks living alone aren’t also forced to languish in loneliness. Despite many failures during the early years, the residents refused to give up and, today, many other communities come to learn from Daqiao about its successful transformation. In the future, Daqiao hopes to attract more young people into the ranks to ensure the community can continue sustainably and prosper long into the future.

以下為中文對照

大橋社區永續經營 活化再造在地風情

大橋社區每年都舉辦各式農村活動，讓居民們聯繫情感。每年的秋收冬藏的時候，會舉辦一些少年童玩、風箏節大賽、割稻飯饗宴、割稻草比賽、打土仗，把農村生活發展成創意生活。其中頗具看頭的就是割稻飯，當地居民挑著扁擔，頭戴斗笠，走在田埂小路，非常引人注目。

社區改造邁入第二十七年，改造的起點是社區關懷據點，讓獨居長者不再孤單。然而剛開始投入改造的時候，曾經失敗過，不過居民不放棄。大橋社區成功的改造，吸引許多其他社區前來學習。未來期望在地更多年輕人，加入改造行列，讓社區永續經營。

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