Liouguei Planting a Tree of Hope Selling Fairy Cakes to Improve Local Children's Learning Environment／六龜種希望樹 仙人餅盈餘 改善孩童學習環境
Liouguei Planting a Tree of Hope
Selling Fairy Cakes to Improve Local Children's Learning Environment
◎English translation by Lin Yi-chun ◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui
Sow the seed of hope in a soil of dreams, feed it with care and water it with enthusiasm, then see the Tree of Hope thrive inch by inch. People in Liouguei hope to see the Tree of Hope shade local children on their journey of learning and enrich them with the power of knowledge.
After the havoc caused by 2009's Typhoon Morakot, many local businesses and activities ground to a halt in Liouguei. It not only hit the district's tourism industry hard, but also exposed the area's disadvantaged learning environment, a result of rural-urban disparity. Touched and inspired by the internet mini-film "Tree Hope," Liouguei's Mountain Village, Flowers and Good Life Association launched the Plant a Tree of Hope in Liouguei Project. It hopes to unite local resources and make the most of local produce to create a hand-made specialty that can be sold to benefit Liouguei. Surpluses generated by the project will be used to improve local children's learning environment.
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依藤枝山茶是自然農法栽種的原生種茶，茶葉屬輕發酵，香氣濃郁富層次感，茶色呈現金黃、琥珀色，是促進會力推的產品。
Tengjhih Tea is grown in nearby Taoyuan and cultivated by biodynamic agriculture. The leaves, which are processed by fermentation, give off a rich aroma. The tea's color is golden and accented by caramel-like tones. |
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Following the success of its turtle-shaped Gueiwang cakes in 2011, the association has launched a new Liouguei souvenir product in 2013. The new delicacies are called Fairy cakes in honor of a legendary celestial being called Fairy Huang who, it is said, encouraged the Hakka ancestors of Liouguei's modern-day inhabitants to dig irrigation canals (such as Fairy Canal) in the fertile soil at the foot of Shibalouhanshan (Mount Eighteen Arhats). The cake is the result of numerous trials and improvements. The pastry is kneaded with rose petals and roselle flower conserves, and there are three different fillings. The latter use Liouguei's own dried longans, mangoes and plums, together with pineapples from Gaoshu Township in Pingtung County, to create mouthwatering cakes. Each mouthful of the generous sweet filling is a delight which does not stick in your teeth. The pastry is dense yet crispy; it releases a burst of fragrance when chewed.
A lot of thought was put into the cakes' packaging. Because the association hopes it can become a specialty souvenir, it presents the cake as something that can be either given as a gift or taken home to enjoy. The outer box has a picture of Fairy Huang with a festive shade of red as the background. It is therefore perfect as a Lunar New Year gift. Two sides of the box feature cartoon depictions of the Eighteen Arhats (followers of the Buddha who attained enlightenment), while the other two show Liouguei's local sights. Inside the gift box, the cakes are individually wrapped, and the opening of each wrap is shaped like butterfly wings. The wrap is decorated with the logo of Fairy Huang riding a buffalo, Paulownia flowers, and a cartoon of one of the Eighteen Arhats. Each box contains nine Fairy cakes; gift boxes come in white and black editions, and to obtain a complete set of the Eighteen Arhats, people can purchase both at the same time.
六龜種希望樹
仙人餅盈餘 改善孩童學習環境
◎文／盧怡如 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉
播下希望的種子，以夢想為沃土、關懷當養分、熱情來灌溉，讓希望樹一點一滴成長茁壯；期盼在綠蔭的呵護下，陪伴著六龜區的孩童學習，展現知識的力量。
莫拉克風災後，百廢待舉，不但重創六龜觀光，也凸顯當地因城鄉差距而處於劣勢的學習環境。受到網路上微電影「希望樹」的感動與啟發，六龜山城花語美好生活促進會發起「在六龜種一棵希望樹」圓夢計畫，藉由凝聚六龜在地力量，運用當地農特產品，以手工研製、開發，並將銷售所得扣除成本及店家利潤後，全部投入圓夢計畫，希望改善當地學童教育學習環境。
促進會繼2011年以「龜王餅」大受好評之後，今（2013）年推出六龜伴手禮─「仙人餅」，「仙人」之名取材六龜地區的傳說故事：早期黃仙人帶領客家先民開墾水圳（仙人圳），灌溉十八羅漢山下良田。餅皮透過不斷地嘗試、改良，最後加入玫瑰花瓣、洛神蜜餞與酥皮擀製而成；內餡有三種口味，分別是以六龜在地龍眼、芒果乾、梅子等食材 ，加上屏東高樹鄉的土鳳梨，咬一口就能感受內餡紮實飽滿不黏牙、外皮綿密酥脆的口感，咀嚼後，更散發出一股獨特清香。
仙人餅的包裝更是不馬虎！為了呈現「六龜」在地伴手禮，希望送禮、自用兩相宜，所以在設計上特別用心，禮盒的盒面是黃仙人的圖樣與喜慶的紅色，正好適合年節送禮，兩側有兩組Ｑ版的十八羅漢，另兩側取“六龜”字面意涵 ，都是象徵六龜在地意象；內小盒包裝上的美麗蝴蝶，振翅欲飛，還有仙人騎牛的LOGO、油桐花與Ｑ版羅漢。一盒仙人餅有九個，每一個的羅漢造型都不同，為了完整呈現十八羅漢，更設計黑、白兩種禮盒，一次購買一組，可以湊齊十八羅漢。
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三The origins of the place names Liouguei District and Mount Eighteen Arhats
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六龜與十八羅漢名稱的由來 |
| From the east bank of Laonong Creek, the ridge of Mount Eighteen Arhats looks like the Eighteen Arhats striking different kung fu poses. From the north, the mountain resembles six turtles; in Chinese, Liouguei means "six turtles." |
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十八羅漢山橫看成嶺側成峰，遠近高低各不同，站在荖濃溪東側，山形猶如十八羅漢各展武功架勢，從北方望去狀似六隻龜盤踞於此。
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