Fongyuan City Festival
Yes, I've been delinquent. It's been a weird week. I've been oddly hermity and I don't really like the new icafe I have to go to. It's quite loud and the chairs aren't as comfy. I guess you'll have that when you've got a stereo playing Chinese pop music and 60 computer gamers playing various games at top volume.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to have been invited to a festival in Fongyuan this weekend. It's a special festival that only takes place every 20 years. It's to celebrate the building of a temple and it's deity. She's a woman who watches over the seas and protects the Taiwanese. To celebrate, various neighborhoods have a huge 12 course meal, and bring out wine they've made themselves, then the families visit temples, pray, and light lanterns. We got to try some of William's aunt's almond wine, which was actually like 80 proof almond liquor that damn near blows your socks off, although it's surprisingly smooth and sippable. I enjoyed it so much, they gave me a bottle when I left (my response to which was to bow a million times thanking them profusely--the guy stuck out his hand for a shake and said "You're welcome" Ha.)
The meal was amazing! I had some of the best pork I've ever had in my life! Sweet, but not too sweet and not overly spiced so I could actually taste the meat. It was actually a cut I recognized and after you got past the two inch thick layer of fat, the meat was incredibly tender and tasty! My favorite part though was the lantern-lighting. There were three-foot tall red lanterns that you could buy. They gave you a piece of paper that was "signed" by the special temple and then you wrote your wish on the lantern. After that, they lit a oil-soaked block inside and it flew into the sky. You could see them forever! There were so many flying red lanterns and in the distance you could see small flames in the sky. It was really amazing!
We've been invited back for Chinese New Year, but I'm not sure where I'll be so I couldn't commit. It sounds like fun, though!
Anyway, I was lucky enough to have been invited to a festival in Fongyuan this weekend. It's a special festival that only takes place every 20 years. It's to celebrate the building of a temple and it's deity. She's a woman who watches over the seas and protects the Taiwanese. To celebrate, various neighborhoods have a huge 12 course meal, and bring out wine they've made themselves, then the families visit temples, pray, and light lanterns. We got to try some of William's aunt's almond wine, which was actually like 80 proof almond liquor that damn near blows your socks off, although it's surprisingly smooth and sippable. I enjoyed it so much, they gave me a bottle when I left (my response to which was to bow a million times thanking them profusely--the guy stuck out his hand for a shake and said "You're welcome" Ha.)
The meal was amazing! I had some of the best pork I've ever had in my life! Sweet, but not too sweet and not overly spiced so I could actually taste the meat. It was actually a cut I recognized and after you got past the two inch thick layer of fat, the meat was incredibly tender and tasty! My favorite part though was the lantern-lighting. There were three-foot tall red lanterns that you could buy. They gave you a piece of paper that was "signed" by the special temple and then you wrote your wish on the lantern. After that, they lit a oil-soaked block inside and it flew into the sky. You could see them forever! There were so many flying red lanterns and in the distance you could see small flames in the sky. It was really amazing!
We've been invited back for Chinese New Year, but I'm not sure where I'll be so I couldn't commit. It sounds like fun, though!
posted by CJ at 6:08 AM
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