Wanggon Sea Ox Culture Base (Wanggon Organic Bookstore)

The early residents of Wanggon worshiped 'Lord Chih' (池王爺), a deity brought from their ancestral homeland, who was regarded as the patron god of the settlement. During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty, the pirate leader Cai Qian, known as the 'Great Marauder,' once raided this area with his fleet. It was said that Lord Chih manifested his divine power to drive them away. Afterwards, to thank Lord Chih for his mercy, Cai Qian returned to Quanzhou, mainland China, to transport materials to rebuild the Wangye Temple. He also issued an order that all pirate ships passing through this area must offer incense and bow remotely to the Wangye Temple before proceeding. Since then, pirates passing by would shout, 'Wangye Temple Village has arrived!' Over time, this became 'Wangong (King's Palace) has arrived!' Later, the local residents, grateful for Lord Wangye's contribution to protecting the village, decided to change 'Wangong' (王宮) to 'Wanggon' (王功) to permanently commemorate his功勞 (merit/contribution).1. Following the wisdom of 'living off the mountain by the mountain, and off the sea by the sea,' Fangyuan Township in Changhua County began its oyster farming industry very early. The local intertidal zone, rich in silt, makes it difficult for boats to pass even at high tide. Since the Japanese colonial period, generations of oyster farmers have relied on ox-carts to collect oysters, transporting hundreds of catties of fresh oysters back. This tradition has been passed down for 80 years, becoming the only unique fishing method in Taiwan and exclusive to Changhua! In 2013, director Chi Po-lin's documentary 'Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above' captured the vibrant scenes of Fangyuan's oyster farmers working with sea oxen, which was deeply moving and sparked a wave of interest in sea ox culture! With widespread support, in 2016, the 'Fangyuan Intertidal Ox-cart Oyster Harvesting Culture' became Changhua County's first intangible cultural asset registered under its industry. To preserve this national treasure-level sea ox culture, the Changhua County Government hosts the 'International Sea Ox Culture Festival' to showcase this local industry and cultural pride to the world. During the peak of oyster farming in Fangyuan Township, Changhua County, hundreds of sea oxen contributed their strength. Later, due to the impact of mechanized vehicles, the number of sea oxen continuously declined. Currently, there are only 7 sea oxen working in the Fangyuan intertidal zone. To perpetuate this unique sea ox culture, the local community is collaborating with private entities to actively plan a 'Sea Ox School' to train successor sea oxen and preserve this distinctive cultural asset. They will also arrange retirement homes for retired sea oxen and draft cattle, creating an excellent model for life education.2. Wanggon Cultural MapWanggon is considered an early village and town in Taiwan's development history, once very prosperous, but later gradually declined. Therefore, the main theme of our community development is to 'continue the sea ox culture.' Following this theme, we aim to recreate the traditional lifestyle of the early days, including skilled craftsmen and sea ox fishermen, gradually accumulating into a complete cultural map.(1). Community Development: Continuing sea ox culture, discovering local artisan stories, and transmitting humanistic spirit.(2). Sea Ox Art and Culture: Through the theme of sea ox art and culture, develop a more diverse platform for exchange and cooperation.(3). Ecological Experience: Sea ox ecological experiences allow more local cultural characteristics to be discovered and regenerated.3. Local Community Development ActivitiesTheme One: Starting with the continuation of sea ox culture, calling upon and mobilizing community residents to participate.Theme Two: Emphasizing land value, developing humanistic walking tour experiences.Theme Three: Building a creative base to become a cradle of creativity for young people.Theme Four: Recruiting community elders to participate in humanistic story guiding and travel planning.