In ancient Chinese there is a saying that loosely translated, goes "When the sea dries and the rocks crumble" emphasizing the everlasting nature of things.
Wu T'ai, a small village in southern Taiwan has, because of it's underlying geological structure, an abundance of a black stone called "nien ban yan." Because of it's durability and plentifulness the first inhabitants of Wu T'ai used this stone as a building material. Even though the passing of time and innumerable typhoons have taken their toll on the original structures, a few still stand today. Wu T'ai's black stone is actually a variety of different kinds of rock and an even wider range of color. But, the people soon learned that the black stone was the sturdiest and so made their homes from it.
Wu T'ai is set on a hillside where the stone houses are huddled together like so many pieces of coal against the green background. Some of the walls are one solid piece of rock. Others are layers upon layers of irregularly shaped stones. Throughout the village the stone is found, from the dikes of the fields to the surface of the roads. Walking into Wu T'ai seems as if you're walking into a stone forest.
Outsiders are quick to assume that summers must be hot and humid in the tiny stone houses. But the villagers enjoy a natural air-conditioning effect that eases the oppressive heat of southern Taiwan. What about winters then? The locals point to the mild winters, shrug their shoulders and say, "It's okay" with a smile. But a casual glance in any one of the homes will reveal piles and piles of thick fluffy blankets. Their secret is safe with us.
Through the years and generations, each touch or brush of a shoulder adds to the lustre of the black stone. By using a little water to polish the stone one can create a ephemeral mirror that vanishes when the water evaporates.
The continuous cycle of the seasons, the endless hope of the new born and the inevitability of death.....and the rocks remain.
(Kirby Chien)
[Picture Caption]
The interior of any home in Wu T'ai will reveal the extent to which stone is used as a building material.
1. Stone in the process of being cut. 2. Stone used as dikes in the fields of Wu T'ai. 3. The setting sun glistens off a stone house, as it has for over 100 years. 4. A cat plays on the gray stones of Wu T'ai.
The sun poetically plays with shadows on a stone wall.
1. Stone in the process of being cut.
2. Stone used as dikes in the fields of Wu T'ai.
3. The setting sun glistens off a stone house, as it has for over 100 years. 4. A cat plays on the gray stones of Wu T'ai.
4. A cat plays on the gray stones of Wu T'ai.
The sun poetically plays with shadows on a stone wall.
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