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| The Unique Tradition of Eating Jian Dui in Lukang during the Dragon Boat Festival |
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After deciding on our research topic, we began collecting preliminary information and reviewing related materials. Through online reports and books, we found that Jian Dui is not only a festive food but is also related to the folk legend of Nuwa Mending the Sky. |
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It is said that the Dragon Boat Festival falls during the rainy season, and excessive rain was believed to be caused by a “broken sky.” Therefore, people made round Jian Dui to symbolize repairing the sky and prayed for clear weather and peace.
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This idea helped us understand that Jian Dui is not only a type of food but also carries cultural meanings related to blessing and protection.
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During our research, we also noticed that while the media usually writes this food as “Jian Dui,” the traditional local term is “饘䬾,” pronounced similarly to “tsian-de” in Taiwanese. My grandparents told us, “In Lukang dialect, it should be pronounced as tsian-dir.”
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This finding shows that Jian Dui is not only a festive food but also reflects local language and cultural heritage.
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In addition, related literature mentions that over 300 years ago, people in Anping, Tainan also had the custom of eating a similar food called “Jian Dui” during the Dragon Boat Festival. Both foods originated from Quanzhou in Fujian and symbolized praying for clear weather by “repairing the sky.” However, this custom in Anping has gradually disappeared, while Lukang still preserves it today.
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Through this preliminary understanding, we realized that Jian Dui is not only a local specialty but also an important folk activity that combines festival beliefs, language culture, and family emotions. This strengthened our determination to further explore this topic.
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