Erkang Village was designated by the Ministry of the Interior as the first traditional settlement preservation area in Taiwan in the 90th year of the Republic of China. In recent years, the restored ancient houses have been effectively utilized by the "Erkang Village Settlement Promotion Association" to develop into various small exhibition halls with local cultural characteristics, including the Everyday Life Hall, Intertidal Zone Hall, Community Museum, Han Herbal Medicine Hall, Children's Playthings Hall, and the Paogeo Songs Hall. When stepping into Erkang, the most eye-catching sight is the walls of ancient houses adorned with original Paogeo songs composed by local residents. These songs describe everyday life or express romantic sentiments between lovers. Try reciting them in Hokkien dialect, and you will surely find them entertaining. When hungry, walk to the old store to taste "Turken kue" and "Jinguwa kue"; when thirsty, drink authentic apricot-scented tea. Inside the charming old houses, listen to the most authentic rendering of Paogeo songs by elder grandmothers or enjoy spontaneous duets among several people, where the back-and-forth singing is full of creativity and impressively delightful. Around the late Ming Dynasty, Mr. Chen Yanyi crossed the sea from Kinmen to Penghu, landing at the current Daichi Village, and then engaged in agricultural and fishery activities at the foot of Guishan Hill, on the southern side of Zhubei. After establishing a family, the family size gradually increased, prompting the decision to relocate to Erkang, near Zhubei. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, the village gradually became a settlement. After the First Sino-Japanese War, traditional livelihood activities proved insufficient for living expenses, leading many young men to leave their hometowns and work in Taiwan, causing the village to gradually decline. The Chen Family Ancient House is the most representative of Erkang's old houses. Built in 1910 by two brothers, Chen Ling and Chen Bang, who had made fortunes by running a herbal medicine shop in Tainan and returned to expand the original house to glorify their family, the "Three-Unit Grand House" is an unparalleled ancient house in Penghu, designated now as a county-level cultural relic. The master who designed and constructed the ancient house was approximately 29 years old at the time, coming from Chidong Village. Observing the details of Chen's architectural designs reveals creative elements throughout the structure, carvings, and beams—whether in woodwork, tile murals, or stone engravings, all of which are elegant and lifelike. The layout follows a traditional design, leading from the outer to inner areas with increasing levels of privacy, incorporating safety features and representing an excellent example of a blended architectural masterpiece reflecting local fusion of Eastern and Western styles. Within the Erkang traditional village, a special attraction features children diligently practicing calligraphy for the Lunar New Year, while red kites bearing the characters "Happiness" and "Omen" soar amidst traditional old houses. The kids race along the Erkang Prairie, running with their kites, weaving through narrow alleys of historic houses. Against the backdrop of the traditional song "Finding Plum Blossoms in Snow," the cheerful red of the celebrations intermingles with the historical atmosphere of the ancient buildings, creating a harmonious scene. Doesn't this sound familiar? No doubt! This was the setting of McDonald's 2001 advertisement filled with the festive spirit of the Spring Festival. The vast pasture scenes in the Golden Melody Award singer Chen Yawen's "Continuing the Fate" music video were shot in Erkang, as were scenes from her "Penghu Love Song" music video. The opening of the latter features Ama Yang Asong's singing of Paogeo songs, accompanied by its unique melody and Hokkien lyrics: "The eighteenth time I see you off to Taiwan, your eyes and mine both turn red. Each tear weighs a jin, as I drop one here and the soil is left bare." These lyrics guide the audience, evoking the poignant farewell vividly, adding a nostalgic charm to the rendition of Paogeo songs.
