TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Huang Song-yung (???), a farmer in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township, at age 74, is finally retiring from plowing rice paddies.
The story of this farmer and his ox companion continues to captivate audiences through print and social media, including a recent CNA report. It is a tearful goodbye to a long-forgotten era when the silhouette of a farmer and his ox could be spotted at dusk.
“You are lucky to come here. You won’t be alone anymore, you will have more companions,” Huang said to his ox, as he transported it across the county to Tuku Township. After Huwei officials deemed it impractical to let retired water buffalo freely roam the countryside, Huang’s ox was transferred to a water buffalo sanctuary, which tourists visit to learn about traditional agriculture.
Huang has been plowing rice paddies with oxen for more than 50 years, never relying on machines to help him carefully turn the soil so it is loosened and receptive to rice seeds. Despite the charm and quality of his work, he earns little for his endeavor, only NT$500 (US$15) per plot.
Huang said he trained his oxen in a traditional way with a switch, harness, and rope. He even offered to give his ox to another farmer and train him in the art of ox herding, as the cost of feeding his ox two meals a day became too big a burden.
Training begins with taming the nature of the sullen beast with powerful horns, teaching it to become restrained and accustomed to the rope and commands, and then unhindered and relaxed with its master when the work is done. Due to his advanced age, Huang no longer plows rice paddies, losing his main source of income, and only ventures out to exercise his ox on long walks along the fields.
He developed compassion for his ox over the years and could not bear the thought of slaughtering his long-term companion. Fortunately, he was introduced to the water buffalo sanctuary.
On the day of the transfer, Huang told his ox, “I don’t know if I owe you or you owe me, but go ahead and live a good life.” It is to be debated if this new ox prefers the companionship of his old farmer or that of his own bovine kind.
Two water buffaloes at a water buffalo sanctuary in Tuku Township. (Facebook, ???photo)
At the new sanctuary, the other residents include a male bull, age 9, named “An-hsin,” and a female bull, age 14, named “A-le.” Noisy-horned clashes are expected in the beginning, but the trio will eventually settle in together.
Lin Jia-liang (???), head of the sanctuary, said Huang has done an excellent job looking after his ox, which is strong, with smooth, bright skin. According to Lin, it will take up to two months for the ox to get accustomed to the new environment, and it still needs to wear a rope halter before it can become free in retirement.
