A friend of mine sent me a Youtube clip called “Youchekou.” I am actually a new resident of Danshui. My family home is in Shilin and for work reasons I rented an apartment in Xizhi for a while, before moving to a place beside the mouth of the Danshui River in 2008.

When I was young it wasn’t so easy to reach Danshui. Between the time the Danshui railway line was closed and the Danshui MRT Line opened I remember going to Danshui with my parents by bus, a journey that seemed to take ages. In my faded memories Youchekou wasn’t exactly desolate but it seemed to be a small village that lacked vitality, with even the dogs and the bus stop signs having seen better days. Only in summer when young people rushed to the coast to play would the coastal settlements be busy with passing visitors, and the shops and restaurants do brisk business, giving the area a welcome injection of life. With the fish ball soup and Ah-ge fish balls in fried tofu of Danshui Old Street it seemed that Youchekou was simply a stopping off point for half-day visitors to Danshui.

Then, in 1997, Shalun Fisherman’s Wharf harf opened, the cycle path along the river began to take shape and Danhai New Township’s planning was going forward at full steam. Although Youchekou was still a half point for travelers, more and more people were willing to visit Youchekou. As new residential blocks were completed many people escaping the high house process of Taipei City center began moving into tower blocks between Youchekou and Shalun. The settlement itself was still populated mainly by old residents and the buildings were mainly old houses and apartments. The skyline had, however, been transformed and was now comprised of tall residential buildings. A clash of new and old permeated the atmosphere but sometimes the red brick and tiled roofed houses and the new steel and concrete buildings seemed to have a magical air of coordination, a feeling that came over me unconsciously after a stray cat suddenly ran out in front of me. 

In the film “Youchekou”, the place where the granny sees off granddad and where the male protagonist seeks memories and salvation, is “Liukuaicuo Fishing Harbor. As a “fake Danshui person,” someone who is mainly interested in the tasty foods of Danshui, I haven’t yet had a chance to visit the harbor. In my eyes, Youchekou is the name of the place I live and also a relaxing place on the coast. It may not have fine white sand beaches but when you are walking on the seaside trail and stop for a rest, leaning on the railings and lazily looking towards the distant river mouth, everything is tranquil. The newly weds who appear on weekend afternoons, the bride in her wedding dress and the groom in suit and tie, come to bask in the golden sunlight, reminding others of the joy of life and love.

Even when you are in low spirits the river and sea will give you comfort. I often sit on the sea wall with a black coffee or a beer, drinking alone as I stare at the surf in the distance and the things that weigh on me gradually disappear. Of course, when the bloody battle occurred on a morning 1884 the people, of whatever nationality, did not enjoy this kind of peace and were in no mood to admire the beautiful views of mountain, river and ocean merging.

The film is a thought-provoking work. Did a wife walk along the river bank decades ago looking out sorrowfully as her husband sailed for distant shores? It doesn’t really matter. The old maps and existing scenery will still warm the heart of anyone who loves Youchekou.