🌬️A Gentle Breeze, Wetlands, and Time Passing Through a Tin Can: Singing a Song of Time for You at Jiufanpi🎶
In this age of rapid technological advancement, we've gradually become accustomed to entrusting our lives to cloud-based code, seemingly forgetting that in the days before computers stored our secrets, we always carefully gathered our precious thoughts and memories in an unassuming tin cookie tin. Inside, we found countless moments, beautiful or ordinary, and all the things worth remembering in our lives.
The weather forecast says there will be several more days of rain. But I just wanted to seize this rare brief respite from the continuous downpour and take a walk in the Jiufanpi Wetland Park in Renwu District, Kaohsiung. Beside the path, a striking white "@" shaped sculpture stands quietly. Looking at this cold symbol representing modern digital connectivity, I couldn't help but think of that rusty yet warm tin can in my heart. This contrast across eras is just like the lyrics:
"As if leading to the other side of the tunnel, this cookie tin will connect—nostalgia. Like the saying goes, 'wet and crumbly,' opening it brings a kind of warmth; old trash has written my autobiography."
Walking deeper along the smooth walking path, the distant natural forest and wetlands intertwine to create profound layers, with the gentle reflection of sunlight and clouds on the vast water surface. This area was once an important irrigation pond for local agriculture, but with the changing times and the construction of highways, it was once barren and even faced abandonment. Fortunately, after large-scale restoration and regeneration, it has been reborn as an urban oasis that combines ecological conservation and flood control. Watching this land rise from barrenness is like how we stumble and fall through the years, eventually growing a new, resilient form.
Continuing my walk, I arrived at a children's play area covered with red and green safety mats. A vibrant red slide, a climbing frame adorned with monkey decorations, and a nostalgic green seesaw shimmered with childlike innocence in the sunlight. Looking at these structures, countless carefree moments flooded my mind. Were we all still hidden in that metal box, our lost youth, our joys, and our regrets?
"Leaving behind theater tickets and car rides, leaving behind every old cell phone—leaving behind every version of myself at every age—the memories once cherished as a volunteer are now faintly visible."
On this waterfront, gently surrounded by modern buildings and the verdant wetlands, I stopped. I wanted to capture this moment of sunshine after the rain, so I turned on my camera and, using the Cantonese I'd practiced over the years, sang Chen Zongze's "The Biscuit Jar" to the breeze and the water. I wanted to record this song, and all the chirping of insects and birds here, to show to that smiling girl I miss most in the distance. Even with the loss of a dear family member, the weight of that longing still accompanies me, becoming the driving force that propels me forward.
"What I neglected back then became a major event; how many words from my fortune-telling book actually came true in the end? It would have been shameful to admit defeat then~"
Those old video games from different eras, my favorite comics, and those once-shining items may have oxidized with time. But this Jiufanpi Wetland Park is like a giant, all-encompassing green cookie jar, gently embracing my restless emotions and protecting the daily lives of city dwellers.
"Fashion and trends are scattered everywhere, but I'll collect them all, restoring warmth, like a confidant—accompanying me until my golden jubilee~"
I will continue to sing my heart out, recording every place I've been with my footsteps and songs, letting the fortune-telling book verify it, and then, carrying this memory, resolutely continuing on my journey. Five stars for this ecological haven where one can gently reconcile with time.
Finally—
🎶 Was there a record of so-and-so and so-and-so?
Never.
This cookie jar probably doesn't want to remember him.
(Already cremated) 🎶
The wetland park, which has been funded twice and has taken many years to achieve its current state, is currently undergoing active restoration planning.
Visiting here today on a rainy day added a special charm to the romantic atmosphere. The park has many newly planted saplings, and I believe it will be even more beautiful in time!
