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WIth this research project, our goal was to learn about the progress and development of the Ding family in Lukang. We can divide our conclusion into three parts: the first part is ¡§Development of the Ding family against the context of changes in Lukang¡¨, the second part is the ¡§Family characteristics among the different generations of Dings¡¨, the third part is ¡§Today's Lukang Dings and how they worship their ancestors¡¨.
Development of the Ding family against the context of changes in Lukang
1. During the Qing Dynasty
Mr. Ding Pu-Shi came to Taiwan during Emperor Dao-Guang¡¦s time, at that time Lukang was prosperous and was one of the top five cities in Taiwan. Mr. Ding Ke-Jia from the second generation founded the store called, ¡§Ding Xie-Yuan¡¨; the store was moved to Wu-Du Big Street after the business became successful. Those from the third generation became the new leading class of society; they were the most important family of government officials in Lukang. Mr. Ding Li-Cheng was the most famous of all because he scored first on the government-held exams, hence, his family (descended from the sixth concubine) became the strongest branch of the Ding family. In conclusion, the Dings were a family of businessmen, government officials and landowners.
2. During the period of Japanese occupation
Lukang began to decline after 1895. At first, the Dings decided to move back to their hometown-Chen-Dai in China. They lost their properties during the move from Taiwan to Chinam and some Ding men from the 21st generation died at a very young age. As a result, the Dings began to decline as a family of status.
Dings from the 22nd generation had both Japanese education and Chinese cultural heritage. Lukang was going through a time of recovery; Dings from the sixth generation took on the role of ¡§helper¡¨. They acted as the communication bridge between the Japanese and residents of Lukang.
3. Postwar Period
After the war, Lukang was considered to be only a small town on the outskirts of the big cities. However, this was the climax of Mr. Ding Rui-Bin¡¦s political career. He was the city mayor and sat on the City Council of Taichung County, which also brought great honor to the Dings of Lukang. With the decline of Lukang, the Ding descendants no longer possessed their former status. They were forced to move out of Lukang and seek better futures. Mr. Ding Rui-Yang became the most successful and regenerated the Ding family status and businesses.
Family characteristics among the different generations of Dings
1. The 21st generation
The 21st generation of Dings lived during the time between the Qing dynasty and the period of Japanese occupation; they were not as famous as those from other generations. FOr various reasons, they were unable to fully pursue a better future. They chose to teach their descendants Chinese, and they focused on writings other than literary works and the norm in daily life.
2. The 22nd generation
Those from the 22nd and 23rd generation lived through the period of Japanese occupation after the war. Dings from the 22nd generation were educated by the Japanese; hence they held different values and philosophies of life. For instance, Mr. Ding Rui-Yu was active in his fight against the Japanese, however, Mr. Ding Rui-Bin cooperated with Japanese. Mr. Ding Rui-Qian and Mr. Ding Rui-Yun worked in the education field and Mr. Ding Rui-Yang left Lukang to seek a better future. Although they existed in different areas of society, they shared common characteristics: they had both Chinese and Japanese educations, were poets and singers, and they accepted the Japanese culture in very different ways. For instance, Mr. Ding Rui-Yu, who was strongly anti-Japan, insisted that his children obtain Japanese educations.
3. The 23rd generation
Those in the 23rd generation were born during the period of Japanese occupation. They did not know very much about their family history, and it was not until the end of the war that they truly understood their ancestors' brilliant past. They lived in a world where information and technology progressed rapidly, and they existed among great cultural conflict. Some of the Dings who were born near the end of 20th century went back to Chen-Li, China to learn about their family history, some worked on re-editing their family pedigree, and some immigrated to overseas countries. They all made different choices.
Today's Lukang Dings and how they worship their ancestors
1. Today's Dings
Not many Dings remain in Lukang today, there are only a few descendants from the first, second and sixth family branches. No one lives in the five houses of the old and new Xie-Yuan. Most of the Dings left Lukang to pursue different destinies; they have not maintained a close affiliation with Lukang as their ancestors did.
2. How the Dings worship their ancestors
Ding descendants live everywhere in the world now; they come together only when they worship and show their respects to their ancestors. The ¡§Ding Xie-Yuan Worship Society¡¨ was founded in 1953. Mr. Ding Yu-Xi re-edited the ¡§Pedigree of Ding Xie-Yuan¡¨ and reconnected Dings from around the world. They hold two different worship activities: 1) on the birthday and death anniversary of Ding Ke-Jia, the founder of Ding Xie-Yuan, they worship and show their respect. 2) on the Chinese Memorial Day for Ancestors, they visit their ancestors at their graves to pay their respects. We can see from the activities above that the Dings revere their ancestors and honor the family tradition of seeking out their family history.
Sources
from : Lee Zhao-Rong, Research on
Dings in
Lukang, P194~203, published by Zuo-Yang
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