Big Dreams Start from a Small Business in a Town Far Away from Home｜Huang Biyun's Life History
Hualien Markets - Exclusive Interview with Huang Biyun
#Fuxing Market
Text/ HUANG Chia
Translation/ HUANG Chia
Photography/ HUANG Chia
The Small Business Years of the Long Journey
Huang Biyun, born in 1965, is the former chairperson of the Minsheng Community Development Association. Now she has stepped down from the post of the chairperson, serves as a volunteer for the Community Development Association, and devotes herself to community social service work. She was born in Shigu Village, Shengang Township, Changhua Beach. She has an older brother, a younger brother and four younger sisters.
In the early rural society, her father always took the whole family to Hualien to sell the socks that he bought in Changhua during the gap in the farming periods in order to support the family. At that time, to buy socks in the factory was cheap, and they could sell them for a high price. Doing business in Hualien's traditional market could earn a lot of money for living expenses.
“Every year we do business in Hualien during the farming gap. After the end of the period, we return to our hometown and continue to be busy with farming. My childhood memories are of my family going back and forth between Changhua and Hualien.”
After graduating from junior high school, without a driver’s license, she usually rode out on a bicycle between Hualien City, Ji'an Township and Xia Meilun districts to sell socks. She was a good helper for her parents. And her parents are responsible for looking after the store in the market. The whole family works together and works hard. They are busy at work, but live a happy life.
Making Great Fortune at the Golden Location
It was not until Biyun was 17 or 18 that her family moved from Changhua to Hualien and lived nearby Fuxing Market. Since 1974, they have run a clothing department store, selling all kinds of daily necessities and cosmetics. From 1975 to 1990, the market was a popular place to go shopping, regardless of the shoppers’ ages. “In the past, the vocabulary we used for shopping was ‘going to the market’ instead of ‘shopping on the street.’ " The consumption cycle was very large, and the income was substantial. There was a saying, particular to the 1990s: "Taiwan's money drowns the feet."
The Hualien General Market was in its heyday at the time. Since it was near the old Hualien Railway Station, it was the only large market in Hualien, so people in the north, central and southern districts would come to the general market to shop. Some even came by car from Fenglin and Guangfu. Because there are many wholesale groceries on the periphery of the market, most of the merchants who open restaurants and shops would also purchase supplies to later resell. During that period, the lives of vendors from all walks of life began to rejuvenate and prospered. Many of them bought houses and properties. Some people even bought several houses in a row. “At that time, every stall on Gongjen Street, from the end of the year to the New Year, had hundreds of thousands of dollars in their accounts every day. There was no time for us to calculate the money. The money filled entire big, cloth bags! The prosperity was so evident!”
Downhill
However, after 1990, the shop vendors who originally set up stalls in the market grew older, and the first generation gradually faded. At the same time, there were several new large traditional markets in Hualien city, which have dispersed the customer base. And the consumption pattern of the entire economic system began to change, then not limited to physical stores, but then also featuring stores on the Internet. The young people no longer had to go to the market to buy vegetables. The crowds were not there. “So you can see that there are many empty stalls in the current vegetable market, and some stalls usually have no business in the afternoon.”
Their Hetai Clothing has been in the market for 20 years. It closed in 1990 and moved to the bustling Fuxing Street, where it was renamed DaDa Department Store. When the store in the market was reorganized, Biyun was very reluctant. In order to empty the venue, she decided to give the remaining stocks of goods to a social welfare group, leaving things to those in need, so that she could move on to the next stage of her career with confidence. Biyun continues to devote herself to social services, hoping that the disadvantaged groups in the neighborhood will allow the elderly and disadvantaged residents living alone in the nearby areas to receive the best quality care.
The Expansion and Continuation of Love
Since 2013, Biyun has served as the chairman of the Minsheng Community Development Association. This community is the quintessential area of Hualien’s Golden Triangle. The residents are mostly Hakka, Minnan and people from other provinces of China. She resigned from the association in May of this year. Until now, Biyun has worked for the association for a total of eight years. At first, she wanted to serve as the chairman of the board, because her husband himself was the head of the district. Biyun hoped to contribute more to the support of the smooth operation of things in the entire neighborhood in this way.
After retiring from the post of chairman, Biyun became a full-time volunteer for the Community Development Association, hoping to do as much as she could before the age of 75. However, the tasks of the association are very complicated. For example, the association is responsible for market affairs, community building, association affairs, a market learning center, and a day care station. The community center even provides services such as meal delivery for the elderly. and a drug collection station which connects with major hospitals. In addition, the association is also responsible for the collection and distribution of some resources to the greater public. If there is a public welfare or religious organization that wants to give something to the society, the Community Development Association serves as the hub of resource connection.
Break through the Difficulties and Move Forward
In dealing with the tedious affairs of the community, the difficulties encountered are faced by the integrated strength of the association's core team. The group connects with each other’s hearts. They start from taking care of their own homeland, and then expand this love to their neighbors by inspiring other people. Their selfless hearts touch everyone, and the whole community starts to move. Everyone in the community silently dedicates their efforts for the community. “In the process of developing, drafting and implementing various plans to receive funds from the government, we don’t distinguish between each other. We only cooperate with one another, and complete the tasks one by one. Shared core values allow the community to continue.” Said Biyun.
As community volunteers, Biyun and her husband often receive calls from those who are from fragile or marginalized families. When they encounter difficulties, Biyun and her husband always lend a helping hand to assist people that are in need. For Biyun, the happiest thing is to take care of people who are in need. “My elders are no longer alive, so these elders are equivalent to mine. Being able to give is a grace, although it’s a bit tiring, it doesn't matter.” Biyun said.
“After so many years, except once, I never thought about giving up.” What almost beat her was Hualien’s major earthquake in 2018, when her association’s original base was violently shaken and the structure was severely damaged, so that they had to move away from the original site within a month.
In order to move, Biyun had to bring away everything, but the floor of the new site was shattered and the walls were only covered with blue canvas. Without funds for maintenance, it was just impossible to move to this new space. Fortunately, at that time, CITIC Bank kindly supported them. Seeing their needs, CITIC directly donated 900,000 NTD, so that they were able to enter the new site one month after the earthquake.
Happy Garden for the Elderly
For Biyun, the most important thing to manage the community is harmony. In the Community Development Association, she is responsible for organizing volunteers. Volunteers are mostly retirees, and are from many different domains. After joining the association, they will be divided into groups based on their original interests and so that they can dedicate themselves to the appropriate field. For example, some people serve as volunteers for the elderly (cooking them meals at the association), some serve as patrol teams, and there are also volunteers in various other fields such as environmental protection, disaster prevention, home visits, long-term care, and social care.
There was an elder who lived alone, whose child was in the United States. When the child saw his parents having such a happy time at the long-term care station, he asked his parents to donate 20,000 NTD to the association every year. The child said to his mother “You have to donate the money, and I will send it to you if your money is not enough. The association is a happy place. The donation must be done, so that I will be at ease, since I can’t take care of you in Taiwan!”
For Biyun, serving society is a genetic inheritance. In the early years, her parents continued to do good deeds to serve society in a Buddhist hall, and their brothers and sisters were impressed and wanted to share their infinite love. Therefore, she says, “The money earned by my brother until now is free for parents to use. If dad wants to donate, he can donate and do what he wants.” Biyun has also inherited the spirit of her parents. After 1990, she has worked hard to devote herself to social welfare, to create a better livelihood for local residents,and to create an environment with a happy and stable quality of life.