The Tales of the Tale

Before people settled in the mountains of Houtong, monkeys lived in a cave, and the mountain god sent ghostly flames to guard hidden treasures. Drawing on local myths and whispered histories of this faded mining town, the film departs from documentary convention and weaves uncanny tales through evocative sound and image.

Song Cheng-ying, Hu Chin-ya: ‘In 2022, we created a documentary titled Out of the Cave for the Houtong Miners’ Culture & History Museum. The Tales of the Tale is a continuation of that project, encompassing a dozen odd stories and anecdotes spanning various eras, including the Japanese colonial period, the post-war economic boom of the mining industry, and the archival period following the industry’s decline in recent years.Most of these tales are intertwined with gods, ghosts, and demons. They have been passed down orally by retired miners, accompanied by the haunting vistas of abandoned mines. Some are well-formed legends; others are fragmented murmurs. Some are supported by alleged evidence, while others are observations tied to news articles and death records. They come from the personal experiences of our interviewees, told and retold over time, fading and re-emerging like echoes. Together, they become the tales of Houtong.The interviewees were once farmers who cultivated the mountain lands, later becoming miners who unearthed its riches. Their labour fueled national development but came at a heavy cost, leaving behind a history of unparalleled occupational hazards. When investment in the mining industry dwindled, Houtong transformed from a bustling, labour-intensive mining town into a forgotten, derelict place hidden within the mountains and overgrown by the woods.These individuals want their stories to be heard. They refuse to let the calamities they endured be forgotten. How do you live with the fact that you survived while others did not? How do you remember the ghosts of those who were lost? Will those ghosts ever become gods? Through storytelling, they attempt to release these spirits from purgatory. In turn, the act of telling brings them closure.’