u/AmericanBornWuhaner

Not Asian-American related but it pertains to the cultural heritage of many Asian Americans and this may interest a lot of Asian Americans on this subreddit. This map depicts the culinary influence of the Chinese diaspora communities of Asia. There was a long history of Chinese people who migrated to other parts of Asia over many centuries where they assimilated into the new nations they settled in. As is the case with other long established diaspora communities, local traditions blended with the traditions of migrant communities. As a result, the convergence of Chinese culinary traditions with the culinary traditions of other Asian nations produced many iconic Asian dishes popularly eaten in these countries and cultures today.

Spoiler included!

Some of these you probably already know, but I'd like to share in case you're not familiar with them.

1. The true event

International audiences may not be aware that Incantation (2022) was inspired by a real event. While the film differs significantly from the actual event, the inspiration for the superstitious Chen Family Village came from a family in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Here are some paragraphs translated from a news report by MirrorMedia :

>On the afternoon of April 11, 2005, a man surnamed Wu, who lived in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, approached a neighbor with whom he rarely interacted, looking panicked. He asked the neighbor to help call an ambulance and then hurried away. Finding this strange, the neighbor went to check on the Wu household, only to find Wu’s 28-year-old eldest daughter lying motionless in her room, foam at the mouth. Upon seeing this, the neighbor immediately called 119 for help, but it was too late.

>When the young woman was taken to the hospital, none of her family members were present, and no one came forward to claim her body afterward. Even more bizarrely, she had multiple bruises on her body, as well as scars from being scalded with incense. Her mouth, esophagus, and stomach were all filled with feces. The medical examiner determined that she died of multiple organ failure caused by prolonged starvation and sleep deprivation, which led to extreme physical exhaustion.

>To uncover the truth, the police obtained a search warrant, hoping to find clues at the Wu residence. However, the moment they stepped through the front door, the officers were sent a chill down their spines. Not only was there a thick, foul stench inside, but the windows were tightly shut, and the thick curtains seemed deliberately drawn to block out the sunlight, creating a very eerie atmosphere. In addition, there was an altar in the living room dedicated not only to the Third Prince but also to several unidentified deities, and the walls were covered with all kinds of talismans.

>It turned out that starting in March of that year, the Wu family had been experiencing a series of trances. All six family members claimed to be spokespeople for different deities. They frequently burned joss paper at their front door, and cries, shouts, and laughter were often heard coming from inside the house. Neighbors had even witnessed all six of them entering a trance simultaneously, beating each other with ancestral tablets and canes—a truly terrifying sight.

>Starting in March, the Wu family’s behavior became increasingly bizarre. Not only did they refuse to leave the house, but they also went a week without eating without feeling hungry. They even began self-harming, beating each other with sticks and ancestral tablets, and lighting entire bundles of incense to stab one another with them.

>According to the police investigation, in an attempt to exorcise the demons, the Wu family members initially threw salt and rice at each other, but later resorted to splashing urine and even forcing feces down each other’s throats. On April 9 of that same year, the eldest daughter was found lifeless in her bed by her younger siblings, but they believed it was not their sister who had died, but rather the evil spirit possessing her.

>Mr. Wu said that while possessed, everyone went without food or sleep yet felt no fatigue; they even rubbed feces on each other’s bodies. Although they knew it was feces, they did not feel disgusted by it nor could they smell the odor. During the brawls, they did not view each other as family members but only as evil spirits. It was not until April 10 that he, his wife, and their three children gradually regained their senses.

>After the possession was lifted from each of the five family members one by one, they realized something was wrong with their eldest daughter. Despite emergency treatment, she could not be saved. However, the family still believed she had merely experienced a temporary out-of-body experience—a state akin to death—and refused to call an ambulance for help. It wasn’t until April 11, when the eldest daughter still showed no signs of life, that Mr. Wu realized something was seriously wrong. He sought help from neighbors, but the Wu family, fearing another possession, dared not claim the body. Even after receiving notification from the police, they still believed their eldest daughter was not dead. Later, Mrs. Wu claimed to be possessed by her eldest daughter, who conveyed the news of her death; only then did they accept that their eldest daughter had perished.

>Although the five attributed the death to an evil spirit, a medical examination confirmed that none of them suffered from mental illness. Consequently, the prosecution indicted all five on charges of abandonment resulting in death. However, the court ultimately determined that the young woman had died of organ failure unrelated to external force and acquitted all five.

It is worth noting that:

There is a belief in Taiwan that if a deity statue has not undergone the proper consecration and worship rituals, it can be possessed by evil spirits. Thus, while this family appeared to be worshiping deities such as the Third Prince (a very common deity in Taiwan), their statues may have actually been possessed by evil spirits.

The “Mother Buddha” in the film is not a real deity; she is a fictional character drawn from various religions. The runes written on the protagonist’s body are not Chinese characters, but fictional symbols that resemble Sanskrit.

2. Daughter's name

Regarding the film, many people believe that the female lead’s constant insistence that her daughter repeatedly practice saying her real name is a form of malice, suggesting that she originally took her daughter back to sacrifice her and only later developed feelings for her (which is why she says in the film that she doesn’t know when she started loving her daughter).

In Taiwanese folk beliefs, names are deeply intertwined with religion. When we pray, we silently recite our names to ask for blessings, allowing the deities to “identify” us so they can grant protection. Therefore, any detail in the film related to names is an invitation to a curse. By making her daughter say and write her name, the female lead is enabling Mother Buddha to “identify” her daughter.

Names are also sometimes written on talismans and incorporated into amulets（But it’s more common to say the name when offering prayers, you don’t necessarily have to write it down, but it has the same effect); this is why, when the volunteer gave the female lead an amulet, she didn't want to accept it, after all, her daughter’s name had already been offered to Mother Buddha and could not be used elsewhere.

However, in general Taiwanese folk worship, offering one’s name to multiple deities (especially benevolent ones) is not a problem. This highlights Mother Buddha’s possessive nature.

3. Hand gesture

The hand gesture in the film mimics those of Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, but it is performed in reverse, transforming the original meaning of drawing blessings inward into the inauspicious implication of “pushing blessings outward.”

4. Mother Buddha’s face

Mother Buddha’s face resembles a common amethyst geode, which is likely a familiar feng shui ornament to many. Amethyst geodes are believed to absorb bad energy, and the design of Mother Buddha’s face is also intended to absorb.

5. The chant

The chant of the movie ”Hou-ho-xiu-yi, si-sei-wu-ma" (火佛修一心薩嘸哞), it's pronunciation is similar to the Hokkien phrase “禍福相倚，生死隨名” (Hō hok siong í, sing sú sûi bîng), meaning: Misfortune and good fortune are intertwined; life and death are predestined.

Edit: and it also has the meaning: Misfortune and blessing follow you, your fate is sealed.

Another edit: I forgot to mention!! “名” also literally means “name”, the last half sentence's literal meaning is “life and death with its name”, like the concept I mentioned above: using a name to target the recipient of a curse.

So the double meaning of the phrase is a bit tricky to explain. In short, on the surface, it appears to be an objective statement about how good fortune and misfortune are intertwined, but it actually contains a hidden incantation: one that seems like a blessing but is actually a curse, and it follows whoever reads or recites it. As for “Life and Death Are Predestined,” the literal meaning is “Life and Death Have Names,” which also implies that by speaking someone’s name, the curse can be directed at them. I really wish my English were better so I could explain this more clearly!

6. This detail is completely insignificant, but I want to mention it

The female lead’s name “Ruonan” means “like a man” in Chinese. It’s typically given by older generations who feel disappointed after having a daughter, hoping she’ll be just like a boy. As times have changed, I don’t think a girl of the female lead’s age would be given a name like that these days. This might suggest she comes from a more conservative family background, but for the movie, this detail isn’t really relevant.

Above are a few I've come up with, what else? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Edit: grammar, missspelling

Edit again: a little more detail about the amulets and names

Another edit: the chant meaning

[removed]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CFddRxQZn/

八年抗戰，山河終見曙光，這是國人絕不能忘記的勝利。

這是一張「蔣中正贈盟軍勝利紀念照」。

照片攝於民國32年9月，蔣中正身穿大元帥禮服。抗戰勝利後，這類正式戎裝肖像照曾作為勝利紀念，致贈盟軍將領及相關人士，照片上印有「盟軍勝利紀念」、「蔣中正贈」等字樣。

今天，再看這張照片，不只是照片中的一位最高統帥，而是照片背後，蔣中正領導國人長達八年的民族抗戰。

1937年全面抗戰爆發。

面對的是一個工業化、軍事化程度遠高於中國的強敵。從淞滬會戰、南京保衛戰，到徐州、武漢；從華北、華中一路退守西南大後方，中國付出了極其慘重的代價。

國土大片淪陷、沿海交通線遭封鎖，滇緬公路一度中斷，對日抗戰曾陷入極為艱困的局面。

但中華民國沒有投降。

蔣中正深知，以當時中國的國力，很難單獨擊敗日本，因此選擇以持久抗戰爭取時間，等待國際局勢的轉變。

1941年，日本偷襲珍珠港，美國宣布參加二次大戰，中華民國長期抗戰，也終於與盟國形成共同對日作戰的局面。

蔣中正擔任中國戰區最高統帥，中華民國成為同盟國重要成員。

1943年開羅會議，中、美、英三國領袖共同討論戰後亞洲局勢，並確立日本侵占中國領土的戰後處理原則，中國東北、臺灣、澎湖等地的歸還也因此獲得重要的國際承諾。

然而，走到1944年，中國仍然沒有迎來輕鬆的勝利。

豫湘桂會戰爆發，日軍大舉進攻，桂柳失守，戰線一路逼近貴州獨山。

一時之間，僅距離400公里的陪都重慶危急。

中國戰區參謀長魏德邁將軍，曾兩度建議蔣中正考慮遷都，以防日軍攻陷重慶。

然而，蔣中正沒有接受。

更令人感受到當時危局的是，國民政府內部也並非毫無動搖。

廣西的李宗仁、雲南的龍雲，面對戰局惡化，也曾私下串聯，討論蔣中正失勢垮臺，重慶若失守後的局勢與處置。

連國民政府內部，都已經開始思考「如果重慶失守，接下來怎麼辦」。

但蔣中正仍然選擇留下。

而就在中華民國最艱困的歲月，日本方面也曾透過不同管道和蔣中正簽訂「和平協定」，企圖抽離日本軍隊，結束中國戰場。

對日本而言，只要中華民國接受一個有利於日本的和平安排，便可以減輕日本在中國戰場的負擔。

但蔣中正沒有接受。

蔣中正所堅持的，是日本撤出侵華戰爭所攫取的利益，恢復中華民國主權，而不是以屈辱性的條件換取暫時和平。

因為他知道：

如果和平是以放棄國家主權為代價，那不是和平，而是另一種形式的失敗。

於是，中華民國繼續堅苦抗戰。

而就在中國戰場苦戰的同時，太平洋戰場的局勢也正在發生根本性的變化。

盟軍開始全面反攻，日本逐漸走向窮途末路。

1945年，中華民國終於等到了苦苦等待的那一天。

8月15日，日本宣布接受《波茨坦公告》，接受無條件投降。

9月2日，日本正式簽署降伏文書。

八年抗戰，終於勝利。

這場勝利，絕非僥倖。

它是淞滬戰場上倒下的國軍將士，是台兒莊浴血奮戰的官兵，是長沙、常德、衡陽、滇西、緬北等戰場上前仆後繼的國軍將士，也是無數在戰火中失去家園與親人的中國百姓共同換來的。

更重要的是：

在最艱難的時候，中華民國沒有選擇投降。

1945年9月3日，國民政府將這一天訂為「抗戰勝利紀念日」，後來也成為我們熟知的「軍人節」。

今天，距離那場勝利已經81年。

回顧第二次世界大戰初期，波蘭在德軍進攻下迅速亡國，法國也在短時間內淪陷。相較之下，中華民國在強敵全面進攻、國土大片淪陷、國力遠遜於敵人的情況下，仍然堅持抗戰八年，直到最後迎來勝利。

但不可否認的是，在一次又一次危急關頭，作為最高統帥的蔣中正，始終沒有選擇投降。

這份超乎常人的堅毅與決心，正是中華民國能夠在山河破碎之中繼續堅持、在最黑暗的歲月裡等待勝利的重要關鍵。

如果沒有堅持，就沒有持久抗戰。

如果選擇妥協，就未必能等到世界局勢的逆轉。

如果當年的中華民國倒下了，也就沒有1945年的抗戰勝利。

再次看著這張蔣中正身穿大元帥禮服的「盟軍勝利紀念照」，我們看到的，不只是一位最高統帥。

我們看到的是一個國家，從山河破碎、孤軍苦戰，到最後站在同盟國勝利者的行列。

從1937到1945，八年歲月，沒有投降。

從山河破碎，到抗戰勝利。

這段歷史，值得後人永遠銘記。

🇹🇼 九月三日，抗戰勝利八十一周年。

謹以此照，向所有曾經為國家、民族浴血奮戰的人致敬。

銘記歷史，緬懷先烈。

毋忘八年抗戰，毋忘那段用鮮血與生命換來的勝利。

After eight years of resistance, the mountains and rivers finally saw the dawn. This is a victory that the Chinese people must never forget.

This is a “Victory Commemorative Photograph Presented by Chiang Kai-shek to the Allied Forces.”

The photograph was taken in September of the 32nd year of the Republic of China calendar (1943), with Chiang Kai-shek wearing the ceremonial uniform of a Grand Marshal. After the victory of the War of Resistance, such formal military portraits were presented as commemorative tokens of victory to Allied commanders and other relevant individuals. The photographs bore inscriptions such as “Victory Commemoration of the Allied Forces” and “Presented by Chiang Kai-shek.”

Today, looking at this photograph again, we see not merely a supreme commander in the photograph, but the eight-year war of national resistance led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese people behind it.

In 1937, the full-scale War of Resistance broke out.

China faced a powerful enemy whose degree of industrialization and militarization was far greater than China's. From the Battle of Shanghai and the Defense of Nanjing to Xuzhou and Wuhan; from North China and Central China all the way to the southwest rear area, China paid an extremely heavy price.

Vast areas of Chinese territory fell, coastal transportation routes were blockaded, and the Burma Road was temporarily cut off. The war of resistance against Japan once fell into an extremely difficult situation.

But the Republic of China did not surrender.

Chiang Kai-shek knew well that, given China's national strength at the time, it would be very difficult to defeat Japan on its own. He therefore chose to wage a prolonged war of resistance to buy time and await changes in the international situation.

In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States announced that it would enter World War II, and the Republic of China's long war of resistance finally developed into a situation of joint warfare against Japan with the Allies.

Chiang Kai-shek served as Supreme Commander of the China Theater, and the Republic of China became an important member of the Allied Powers.

At the Cairo Conference in 1943, the leaders of China, the United States, and Britain jointly discussed the postwar situation in Asia and established principles for the postwar disposition of Japanese-occupied Chinese territories. The return of areas including China's Northeast, Taiwan, and Penghu therefore received important international commitments.

However, even by 1944, China had still not reached an easy victory.

The Yuxiang-Gui Campaign broke out. The Japanese army launched a massive offensive, Guilin and Liuzhou fell, and the front line advanced all the way toward Dushan in Guizhou.

For a time, Chongqing, the wartime capital, was in grave danger, only 400 kilometers away.

General Albert Wedemeyer, Chief of Staff of the China Theater, twice advised Chiang Kai-shek to consider relocating the capital in case the Japanese army captured Chongqing.

However, Chiang Kai-shek did not accept the advice.

Even more indicative of the crisis at the time was the fact that there was not complete unity within the Nationalist government itself.

Li Zongren in Guangxi and Long Yun in Yunnan, faced with the worsening war situation, had privately coordinated and discussed the situation and measures to be taken should Chiang Kai-shek lose power and collapse and Chongqing fall.

Even within the Nationalist government, people had already begun considering, “What should we do if Chongqing falls?”

But Chiang Kai-shek still chose to remain.

And during the Republic of China's most difficult years, Japan also sought through various channels to conclude a “peace agreement” with Chiang Kai-shek, attempting to withdraw Japanese troops and end the war in China.

For Japan, if the Republic of China accepted a peace arrangement favorable to Japan, Japan could reduce the burden of the Chinese theater.

But Chiang Kai-shek did not accept it.

What Chiang Kai-shek insisted upon was that Japan withdraw the gains it had seized through its war of aggression against China and restore the sovereignty of the Republic of China, rather than exchanging humiliating terms for temporary peace.

Because he knew:

If peace comes at the price of abandoning national sovereignty, it is not peace, but another form of defeat.

Thus, the Republic of China continued its arduous resistance.

And even as the Chinese theater was engaged in bitter fighting, the situation in the Pacific theater was undergoing fundamental changes.

The Allies began a full-scale counteroffensive, and Japan gradually approached the end of the road.

In 1945, the Republic of China finally reached the day it had so desperately awaited.

On August 15, Japan announced its acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation and its acceptance of unconditional surrender.

On September 2, Japan formally signed the Instrument of Surrender.

After eight years of resistance, victory had finally arrived.

This victory was by no means a matter of luck.

It was won by the Nationalist troops who fell on the battlefield of Shanghai, the officers and soldiers who fought bloody battles at Taierzhuang, the Nationalist troops who fought one after another in Changsha, Changde, Hengyang, western Yunnan, northern Burma, and other battlefields, as well as countless Chinese civilians who lost their homes and loved ones amid the flames of war.

More importantly:

At the most difficult moment, the Republic of China did not choose to surrender.

On September 3, 1945, the Nationalist government designated this day as “Victory Day of the War of Resistance,” which later also became the “Armed Forces Day” familiar to us.

Today marks 81 years since that victory.

Looking back at the early years of World War II, Poland quickly fell under the German attack, while France also fell within a short period of time. In contrast, despite facing an all-out attack by a powerful enemy, the fall of vast areas of its territory, and national strength far inferior to that of the enemy, the Republic of China nevertheless persisted in the war of resistance for eight years, until it finally achieved victory.

But it cannot be denied that, at one critical moment after another, Chiang Kai-shek, as supreme commander, never chose to surrender.

This extraordinary perseverance and determination, beyond what could be expected of an ordinary person, was an important key to the Republic of China's ability to continue persevering amid a shattered nation and to await victory through its darkest years.

Without perseverance, there could have been no prolonged war of resistance.

Had it chosen compromise, it might not have been able to wait for the reversal of the international situation.

Had the Republic of China of that time fallen, there would have been no victory in the War of Resistance in 1945.

Looking once again at this “Victory Commemorative Photograph of the Allied Forces” of Chiang Kai-shek wearing the ceremonial uniform of a Grand Marshal, what we see is not merely a supreme commander.

We see a nation that went from shattered mountains and rivers and a lone army fighting a bitter struggle to ultimately stand among the victorious Allied Powers.

From 1937 to 1945, eight years passed without surrender.

From a shattered nation to victory in the War of Resistance.

This history is worthy of being remembered forever by those who come after us.

🇹🇼 September 3, the 81st anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance.

With this photograph, we respectfully salute all those who once fought bloodily for the country and the nation.

Remember history, and commemorate the fallen heroes.

Never forget the eight-year War of Resistance; never forget that victory won with blood and lives.

I hope someone backs them up :(