CyberFair Project ID: 7053

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Raise the Red Lantern
Category: 8. Local Music and Art Forms
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2012/gsh7053/
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2012/gsh7053/b2.htm

School: LuKang junior high school
    LuKang Township, Taiwan, Taiwan, R.O.C

8 students, ages 12-14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 16, 2012. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Bing-Fu Shih; Tien-Chu Huang; Wen-sheng Huang

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.lkjh.chc.edu.tw/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Lukang Township is part of Changhua County, located on the northern shore of Lukang River located on the northwestern side of the Changhua plains. On the east it connects to Xiushui Township, on the west it meets the Taiwan Strait, on the south its borders are Lukang River and Fuxing Township, and on the north it connects to Xianxi Township and Hemei Village via Fanya Ditch. It is 2 km long from the northwest to southeast, and its widest part in the center is 750 meters wide. Lukang Township has an area of 39.4625 km sq. Even though it has come under the impact of modernization for many years, it has not lost its ancient appearance. Its temples, cultural relics, ancient streets, handicrafts, and street foods all maintain characteristics of traditional culture from the past 300 years. In the past “the two Lu’s” has cultivated rich culture; everywhere in the streets and alleys of Lukang, there were ancient relics and temples. Since Lukang officially opened trade routes with Hanjiangkou of Quanzhou, Fujian in 1784, Lukang became a main location for immigrants from Quanzhou, as well as the main export coast for merchandise in central Taiwan. This caused Lukang to have over 80% of residents who were originally from Quanzhou. Thus, Lukang was known as a township with greatest “Quanzhou style.” So we define “our community” to be the Lukang area.

2. Summary of Our Project

We are introducing and researching the “lantern” invented for illumination needs at night after the Qin Dynasty. With the advancement of times, social structures have changed, causing many cultural assets to be forgotten by society – this is a regrettable thing. Lukang is the home of many folk customs and technical arts. Because of this, Lukang has many winners of traditional heritage and industrial art awards, as well as many industrial artists who work here. We welcome people who like traditional industrial arts to come to Lukang for a very different journey in art. Our project will have a detailed introduction of the origins, production, and materials of lanterns. The art forms, bamboo-weaving methods, changes in colors, and cultural meanings will undergo in-depth discussion and exploration. With research models of “visiting masters,” “actual experiences,” “data analysis and compilation,” and “exploration of lantern arts,” this study expresses the appearance of lantern arts in Lukang, to allow Taiwanese people to understand traditional and to let the world see the beauty of lanterns in Taiwan.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Problems We Had To Overcome?

Problems 1: The elderly in Lukang have a Quanzhou accent when speaking Taiwanese, and sometimes they are hard to understand. Solutions: The masters are asked to explain in other ways, the local youths from Lukang are invited to explain on the side, and to translate the differences between the two types of Taiwanese.

Problems 2: Insufficient interviewing experience, resulting in being nervous during interviews and being inept at asking questions. Solutions: a. Carry out pre-trip planning, and bring recorder and digital camera to record images, sounds, and texts. b. First collect the questions that the team wants to ask, then uniformly plan the sequence of questions, to make sure that the interview process will be smooth and to avoid forgetting important parts.

Problems 3: Since there is a lot of academic work, it was a major stress on us to complete the work within the limited time. Solutions: Good time planning, create progress charts listing the main objectives of each trip and the follow-up work.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

If we use the most optimistic, proactive, and confident attitude to face everything we encounter in life, then we can participate and learn, and develop through learning, and we would certainly have fulfilled and rich lives. During this period, we overcame many obstacles and defeats together, so all of the traces we have left with the team members will be wonderful memories forever. Thank you to the teachers who have guided us, the interview subjects, and people and groups who have lent their assistance. Thank you! It’s great to have you!

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

The purpose for the Ministry of Education to promulgate the Grade 1-9 Curriculum, was to: “Cultivate robust national citizens who have democratic literacy, emotions, integrative ability, local and international consciousness, who can engage in life-long learning.” It emphasized that curricula should have life at its center, respect for character development, and cultivate the ability for active exploration and reflection, in hopes of actively promoting the active care for society, environment, and nature. This is so that there can be deeper understanding and a sense of identification for one’s own local culture, as well as respect and appreciation for other cultures. The “lanterns” project, can guide students in establishing research topics, drawing up research plans, collecting related data separately, and learning how to decide on the interview content and techniques, later organization of data, and creating web pages about lanterns. This let us sense the importance of realizing the spirit of Grade 1-9 Curriculum in real courses.

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Project Elements

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

For this Cyberfair project, we used the following tools & softwares: Tools: digital cameras, DV, computers, Voice recorder, Cellular phones, scanner, Computer software books, Software reference books. Software: Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Flash MX, SWISH 3, PhotoImpact 12, Java Script, PixMaker Pro, Windows XP, Flash 8. We were using some of these technological products for the first time. At first we were not sure what to do and felt it was difficult, but still learned how to use them after all, and we were happy about learning.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Since we began working on the “Raise the Red Lantern” project, all of our actions, from interviews to making the web pages, have been dedicated to expanding the reputation of lanterns, so that people can better understand lanterns. Everyone learned more things, coming to understand that for a web page to come into existence, it requires step by step slow discussion and research. We used internet searches and character interviews to collect related data. We interviewed bamboo lantern masters and “EVJ Lantern Art Studio” to collect data relating to lanterns. We also interviewed the masters, and really appreciate their assistance. However, with the final time pressure, we gradually improved because we wanted to do well, and began to lead discussions. We all think this is the major breakthrough for us.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Since the 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival is in Lukang, our township had a series of arrangements and preparations, and our school had to make many lanterns to participate in the exhibition. It just so happened that the topic of our Cyberfair project is lanterns! With this perfect opportunity, our team started an intense schedule of interviews and the production process. The producing teachers and students said that lanterns are an important folk custom and technique in Lukang. In our township, there are many famous lantern-making masters. However, the production techniques of lanterns are being lost in the trend of the times. With this lantern festival, learning this precious folk art is a great thing! Watching the busy students and teachers, and seeing the satisfied smiles after completion, I felt that this lantern festival is very meaningful, and our project was born.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We would like to express our gratitude to all interviewees: Magistrate Bo-yuan Chuo of Changhua County, Mayor Hui-mei Wang of LuKang Township, Principal Bo-lin Wu of Lukang Junior High School, EVJ Lantern Art Studio. Instruction on the manufacture of traditional lantern: Ms. Juan Chan, Ms. Lin. We also thank Curtis Chen from Australia to assist the stability of our pages to test and give many practical suggestions through the internet.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Lanterns are necessary folk industrial arts in weddings, funerals, celebrations, and other temple festivals. For Lukang, the general styles of lanterns are in the Quanzhou system, slightly different from the Fuzhou-style lanterns popular in other places. Thus, the Quanzhou type Lukang lanterns have more variety and differences. In recent years it was found that there is much new talent in the coloring of Lukang lanterns. Many middle-aged creators are no longer sticking with tradition; the lantern forms and coloring differ from past creative ideals and styles, and are very unique. Very few people are currently working in this industry, but I hope that more young people will creatively design these colored lanterns. Even though the research process was difficult and it was necessary to invite many people, our spirit is that “regardless of how difficult the process is, and how much difficulty we experience, we still have to divide the work and work together, and present to everyone the most complete content.” We hope that our web page will affect the local area, so that more people can participate, so that this Chinese-style traditional art can receive more attention internationally.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 7053)

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