CyberFair Project ID: 8478

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Xinpu Ancestral Shrines Museum
Category: 6. Historical Landmarks
URL: http://cyber.fhjh.tp.edu.tw/xinpuhakka/
Bibliography: http://cyber.fhjh.tp.edu.tw/xinpuhakka/Bibliography.htm

School: Taipei Fuhsing Private School
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

8 students, ages 13-16 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 9, 2019. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2018.2017

Classes and Teachers: Teachers: Mr. Chia-Hao Chin, Mr. Xuan-Hao Fan, Mr. Shih-Sheng Lu, Students: Wen-Wei Lu, Wen-Chi Lu, Yi-Chieh Chen, Yi-Yen Chen, I-Wei Ho, Yueh-Tzu Lee, Bing-Yan Ho, Hung-Chang Lo

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.fhjh.tp.edu.tw/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

The local community presented in our research project is Xinpu Town in the Hsinchu County, which is located in the western part of Taiwan. Majority of the residents belong to the Hakka Ethnic Group. They not only have unique Hakka culture, but also many historical buildings and monuments. Families with the same last names lived and developed together, creating a unique ancestral culture in the course of Xinpu Town’s development. Our goal is to promote the Xinpu’s unique Hakka culture to the world through our website.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our research topic is “Xinpu Ancestral Shrine Museum”, which can be divided into several major categories: Xinpu Hakka History, Xinpu Ancestral Shrine Museum, Cultural Heritage, Investigation, Education Promotion, Hakka tradition.

Xinpu is an urban township known for its rich Hakka cultures. It has retained many historical Hakka buildings and traditions, as well as landmarks such as ancestral shrines. One of the key cultural spirit is to unite families together and strengthen the family bond through gatherings in the ancestral shrines.

To build some background - Hakka ancestors migrated from China to Taiwan 200 years ago. This was a difficult time for Hakka clans as they had to fight with other clans for farmland and resources. Eventually this united the Hakka clans and transformed into a strong family bond for Hakka culture.

To promote Hakka culture of filial piety of the ancestors and memorize Hakka traditional lifestyle, the local government revitalized the old streets by forming the “Ancestral Shrine Museum of Xinpu”. In so doing, the Hakka clans are once again reunited.

Through this museum we envision our ancestors’ lives 200 years ago, and we also envision Xinpu as a delightful township in the near future. One in which you could just walk into an old monument on the corner of a street and travel in time there! With half of our team members are Hakka, we envision to see much more integration of the ancient Hakka life and culture to the modern society. The ancestral shrines not only are spiritual landmarks, but also the core to promote the Hakka value and culture to see the future we have envisioned.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

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

As we are participating in this year’s Global SchoolNet International CyberFair, the biggest challenge is to translate all the data to English. With the guidance from our teachers and team members’ effort, we have completed the website in both Chinese and English. Another challenge we have encountered is learning how to build our website through Weebly platform. Furthermore, as team members are from different classes, it required more time to coordinate meeting hours. Lastly, it is a long distance between Taipei and Hsinchu, each trip to Hsinchu can be very time consuming.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We have collaboratively made use of the internet and social media by disseminating information with regard to the protection of historical ruins and the preservation of Hakka culture.

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

1.Language: (1)Submitted articles to publishers, enhancing writing skills (2)Sharpened English skill through translation, hoping to promote Xinpu’s Hakka culture to the world. 2.Society (1)Understood Xinpu’s Shrine culture, historic sites and Yimin religion, and learning Xinpu’s history from Japaese-Occupied period to date. (2)Get to know the traditional Hakka building’s design and structure through ancestral shrines. 3.Information Technology (1)Learning how to process video and images. (2)Using Weebly to build the website. (3)Using Excel to analyze data and create charts and graphs. 4.Data & Statistics Designed questionnaires and performed data analysis, getting a clearer understanding of the public's perception and acceptance of the topic through statistic charts. 5.Integrated Activity (1)Everyone shares tasks and rewards. (2)Common goals, effective meeting and discussion with completion deadline.

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Project Elements

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

1.software: (1)Window 7/Google Chrome/Internet Explorer/Safari for Research relevant information and video. (2)Line/Dropbox/Google Drive for Group communication, Video interview, information and data sharing. (3)Microsoft Word(2010/2016) for Integrating research reports and reviews. (4)Microsoft Excel(2010/2016) for Analysis on questionnaires and making charts and graphs. (5)Wobbly for Creating website and contents (6)Photoshop cc(2018)/Photoimpact X3/Microsoft PowerPoint(2010/2016)/ nEO iMAGING for media editing. (7)Mind Map Software (X-mind) for task assignment and project framework. 2.Hardware: (1)Desktop Computer/notebook Computer for report digitalization. (2)Laser Printer/Photo & Document Scanner for printing relevant documents. (3)Smart Phones/Nikon D3100 Digital Camera/Lumix GF6 Digital Camera/ Sony 3.0Mega Plxels for recording and filming of the research process

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

Connecting 3 ancient streets/6 lanes and 9 shines, Xinpu Ancestral Shrine Museum is a museum focused on Xinpu’s family shines. In addition to information gathering and on-site visits, we also had in-depth conversation with museum staffs and volunteers, and had interviews with Hsin-Pu Elementary School Principal and professional literature and history worker – Ms. Pao-Chuan Chang.

At the school, we hosted a presentation to students and teachers on Xinpu Hakka Shrines during the morning meeting, and made posters to promote the Hakka culture. Outside of the school, we went to Jen-Chi Senior Citizens’ Rest Home to share Hakka culture and cuisine. Through these activities and websites, we hope to share the rich Hakka culture and the beauty of ancestral shrines and to make Xinpu visible to the world!

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

The Hakka people are considered minority in Taiwan. Whether it is academic education or family education, there is a lack of study of Hakka culture, which has gradually reduced the awareness of the Hakka culture. The Hakka group has played an irreplaceable role in the history of Taiwan. The Hakka has shown unique and rich culture in architecture, art, heritage, education and lifestyle. We hope that through our promotion and introduction, not only will the Hakka family know more about and cherish the unique culture, but also carry forward the glory and let more people like it.

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

We interviewed the son of former principal of Hsin-Pu Elementary School, and visited his former resident. We learned about his life story and education concept. We also interviewed professional literature and history worker – Ms. Pao-Chuan Chang. In addition to sharing with us her experience in leading the aesthetics of community life in Xinpu Town, Ms. Chang also exchanged ideas with how to create an artistic atmosphere around our lives.We also express our sincere appreciations to Hsin-Pu Elementary School and Xinpu Ancestral Shrine Museum for providing valuable information, images, and explanation. In addition, we are able to research precious documentations and information through the websites of Hakka Affairs Council, Taipei Hakka Affairs Commission, and Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County Government.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

From the research project we learned that the Hakka group put great value on traditions such as guidelines set out by ancestors and filial piety culture. The Hakka ancestral shrine is not only a sacred place where the family members worship their ancestors, but also a place that witness every important event of the clan, as well as a place to educate the descendants about the family culture. We discovered that these historical buildings have much more meanings. These buildings represent the spiritual home and strong family bond of the Hakka people.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 8478)

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