Braving the rain, a group of about 50 students from Hai Tian Elementary School walked along paths and alleys in Tainan’s Gongcinliao (公親寮) on Wednesday last week, listening intently to the introduction of important sites in the area and trying their best to empathize with their ancestors during the early years of the region’s colonization.
The tour was part of an ongoing program called “Temples Promote Learning” (大廟興學) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.
The program, started in 2007 as a joint effort between Tainan Community University and Haiweichao Temple, seeks to promote learning of local history among Taijiang (台江) area residents.
Tour guides were selected from students at Changan Elementary School, who took the Hai Tian Elementary School group along the river bed, introducing local history and stories.
The area was prone to flooding due to its proximity to the Zengwen River (曾文溪), but survived floods after being blessed by Master Chingshui (清水), Gongchin Borough (公親) Warden Wang Chin-shu (王金樹) said, adding that was why belief in Master Chingshui is prevalent in the area.
The bai xi qian (拜溪墘) ceremony has evolved into a unique local cultural event and is one of the area’s most valuable assets, Wang said, reciting the songs and poems used in the ceremony in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese).
The program was based on the concept that the river is a veritable museum, university Taijiang campus executive director Wu Mao-cheng (吳茂成) said, adding that, by helping communities and schools in the area visit local villages and sites of interest, the program could help young people learn about their community.
The program also provides the basis for interactions between different schools in the area, helping the schools and communities integrate, Wu said.
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