CyberFair Project ID: 2163

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: The Temple of Misery - Hsiang Hsin Tan
Category: 6. Historical Landmarks
URL: http://gsh.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2003/2163/index.html
Bibliography: No bibliography page cited

School: Chih Ping Senior High School
    Taoyuan, Taoyuan, R.O.C, Taiwan

7 students, ages 17-18 years worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 10, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2001,2002

Classes and Teachers: Hsu Chih-wei, Chen Ying-chieh, and Chen Yu-chieh

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.cpshs.tyc.edu.tw

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

We live in a place where you can see many temples and deities around, where there are numerous temple activities and religious ceremonies. Old generation seems to know when to worship certain gods, and what sacrifice offerings good enough to gods. With the advanced technology, some folk practices have been gradually neglected. Through this case study, we may have some memories and understanding about temples, their origin, and some related knowledge.

2. Summary of Our Project

There are numerous old temples in Taoyuan County. Most people are not aware of history and culture of old temples, and their sad stories behind and development. This case study is aimed to introduce “ Hsiang Hsin Tan”, an old temple on the mountain.

We have made on-site interviews during a period of half a year into Web Page. You can have a glance of the old temple in terms of history & culture, geographic environment, belief, architecture and so on. With our further in-depth exploration, you may see something unknown behind an old temple.

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:2-3

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

When Internet was required, we would use the computer at school to log on the Internet. Through TI and ADSL, we are satisfied with the Internet speed. The school is planning to drive a movement” every classroom with wide-band Internet”. As a result, every classroom can be equipped with a computer with Internet connection. How convenient!

On Holidays, we are able to use computer facilities in the Information office to search information we need. Or we may go to Internet Café, or at least we can use our computer with a modem at our own home.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Our first drawback was the change of study subject. Due to typhoons and the safety concern they caused, we had to cancel the original topic "Train Journey to Hualien." Then we learned about Hsiang Hsin Tan by chance. After knowing the stories behind the scenes, we decided to make it the subject of our case study.

The tremendous amount of information presented another challenge. Processing the information gathered mostly through interviews becomes an important issue. To solve the problem of writing down the materials recorded on interviewing tapes, we listened and typed them into text files and let the students decided what they want.

Transportation and language problems seem trivial compared to he ones mentioned above. As there are very few buses going up the mountain where Hsiang Hsin Tan is located and the students are too young to drive, Director Chen, Mr. Hsu and Ms. Chen would take the students either by car by motorcycles. Last but not least, Hakka is the dialect spoken by people in Hsiang Hsin Tan, Ms. Chen, the only group member who speaks fluent Hakka, acts as our interpreter.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

It has been half a year since we started our case study. Now it comes to an end. This ending seems perfect to us. We have spent a lot of time and learned from this case study, and the teacher gained experiences of leading us. We learned how to collect data and information, deal with and communicate with people.

Local hooligans often came and make troubles in the temple, threatening their family. They are not scared, as the head said, “ as the manager of temple, I should do my best to safeguard the temple.” The way he was doing things is what we need to learn. As long as things are right and good, we should be insistent. Men are doing things on earth, and the heavens are observing them. In spite of villains’ evil doing, things will change in a long run.

The contest is over now. We are going to dedicate our works in the contest to Hsiang Hsin Tan. We hope through this website, the temple can be prosperous. Let us make an extra effort!

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

As to your involving in the activity of case study in the Cyber Fair, does it help you in terms of the school teaching and the curriculum? Among others, our students are the ones of low-achievement. They have not been good in academic performance, and less interested in class.

However, through the case study, they made field and site investigations. On the interview process, they were dealing with people and things. Most important of all, they learned ways of communication and the importance of it. All of these cannot be provided in class alone. Working together in interviews, teachers and students are getting in good terms. In addition, we have learned how to use some software, some of which taught at school some of which learned at first time. In doing the case study, we are getting fond of computers, which provides us other usages than video games, such as filming editing, photo processing, data gathering, etc. on experiencing these, we are sure we are getting more interested in learning.

In junior year, we students at Information Department are going to have a class, called “ topic making”. We believe we can score high because of our experience we got this time.

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Project Elements

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

1)Telephone:By telephone, we contacted with members and people in the temple. 2)Camera:For photo taking, such as articles, things and sights relating to the case study. 3)Printer:For printing out information we gathered. 4)E-mail:To send information used for the case study. 5)Internet:To search information required for the case study. 6)Tape recorder:To record what we did in interview. 7)Scanner:To scan photos or pictures used for the case study into a computer for further treatment. 8)Library:where we can find information. 9)Relevant books:as References for data and information analysis 10)Software Photolmpact5 For photo treatment Photovista2 For 360 degree moving pictures Dreamweaver3 For Web Page editing MGI videowave3 For film editing Word 2000 For text treatment CuteFtp To upload Web Page Movie Maker for film making, and voice recording The above hardware and software from school were used, and some trial sheared software was downloaded from Internet.

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

Most of our information came from site interviews. We have interviewed with the head of temple, Chen Chen-cheng, and his mother, Mr. Liu Ching-kao, a shop owner, Mr. Chen Feng-ming and a student Sheng Ying-wen.

We have recorded our interview and have picture taken every time. If we couldn’t make interviews possible, we would use phone calls or e-mails to complete our information gathering.

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

We students of course are the most influenced in the case study. On the research process, we have learned a lot of precious things. Most important of all we have learned how to seek for information and interview skills, Every visit interview gave us further knowledge about the old temple, and topple our past knowledge about old temples. We realized that old temple had secrets behind and far from our reach to get a full grasp in our exploration.

Many times of site interviews have taught us one thing that a unique temple must have something wretched and sad story behind, long or short. Temples, like men, sometimes live in a peaceful and prosperous environment but there are still bad luck and hardship. We seldom know their stories.

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

We need to give special thanks to the following agencies and people for their help make our case study possible:

a). Our school for their support in finance, facilities, etc. b). Wu Chi-hsun and Huang Te-hsi, teachers, for service of English language. c). Sheng Tze-chen, teacher, for enriching our web page by drawing maps. d). Miss Tso Wu-lan and Miss Lee Li-chun at ChungYuan University for helping seeking a architecture specialist. e). Mr. Dai, assistant at the Architecture Department of ChungHua University for enthusiastic assistance in finding the person in charge of the project. f). Sheng Yi-wen, student of the Architecture Department of ChungYuan University for helping the analysis of architecture. g). Mr. Chen Chen-cheng, head of temple, and his family for his enthusiasm, assistance and hospitality. h). Mr. Chen, Feng-ming for the survey of Feng Shui in Hsiang Hsin Tan.

We are grateful to your help, and wish you all in prosperity and in good health!!

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

More to be found: In the past nearly one year of study, we have found some un-known part of Hsiang Hsin Tan. Either past cultural history or some hidden story is filled with surprise and curiosity.

Each visit, we found Hakka are people with simplicity, tradition and hospitality. Furthermore, for the sake of an old temple, we felt somewhat more pious, peaceful and harmonious in our heart. We were getting fond of this piece of land.

Unforgettable lesion: Due to our first participation in the Cyber Fair and lack of experience, we asked teachers to give us more guidance. Our former topic was related to a train journey to Hualien. Since severe damage caused respectively by Typhoon Taoshih and Typhoon Nali, we had to terminate our Huanlien interviews. After our discussion in the meeting, we changed to “old temples in Taoyuan County” as our next interview topic. Though we didn’t make such topic as a Huanlien trip, luckily enough, we might save a lot of trouble, even our lives, to go all the way to Huanlien.

Continuing surprises:

On the interview process, we discovered many people who were so willing to give us a hand. Many people said we lived in a cool and indifferent society, but to our comforts, we didn’t feel this way. When we had difficulty in getting information or manpower, we always had someone to help us.

We also asked questions through e-mail letters or phone calls, and people were answered one after another. We have got pretty good solutions, and our special thinks go to everyone who helps.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 2163)

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