School: Taipei Municipal Zhishan Junior High School
    Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

7 students, ages 13-14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 23, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Kuo-Pao Tang, Shu-Chao Liu

E-Mail contact:

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

1. Description of Our Community

“Shihlin” means 'scholar forest.' Here, culture has been always prosperous since the Chin Dynasty. Our community presently has 3 universities, 4 high schools, 8 junior high schools, and 20 elementary schools. In addition, it has 'the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.'

2. Summary of Our Project

The Shihlin Presidential Residence initially belonged to the Shihlin Experimental Gardening Institute. After World War II, before Chiang's government moved to Taiwan, the Province's President Chen selected this place to be Chiang's presidential residence. In 1996, the place was opened to the public and has been attracting a large number of people since then. The place is surrounded by the Fushan Mountains and it is divided into two areas. The mountainous area consists of the fort of the Shihlin Presidential Residence, and the plain area is the place for many kinds of activities. Here is appropriate for strolling and other leisure affairs, as well as for physical exercises, extracurricular teaching, ecology studies, and so on. The study plan enables you to learn about the beauty and history of the place, and the passions of the people who had inhabited it. This is the place that you should visit by all means!

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:2-3

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

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

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

We have two computer labs at school; we use the one we usually have classes in. All computers are equipped with Pentium4 processors running at 1.8Ghz. We used PC both at school and home for this project. Teachers and students used ADSL surfing the Internet for information.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1) Limited Time: Because students come from different classes and have various tests, the instructor has created a bulletin, a calendar, a downloading website, contact email accounts, etc. Every student needs to access the Net every day, to make the project progress. 2) Limited Abilities: Due to our limited abilities, we have to resort to many websites for information. 3) Data Collecting Difficulties: The Presidential Residence was under military rule for a long time, so there were very few pictures taken of it. Besides, many people who had served in this place refused to be interviewed. However, we still found people willing to offer information. 4) The Official Residence has not been opened to the public. We have not been able to search and study it. But many enthusiastic people who had worked there provided information to us.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

United all our potential powers with teamwork and achieved the goal of elevating our English language skills through building an international web page that presented the Shihlin presidential Residence to the cyberspace. We felt honored and cautious that we had chosen the topic. We had also learnt about former President Chiang Kai-Shek's plain life with his wife. We were so touched by them and had tried our best to collect and report the data. We felt that as a kind of historical mission assigned to us!

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

1) In social study field: We can understand Chinag’s life from a historical point of view, as well as the morality of the society in those times. 2) In nature and biology field: We can learn how to draw the map of this place and its ecology environment. 3) In art and culture field: We are able to appreciate Madame Chiang's Chinese paintings. 4) In local education field: We can learn about the ecology, the events, and the future of the Presidential Residence, and figure out the relations between this place and our life. 5) In other aspects: We can better improve our computer-based data collecting, homepage designing, and art editing abilities. We can also meet several important people, as well as broaden our knowledge.

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

1) Digital Camera: This is the most important tool -- provided by the instructor and by the students’ parents. 2) DV video camera: Provided by the school. The instrument helped us fully record the interviews with related people. 3) Scanner: After being permitted to use the pictures, we scanned many precious pictures and displayed them in the project. 4) Homepage manufacture: We acquired Dreamwaver and Namo and we learned how to design a homepage and to put on it all of the information, interviews, and pictures. 5) Sharing information website: We communicated and shared our happiness on this website. 6) Art editing: We used Photoimpact and Fireworks to edit the art designing part. 7) MP3: We used this audio format for recording the interview content. 8) Burner: We made copies of the study plan and shared them with the interviewees and other schools.

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

We appreciated the following bureaus and people: City Development Bureau, Culture Bureau, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Administration Office, Kuomingtang History Exhibition Hall, United News, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Parks and Street Lights Office, Shihlin Presidential Residence Administration Office, Chi-Sing Eco-conservation Foundation, Ms. Hsu Mei-Ying, Pastor Chou Lien-Hua, Mrs. Chiang Fong Chi-Yi, Mr. Fong Yi-Hsuan, Mr. Ho Jan-Bin, and Mr. Chiang Liang-Shun, as well as the anonymous people who had offered us information, whom we have sent certificates acknowledging their contribution.

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

1) In sightseeing resources: The place is appropriate for strolling and other leisure activities, as well as for physical exercises, extracurricular teaching, ecology studies, and so on. 2) In school education: It tells us about the plain life of former president Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife, as well as about the biological and ecological aspects of the place. Do you know how many kinds of beautiful roses grow in the Rose Garden? Just follow our guide on this homepage, to learn about that. 3) In rumors: Some rumors and legend were explained by people who had worked here.

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

1. City Development Bureau: Mr. Yeh Jia-Yuan accepted our interview and enthusiastically explained the future and environment of the Presidential Residence. 2. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall: Ms. Chiu introduced Madame Chiang’s great life and art works. 3. Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Administration Office: Provided President Chiang’s voice recording, memorial song of Chiang, and related publication. 4. Kuomingtang History Exhibition Hall: Provided 12 precious pictures of Chiang’s life in the Presidential Residence. 5. Chi-Sing Eco-conservation Foundation: Offered various animal and plant data and explanation. 6. Shihlin Presidential Residence Administration Office: Director Lang Shu-Fang talked about the happiness and bitterness of the Residence. Typhoon was the biggest event there. 7. Mr. Hong Show-Liang: Provided pictures of activities held in the Residence. 8. Ms. Hsu Mei-Ying: She took charge of the gardening from 1970. She introduced all gardens and Madame Chiang's amiable and graceful manner. 9. Pastor Chou Lien-Hua: He talked about the religion of President Chiang, and we also experienced the sacred atmosphere in the chapel. 10. Mrs. Chiang Fong Chi-Yi: She told us about the life of Chinag's family in detail. She also mentioned that the most important heirloom is 'Love.' 11. Mr. Fong Yi-Shuan: He worked for the Residence from 1960 and told us the original appearance and changing of the place. 12. Mr. Ho Jan-Bin: He talked about his memories and presented many valuable pictures. 13. Mr. Chiang Liang-Shun: He was Chiang's secretary and displayed precious history and pictures as well. 14 Some anonymous senior misters: They kindly gave us many stories upon our sincere request .

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

1) All gardens are of the same size. Because they were experimental gardens, used on the research of fruit trees. 2) People who had worked for former President Chiang are very polite, responsible, provident, kind, honest and upright. They did not accept gifts, but enjoyed receiving appreciation certificates. 3) No secret passages or treasures exist under this place. There used to be many rumors about its secret passages and treasures, but we clarified the rumors after thoroughly studying the plans of the Presidential Residence.