School: Jhuo-Hung Elementary School
    Kinmen, Fukien, Taiwan

7 students, ages 11-13 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 28, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2003

Classes and Teachers: Ching Jhang Hong

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.jhes.km.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

Lieyu is known as the Little Kinmen, a slight islet in the southwest of the main island Kinmen. It is very close to Xiamen of Fukien Province and only about five kilometers apart from Mainland China. Therefore its unique strategic location makes it 'the very outer islet of islets, the most front of all fronts.' Lieyu district is divided into five small villages, and the total area is only 14,851 kilometers with five thousands inhabitants. However, lots of scenic, ecological, historical, and cultural spots or sites make this lovely islet worth a deep-dyed visit. At the sightseeing of the wriggly coast can you find beautiful beaches full of snow-white sand. A good variety of bird species and scenes of large numbers of birds congregated together would absolutely catch your eyes. Places of historic interests, such as 823 Memorial Monument, Pata Memorial and Victory Gate, may probably arouse your patriotic sentiments. Besides, you can also take a look at our traditional villages and south of China's Fujian Province type houses. Before going home, don’t forget to taste our hometown specialty, Tribute Sweet (a kind of precious dessert for the Emperor). Then you won’t be disappointed for the coming of Lieyu.

2. Summary of Our Project

In the past, people may associate Lieyu only with military bases and innumerable soldiers. But now, as time goes by, it changes little by little and turns to be an important part of Kinmen National Park revealing brand-new features. So the purpose of this project is to present to people in Taiwan even people all around the world an introductory look at such an elegant and charming place. Through this research, we display the most representative parts with genuine interviews and beautiful photographs. We hope our words in the website can let you know more about Lieyu. We are passionate to share our natural and cultural treasures with all of you. Don’t you feel a little moved? Take a tour and come along with us. Lieyu, its veil is going to be revealed for you. Your coming is always welcome

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

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

Our school conencts to internet by ADSL. Upload speed is 384 K and download speed is 1.5 MB. There is one computer classroom in our school, which have thirty-two computers provided by Ministry of Education's expand interior needs project in 1998. The computers model is mostly PIII-350. Our school has three servers, one is Linux, the others are WINDOWS 2000 series. Computers in the computer classroom can connect to internet via ADSL and utilize all net services through our server. The network connection status is very smooth. Every class owns a student computer. Members of our team all have ADSL at their home to surf internet, thus the use of internet is very smooth.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Hard to defining Topics: To accomodate local customs lessons, we started understanding our home village environment. In natural environment, we start to investigate Lieyu's natural environment, including seashore geological rocks, plants, birds, intertidal organisms, and specialties. We then continue to investigate Lieyue's Fukien style structures and folk temple and family shrines, battlefied evidences and histories, and local humanities. Thus when we decided to join Special Topic Research, everyone hesitated what kind of topic should we choose. As everyone express their opnions with further discussions and receiving some advices, it was finally settled. We decided to join local tourism resource group. We believe presenting these rich information will attract all kinda of lovers to visit. Whether it is an interest in battlefield remains, traditional Fukien style buildings, or even amateaurs interested in natural habitats, they can all come to this outer island of outer islands to see them all!

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Walking leaves behind trails. When we walk through every corners of our homeland, we find out that our homeland is so beautiful. The richness in natural views, beauty of traditional villages, and battlefield history and remains all keep us touched. We spend several months in production of these homepages. In these day, we had frustrations, troubles, laughs, and sweats, but we confront with them with all of our energies. The breakthrough of difficulties let me realize although Little Kinmen is small, but I wish Lieyu can be more advanced. More tourism spots should be developed and the develoment of tourism business here will let people know that Lieyu is a beautiful island. Local customs and humanities of Lieyu will also successfully passed through our webpages. Everyone will understand Little Kinmen even more.

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

1. To match progress of local lessons: In our research, we do investigations and photography in every villages during holiday hours. We also share our knowledge and thoughts with other students in our local customs class, so they will feel our growth and happiness. Everyone is surprised of the rich inner contentment in small Lieyu. It also stirs up interests of some students to investigate with use during holidays. They have also given us their support and encouragement in our website.

2. To cultivate our love for homeland:

In process of our investigation, we really walk out of school and take a further step to understand our homeland and introduce it to everybody in teh world. They will know the beauty of our homeland, and the relatives in other places will feel the warmth of homeland and its development. They will be honoured to be sone of Lieyu. Thus, everyone pays a lot of attention into this project. They hope to let every to know this outer island of islands and share the beauty of this land with everyone, under the influence and communication of internet.

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

In this research topic, it combines the use of many information technology, including

1. Digital Camera:In this research, it is the most economical equipment when we take photo and interview. It is also more convenient for us to capture views and scenes. Our school has provided this equipment for us.

2. Digital Video Camero:Splendid picture is always hard to capture, thus teachers teach us to film interviews during our research by digital film camera. This allows other students to view, and also is the best recording method because it records the current video, sound, and time.

3. Use of scanner:After permission, we scan many preciously held pictures with our scanner.

4. Production of webpage:Under teacher's supervision, we learn to use Frontpage2000 to do our webpages. The collected information, interview content, and photos filmed are added into our webpage.

5. Burner:When we finish our webpages, teachers teach us how to record our webpages into CD. It is for memorial and the results can also be shared to other schools, friends, and villagers who love this place.

6. Use of FTP:Our school website opens a FTP, where everyone upload photos and relative information to this site. The webpages and photos everyone made are all placed here for final editing purposes.

7. Potorimpact:Modification on photo will make them look even more unique. After learning how to use Potorimpact, we do some changes on our photos.

8. Telephone:It shrinks distance between everyone. With it, We are able to make appointment for interview and contact others with it.

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

In the progress of Special Topic Research, our principal supports our activity all the way. Other teachers and fellow students also encourage us. He always talk about our Special Topic Research Project in early meetings. He constantly gives us support and passes this message to everyone in the school. He can be said as our first 'embassy'. In communicating with village elders in telephone, we always have to tell them about our intentions since we need their information or simple contact before visiting them. Thus, we are ambassadors through telephone. E-mail is also an important path in contacting our activities. All members are responsible embassadors who advertise our activities to everyone. We wellcome any comment and advices.

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

1. Influence on Tourism Development: This Special Topic Research mainly introduce the nature and humanities in our hometown. The boundary of it is very wide. It does not only introduce good site for family travel, and also natural habitats, local customs, humanities, Fukien style buildings, and folk temples, family shrines, battlefield history and its remains, local specialties, and more. We make extensive introduction for everyone in the world to know more about Kinmen. As Kinmen removed its military affairs, it has stepped forward to tourist economics. Kinmen, the place that has defended boundary of Taiwan, showing excellent efforts in Baersan Battle and Guningtou Win, is definitely a place everyone wants to visit. Through this Special Topic Research, it should help and bring some benefits to our hometown.

2. Sharing Teaching Resources: Many students and teachers in nearby school encourage us and say our webpages are very practical and useful. They say they usually find relative local custom information and find detail information of them in our website. Thus, we believe when our webpage and this Special Topic Research is finished, it certainly will bring benefits to local teaching and let the children of our home village to realized more about our hometown. They will love the beauty of this land.

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

1. Lieyu Junior High Director of Office of Dean of Studies Teacher Linyinshen:Director Lin is the authority in introducing environment of Lieyu. When introducing natural environment, he provides us with many information. He also personally bring us to field trips for investigations with clear explainations along the way.

2. Mr. Hongsongbuo:he is a famous calligrapher in Lieyu writing beautiful Chinese words. The four words?The Custom and Scenery of Lieyu? in our homepage is written by him.

3. Secretary Hongguotai:He is the secretary of Lieyu Representative's Association. He has broad knowledge to family shrines and temples in Lieyu, and provides us with many information and photos.

4. Lieyu Junior High Director of Office of Dean of StudentsTeacher Hongyongshan:He is a famous artiest in Kinmen area. We invite him to be designer and editor of our homepage, providing us with advices. Director Hong also willingly provides us with his works for us.

5. Kinmen Senior HighTeacher Hsuyongmien:When we try to film photos for bird. Teacher Wujienyi of Shangqi Elementary assists us, and Teacher Hsuyongmien from Kinmen Senior High helps us by providing all the bird photos that we need. Teacher Hsu is the bird specialist in Kinmen area. With his help, the section in natural bird resources has more materials and becomes more interesting.

6. Mr. Hongxiaotsong:He is born in Fukien and graduated from architecture of Chengong University in 1994. The information about villages in the website all referenced Mr. Hong's master thesis. The development information about villages in Lieyu is very complete, filling in something we cannot find in our interviews.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

In the process of Special Topic Research Project, we find out that although our hometown is small, but has hidden many surprising things within. Without deep investigation and understanding, we will never know that it is hidden with so many interesting treasures. I think this is the reason why you will understand something when you calm down and focus on anything. The retrieval of knowledge is more deeply appreciated when you learn them in your surrounding and life! This learning experience let me find the beauty of our homeland. Another lesson I learn is that studies and learning are all in our life, waiting for us to find out. To keep a hardworking, willing-to-learn, curiosity-about-everything heart will make your study never ends. Our lives will be splendid and interesting. This way, our ideals will be slowly reached and contribute to our society.