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1. Description of Our Community
Our community is located in Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan, which is close to Lukang, one of the earliest settled areas in Taiwan. Therefore, there are many temples here, and traditional craftsmanship flourishes. In the early days, there were many skilled artisans specializing in carving Buddha statues in this area, and their craftsmanship was widely renowned.
Statue sprucing is the traditional craftsmanship of carving statues of gods. Statue carving methods include wood carving, clay sculpture, stone carving, and other techniques. Statue sprucing mainly combines wood carving and lacquer art, and even includes religious rituals, hardware accessory installation, etc. The process of statue sprucing is extremely complicated and meticulous, and it requires very high technical skills from a craftsman. If a craftsman does not have great enthusiasm and extraordinary perseverance, it will be difficult for him/her to persevere to the end.
Changhua and Lukang was once one of the important towns for statue sprucing. However, with the changes of the times, the traditional craftsmanship has gradually declined. In the sluggish market of statue sprucing, Master A-fa has created a new path for traditional craftsmanship through superb craftsmanship and exquisite carving techniques.
We hope that through CyberFair project, more people can come to understand this precious craft that is on the verge of disappearing, and contribute our efforts to preserving this valuable human craftmanship.
2. Summary of Our Project
The belief in gods and Buddhas is the daily life of the Taiwanese. There are various temples worshiping gods and Buddhas scattering throughout the streets and alleys. For the statues of gods and Buddhas worshiped in both temples and at home, these exquisitely carved statues not only serve as people’s religious beliefs and spiritual sustenance, but also reflect the miraculous traditional craftsmanship of “statue sprucing.”
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:4-6
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
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): Campus computer network part: Changhua County Government announced plans to build a campus academic network environment in 2019. At present, the parts that our school has built are: 1. Update the campus cross-building fiber optic backbone network 2. Classrooms with more than two outlets (information outlets are required) 3. Wireless Internet access coverage in the teaching area 4. Information security integration planning 5. Marginal operations.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
Traditionally, the statue sprucing production process is quite secretive and rigorous, and most of the techniques are passed down from father to son or from master to apprentice. In the statue sprucing process, there are established specifications required to be followed at each stage. Sometimes craftsmen must also perform religious rituals or perform purification and fasting to show respect for gods and Buddhas.
Our team members are all encountering this traditional craft for the first time, and we must challenge many restrictions handed down by our ancestors, including gender and zodiac constraints. Following Master A-fa's guidance, we delve into the mysterious world of statue sprucing art. Furthermore, this craft involves many specialized terms. In preparation for interviews, we did a lot of research, hoping to provide a comprehensive and relatable introduction to the miraculous and impressive aspects of statue sprucing for people around the world to understand.
Throughout the process, learning to shoot videos, produce films, create online games, design webpages, and so forth, has been a tremendous challenge for us. Fortunately, our teachers have been very patient, and there are also many detailed tutorials available online, which have enabled us to overcome various difficulties step by step.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
The exquisite traditional craftsmanship deserves to be cherished, valued, and promoted, as it embodies the essence of culture and perpetuates social values. Through the process of tracing our roots, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the significance of our existence, thereby building hope for the future.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
There is a statue sprucing Master in Changhua named Master A-fa. Master A-fa’s full name is “Shin-fa Lin.” He has been engaged in statue sprucing for more than 40 years and is good at god statue carving and restoration. The Buddhist tools shop he runs is located in front of “Nanyao Temple” near our school. Many national and county-designated monument temples enshrine statues of gods made or restored by him. In recent years, government authorities, such as the Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Affairs Bureau have paid increasing attention to the inheritance of traditional crafts. These authorities issued Master A-fa Changhua County intangible assets “statue sprucing” and “statue restoration (wood carving, clay sculpture)” double certificates as a preserver. The Ministry of Culture also registered Master A-fa’s statue restoration craftsmanship on the National Cultural Heritage Network. Master A-fa’s reputation spread far and wide, and even craftsmen from foreign temples came to seek assistance from him.
With the assistance from the township chief, we had an exclusive interview with Master A-fa. The amiable Master A-fa greeted us warmly. When he talked about his beloved statue sprucing craft, he was even more excited and happy. He was eager to pass on such precious traditional craftsmanship to more people.
Our special project on statue sprucing Master A-fa also attracted the attention from Public Television Service, of which the host came to Changhua to discuss the details of interviewing Master A-fa with us. The host, Miss Ally, visited Master A-fa with us, and the video will be broadcast to audiences across Taiwan soon for more people to understand this exquisite, beautiful, and sacred traditional craft!
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