Doors to Diplomacy Participants

Jie-Shou Primary School (2003 CyberFair Project ID 2234)
Taiwan, Matsu
Official Status: Incomplete: under Development
Teacher:
Category: 2. Community Groups and Special Populations

We estimate 10 student(s) from 10 to 12 will work on this entry.

Description of Our Community: On the islands of Matsu, a lot of villages built with stones are located on the mountain hills facing the ocean. People who left the homeland of Matsu said that the villages were declined. But these stone houses, with the wishes to protect cultural heritages, were later refurbished as libraries and tea houses… re-enriching the living space for the local people.

Project Description: Niu-Chiao Village is an old settlement with a long history. There are two types of old houses in Niu-Chiao; our research shows that there are eighteen "inverted V" shaped buildings, but 25 "Five Ridges and Four Slopes" style buildings - meaning that the two floor "Five Ridges and Four Slopes" style is more popular; perhaps most of the residents are fairly rich!

We found three reasons behind the fact that the windows at old houses in Niu-Chiao are all very small: (1) strong winds in the neighborhood; (2) as a defense against pirates; (3) most of the rocks used were not very long, forcing the windows to become small. Why are houses in Niu-Chiao similar in style to those in the Dinghai and Hwangchi areas along the coast of Eastern Fu-Chien. That's because most of the construction materials and the construction workers for Niu-Chiao came from that area.

Some of the old, crumbling buildings were repaired - we visited three, which became a coffee shop, a residence, and the "Grandma's Place" (an old winery at Matsu) - feels just great!Niu-Chiao is one of the three main villages of Matsu, and is a village of historic beauty; we must all treasure it.

No Project Narrative Yet Submitted