- Home
- Programs
- International CyberFair
- Participants
- Display Project Details
Hong Yeh Elementary School (2006 CyberFair Project ID 4579)
Taiwan,
Wanrong Shiang,
Hualien
Official Status:
Final Project: Ready for Judging
Teacher:
Category: 2. Community Groups and Special Populations
We estimate 7 student(s) from 5 to 12 will work on this entry.
Description of Our Community: In the past, Hong Ye was the habitat of the Amis Tribe, who scattered along the slopes around the police precinct. As there were many “lynxes,” people called it “kaoyao.” Due to typhoons and flooding, the aboriginals of the Amis lost most of their land. In addition, because of the invasion of Bunun, they moved to the west of the Coastal Mountains, i.e. Hekang now. After the Bunun Tribe migrated to Hong Ye, they settled down along the banks of Hong Ye River. They had a very small population only. In 1933, the Truku Tribe migrated here and called this place “yitaofukelenan.” As this piece of land was long and narrow, covered with trees’ shade, especially maple trees; therefore, people called it “Hong Ye” (red leaves). However, the people of the tribe still called it “aifunan.” The Truku Tribe of Hong Ye Village belongs to the Torko clan of the Sedeq Tribe. When they first moved here, the people mainly settled along the left bank of Hong Ye River at the west of Ruei-Shui Hot Spring and the southern slope of Hu-tou Mountain. Therefore, people regarded them as Hong Ye Tribe. A small number of them lived on the slope of Ti-chia Mountain, near Hong Ye Hot Spring now. Therefore, people called them “Hsibao” (treasure of the west). The tribe that followed was Bunun of Mahowandan Clan; they lived at the eastern corner of Hong Ye Tribe. The Hong Ye community is the southernmost community of Wan-rung Township (Aborigines’ Township), at 3km west of Tai-Route 9 from Ruei-shui. Now, the Hualien County government plans to turn it into New Ruei-shui Hot Spring Zone (covering 500 hectares at Ruei-shui Township and 360 hectares of Hong Ye Village, Wan-rung Township). Likewise, the entire Hong Ye community is included in the Hot Spring Zone. In addition, most of the important hot springs are located in this community. Now, the community has come to a consensus that we are going to develop it into a sightseeing and leisure hot spring zone. In addition to the natural resources, the hot springs, we will highlight the regional culture (aboriginal songs and dance, traditional handicrafts, tradition food, etc). In order to continue aboriginal culture, with the same consensus, Hong Ye Elementary School and the community always sponsor activities to continue the tribal cultures, with which we would like to manifest the community’s energy. Likewise, we can activate our community to attract more visitors and improve the operation of the community organizations and living quality. Although most of the inhabitants in this community are of Truku origin, most of them do not understand their own tribal culture much. Fortunately, with the endeavor of the enthusiasts, we are able to preserve and inherit the Truku culture; likewise, it can continue. With this research project, we hope to regain all the things we had and allow our next generation to enjoy the cultural treasure left to us by our ancestors.
Project Description: Recognized as a tribe by the government on January 14, 2004, Truku shares similar customs and cultures with the Atayal Tribe. Both of us live in the high mountains, hunt, plow the water field, and regard the rainbow as god’s bridge. Although we live on neighboring habitats, we cannot communicate with each other with our native languages. Therefore, we hardly interact with each other. As time progress, under the impacts of new culture, the people of the Truku Tribe cannot help but exclaim, “Life is getting more and more difficult!” In recent years, due to the changes in political and cultural environment, Taiwan’s aborigines are beginning to return to their own tribes and the tribes’ people are beginning to awake. However, we are astonished to discover that we are so alien to our own cultures. Likewise, we begin to interview the elders, the learned people, and the cultural workers in the villages, to record the elders’ oral history and collect the visible documents. Eventually, we would like to present to all the people the Truku’s oral literature, unique hunting culture, delicate weaving culture, magic bamboo plate mouthpiece, music, dance, myths and legends, etc. With the completion of these works, we do not only intend to record the last glimpse of Truku’s culture, but also to tell Truku’s children how to think in new ways with the hallmark of their tribe in order to fathom their meanings of existing in this era. Eventually, we will be proud to step on our ancestors’ rainbow bridge.