1. Competition Category: Local Tourism Resource
2. Title of the Research: Falling in Love with Railways: An Introduction of Railway Related Scenic Spots in Changhua
3. Introduction of the Local Community
Changhua County has been known as Taiwan Rice Warehouse, which was long ago called Babuza, the name given by the aboriginals and was put down in Chinese characters by transliteration.The origin of the name Yuanlin can be traced as far back as to Yong Zheng Period of Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that during the reign of Yong Zheng (1723-1735), the area of Yuanlin had been reclaimed by the Han people, the prime pioneer being Shi, Shi-Bang. It, then, was under the jurisdiction of Yan Wu Up and Down Fort. Around the 16th year of the reign of Emperor Qian Long, it had been developed into a town named Yuanlin Zi Street because of its circle shape (its Chinese pronunciation is “yuan”) which was the outcome of the reclamation from all around. It was also widely known as Lin Zi Street because of the flourishing woods that surrounded it ( woods in Chinese is pronounced as “lin”).
The range of our local community research is set within Changhua County, centering upon Yuanlin City. The railway related scenic spot in Changhua is connected by the railroads and renders them valuable as railway tourism resources.
4.Research Description
Taiwan Railways Western Line had been separated into two lines started from south of Zhunan Station and the lines converged at north of Changhua Station. In Changhua Station, there is a train maintenance base and a roundhouse, which is the only roundhouse in Taiwan. In the past, Changhua sugar railways were all around the towns in Changhua. It also supervised the section of passenger transport. Nowadays, however, there are only some parts of the sugar railways that are still functioning. Only Xi Hu Sugar Refinery still carried on, and because the sugar railway to the Refinery is a distance away from the scenic station – Wu Fen Station, the other parts of the railway were abandoned or dismantled. Presently, Yuanlin Station is the first elevated railway track in Changhua County.Besides being an agricultural area, Changhua County is also abundant with railway scenic spot resources; therefore, we decided to focus our research on them so as to take people on a Changhua County railway in-depth journey.
5. Research Plan Outline
(1)Research Purpose
1. Get to know the development of the railway scenic spot culture in Changhua County.2. Have a field visit to the railway scenic spots to get a more comprehensive knowledge of how railway related scenic spot developed.
3. Come up with questions when having a field visit to railway related scenic spots and railway relic halls and think about the questions to eventually find solutions.
(2)Research Method
The following are the adopted methods and the order of them.
1. Collect data over the net
2. Contact the staff member of the railway scenic spots and the railway relic halls
3. Plan the route of the field visit to railway scenic spots
4. Arrange the order of the visits and note the matters that need attention
5. Go on a railway field visit and take photos, videos and record
6. Compile the data, write reflections and make a website
6. Facilities：
- There are two computer rooms with 70 computers in total available for the students.
- A computer and a laptop are allocated to every homeroom teacher; a projector is installed in every classroom.
- Since 2009, an E classroom, with electronic whiteboards, was set up for education.
- The campus’ main network is Trunk Carrier which is connected to Academic Network. There is also a backup optical network.
- There are three wireless network equipment in our school, so wifi is available on campus.
- There are three HSDPA wireless internet access for the teachers and the students to connect to.
7. Problems and Difficulties Encountered in the Research
| Problems and Difficulties Encountered | Problem Description | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| 1.A Lack of the Ability to Collect Data | The students lack the ability to arrange data. When searching for information, it was not easy for them to find the information that conforms to the research topic. | The students were divided into groups and were encouraged to cooperate, which sped up the process of information gathering. Through group discussions, the teachers also led the students to sort the information properly. |
| 2. Slow in Typing and an Unfamiliarity with the Software | Since the students type pretty slowly, it took longer time for them to type in the information. Besides, losing or mistakenly deleting the file happened quite often. What’s more, because of the unfamiliarity with the software, unexpected accidents happened when arranging the photos and the research data and therefore put off the rate of progress. | The students were asked to prepare flash drives and make good use of online hard drive to backup data. The students were also intensively taught to use software and encouraged to share their using experiences. As to the typing part, they were encouraged to practice more during the breaks or at home. |
| 3. Incomplete Activity Recordings | The students had difficulty recording complete information and thus, the information we had are sometimes incomplete. | The students were asked to work in small groups of 2 or 3. In the group, everyone is responsible for their share of work, for example, taking notes, recording, and videotaping. When arranging the data after the interview, they were suggested that they could use the recording file to cross-checkthe accuracy of the data so as to present a more complete and reliable content. |
8. Reflections:
By participating in Cyberfair activity, the students visited railway related scenic spots in Changhua County. The activity has given the students who learn majorly through text books a chance to walk out of the classrooms and have a field visit to reacquaint themselves with the things and places they knew about. By every step they took to explore the railway scenic spots, the students did not only learn the professional knowledge of them, they also saw the beauty of their hometown.
I’m really glad to take part in Cyberfair and I appreciate the teachers for taking time to plan all the activities. I learnt a lot about team work. The key subject of our project is about trains. Therefore, we got the chance to visit many places that display trains; places such as Fu Jing Restaurant, CheCheng, Kaosiung Pier 2, Taichung National Museum of Natural Science, Xi Hu Sugar Refinery and the Roundhouse. Among the places we went to, the place that interests me the most is Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant because before the visit, the teacher had showed us a video of it so we had some previous knowledge about it. On the field trip, the founder of Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant – Chen, Zhao-Qiang told us a lot about his experiences and showed us his collections. He first started by telling us about the paintings hanging on the wall and then showed us around the second and the third floor to see and get to know the story behind his collections, such as Taiwan’s only synchronized clocks, driver’s hats, and the old-time lunch boxes. Afterwards, we went to Tong Ren She and watched a clip about Shetou footwear techniques and we were taught to make piggy dolls using socks. Then, we also went to Taichung National Museum of Natural Science. At first, I was confused and wondered what the connection is between the Museum and the train. It turned out that we were there to learn how to take the train. I am very pleased to participate in the project and hope to convey my appreciation to the teachers who held this activity. By participating in the research project, I learnt a lot about trains, the spirit of team work and the skills to conduct a research.
I’m very happy to be in this class because we have chances to go on field trips to see things we’ve learnt in classes. I’ve learnt a lot and learning becomes fun.
Because the subject of our Cyberfair project is on trains, we first visited CheCheng. Checheng used to be the entrepot of woods so there are many wood carvings. We also took the train and saw the beautiful painting walls. The second stop of our trip is Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant. The Founder Mr. Chen introduced us to the railway culture. Afterwards, we had a quiz contest and I got a right answer so I received a train-styled water bottle. Then we went to the second and the third floor to see more railway related relics. Next, we went to Hosiery Relics Hall to see hosiery making process and machines. We got to know how footwear are made and we also learnt about the predicament the industry is facing. Lastly, we went to Shetou Elementary School to make guava pickle.
The third stop of our trip is taking the train to National Museum of Natural Science. We watched a 3D movie in its Space Theatre and then we saw the exhibition. It was an enriched day. I really want to convey my appreciation to Teacher Liu who planned so many activities. I really learnt a lot from them. I also want to thank my classmates who participated in Cyberfair project with me. We cooperated along way and it was definitely an unforgettable experience.
I am really honored to be a part of the Cyberfair project. I know that glory is achieved by cooperation and thus I think team work is vitally important. Everyone needs to help each other out and to collaborate so as to form a perfect team. I am also very grateful to teacher Liu, Yi-Sheng, who devoted a lot of his time to hold many activities, such as the field trips to National Museum of Natural Science, CheCheng, the Roundhouse, Shetous Fu Jing Restaurant and Xi Hu Sugar Refinery, so I got a chance to know more about railway. We also visited Fu Jing Restaurant. Mr. Chen, Zhao-Qiang showed us around the second and the third floor and gave us a detailed tour. We saw his collections of Taiwan’s only synchronized clocks and lunch box passing on from his grandfather’s generation. It wasn’t easy to store up things from so long ago. He also showed us a video of railway history so we had a more profound knowledge of it. The teacher also asked us to make a Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant’s mind map. We really worked hard on it and even though we had encountered difficulties along way, we conquered them and finished it. Moreover, we gained the experience to take the train in Xi Hu Sugar Refinery, watch a clip on footwear in Tong Ren She, make piggy doll using socks in Hosiery Factory, and to see how soy sauce is made and to know the difference between bechamel sauce and dark soy sauce. From the field trip we got to know more about the history of train and absorb a lot of knowledge and so I want to thank the teachers for holding these activities. The teacher took their time for us to make progress and become better from learning in the activities.
I remembered that I felt unfamiliar with the term Cyberfair when the teacher first mentioned it because I had never heard of it before. Then, I became one of the members on the team. I didn’t know that we had to write a lot of things but thanks to the help of the teachers and the classmates, I gradually adapted to it and got better at it. I think taking part in Cyberfair is a very good thing since by the chance, we can absorb a lot of new information, learn to collect data and all kinds of things. The teachers took us to many places, such as CheCheng, the Pier 2, National Museum of Natural Science and the Roundhouse. Among them, my favorite place is the Roundhouse because there is an observation desk where you can get a panoramic view of the place without the sight being blocked by buildings or trains. I also like CheCheng because there are trains, Wood Exhibition Hall and Cartoon King. You can take train in Cartoon King but you’ll have to buy things to earn the train ticket. As to Wood Exhibition Hall, it’s all free to go in and visit.
Lastly, I want to thank my teachers and classmates for giving me the chance to participate in the project. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and learned the spirit of team work.
I was very excited when I first heard about Cyberfair. This was my first time taking part in it, so I’m extra excited about it. To participate it, we had to know how to type and we had to practice typing fast. Moreover, we had to write reports and collect information, etc. At first, I had no idea how to write reflection but after taking a look at the ones written by the seniors, I knew where to start. Thanks everyone. In order to make good plans of the activities, our teachers took their time and even sacrificed their quality time with their families for us. My classmates also took their winter break time to write reports, take photos and collect data. After seven days of working in a rush, we finally finished writing the research. Everyone’s done a good job and we also thank the teachers for their help. I want to especially thank teacher Yi-Sheng. Because of him, I had the chance to broaden my horizon on trains and to learn that classmates should help each other out. We’ll have another chance of participating in Cyberfair in our sixth grade and I’m already looking forward to it.
This was my first time participating in Cyberfair and it was also my first time to hear about it. I felt very excited because I love to take part in all kinds of activities. In the duration of us conducting our research, we had been to many places to see trains; places such as CheCheng, Kaohsiung Pier 2, National Museum of Natural Science, the Roundhouse, Fu Jing Restaurant and Xi Hu Sugar Refinery. The teachers took their time to take us there. We also visited rail fan –Mr. Chen, Zhao-Qiang. He told us about railway and showed us his collections of them, such as train tickets. We also had a chance to look around on our own and take photos. We saw that the chairs in Fu Jing Restaurant came from the trains. On the second and the third floor, we saw the lunch box passing on by his relatives and he told us about the synchronized clocks.
We also visited Tong Ren She. The staff there played a video of hosiery and we also got to make sock dolls. The staff was very attentive to all of us. Our teachers were also attentive. I want to thank them for giving me the chance to participate in Cyberfair. From it, I know more about trains, word processing capability and the importance of team work.
I was very delighted when the teachers called the names who were chosen to take part in Cyberfair and I heard my name. I was pretty slow in typing but because we had to type a lot during conducting Cyberfair project, so afterwards, my typing speed is faster. During the winter, our teacher asked if we could take a week of time to arrange Cyberfair data. When we were doing it, our language ability and the ability to look for information were improved. Because of Cyberfair, we went to many places and had many experiences. Among them, my favorite one is when we were DIY, because we got to learn and have fun at the same time. We also went to many different places, such as CheCheng, Kaohsiung Pier 2, National Museum of Natural Science, and Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant. Participating in Cyberfair, although I sometimes felt tired, I felt contented, as well. During the process, we learnt not only how to collect data, we also gained many experiences and got to know the importance of team work.
I am very honored to participate in Cyberfair because I learnt a lot of things. I learnt, for example, how to type faster because I was pretty slow before and the knowledge on railway since we had heard a lot about it from Mr. Chen, Zhao-Qiang and we had also been to CheCheng, National Museum of Natural Science, Changhua Roundhouse and Shetou.
My favorite place among the places we went to is Shetou because we went to visit there twice and on the first visit, many volunteers took us to look around Shetou and the founder Chen, Zhao-Qiang told us a lot about railways and many things such as why he opened Fu Jing Restaurant. He did it because many of his family members were train drivers and so he was affected by it. The chairs on the first floor of his restaurant are taken from trains. There are also baggage carriers. We also went upstairs to see and we saw Taiwan’s only synchronized clocks, stream, many driver’s hats, old-time lunch boxes and many other things. In the afternoon, we went to Shetou Elementary School to make guava pickle. On the second visit, because Mr. Chen wasn’t there, we looked around on our own and in the afternoon, we made sock dolls. The staff there were very attentive and taught us how to make a piggy.
I really love this project and I want to thank my teachers for letting me be a part of it.
The first time I heard the teacher asked us who wanted to participate in Cyberfair, I thought my parents wouldn’t let me go but I still went back home and asked them. To my surprise, my father agreed to let me take part in it so I was really happy. We went to Fu Jing Restaurant to visit Mr. Chen, Zhao-Qiang and saw many railway relics, such as train tickets and railway signs.
During winter break, we were summoned back to arrange Cyberfair information and we took two days to go to Shetou and Xi Hu Sugar Refinery. We took the train to Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant to retake photos. Then, we went to Hosiery Sightseeing Factory next to Tong Ren She to make sock dolls. The staff members there are all very nice and attentively taught us how to make them. The sock dolls there in the store are all cute, and the dolls we made on our own are pretty cute, as well.
I am very honored to participate in Cyberfair. Our teachers took time to take us to visit, so I am very thankful to them for giving us a chance to gain different knowledge and have a wonderful memory. Thank you, my teachers and my classmates. Cyberfair taught me not only the knowledge of trains, word processing skill, but also the importance of communication and discussion within a team.
I’m very pleased to take part in Cyberfair because I like to participate in all kinds of activities. Participating in Cyberfair, I learnt a lot and my computer skill is enhanced. I gained much knowledge along way. For example, in Fu Jing Restaurant, I learnt the skill to do reports and got to understand the story of the founder. We also took the train in Xi Hu Sugar Refinery. It was really fun.
In Fu Jing Restaurant, I learnt really much because Mr. Chen, Zhao-Qiang introduced us to trains in details and showed us his collections such as Taiwan’s only synchronized clock, coals, many train tickets, timetable, telephone, train models, and driver’s hats. We also went to Tong Ren She. The staff there played videos for us, showed us how to make socks and taught us nicely and attentively how to make sock dolls.
Lastly, we went to Jiji Station and then to Kaohsiung Pier 2, National Museum of Natural Science, Changhua Roundhouse, Shetou Fu Jing Restaurant and Xi Hu Sugar Refinery. I want to thank my teachers. Because of them, I had the chance to participate in Cyberfair.