For this event, we are honored to invite teacher Jiang Zhouhang to Wenzao. Mr. Jiang is not only a pastry chef but also a long-time local food education promoter and literary pastry writer. He weaves together pastries and literature, transforming them into more charming and unique literary works. He hopes to combine his expertise with local characteristics, allowing participants to not only recognize the natural ingredients nurtured by the land but also deeply feel the cultural cultivation of the land and people. Mr. Jiang shared many of his personal experiences with us, such as using the "Five Elements" in his hometown of Liougue, through pottery, woodworking, dyeing, cooking, and other means, to make full use of local elements, allowing children and adults to learn while doing and recognize the beauty of this land. For this event, Mr.Jiang also collaborated with Kaohsiung Cultural Association to come up with the highlight of the event - "Shinyō Wagashi ," using red bean paste and longan as fillings to create a pastry with a strong Japanese dessert flavor, allowing participants to feel novelty and surprise during the experience.

  In our first session, we collaborated with Kaohsiung Cultural Association and invited Manager Chen Zhenrong to deliver a presentation at Wenzao. To kick off the event, Manager Chen made a humorous entrance as a "Qing Dynasty officials," instantly capturing the audience's attention. Through his engaging lecture, participants were transported back in time to the old city a century ago, gaining a deeper understanding of its culture and historical context. Manager Chen provided a detailed introduction to the four main gates of Zuoying: the North Gate, South Gate, West Gate, and East Gate. While the West Gate no longer exists today, remnants of its structure remain for research and visitation. Additionally, Manager Chen explained the historical context of the Town’s construction. For example, due to the Zhu Yigui Rebellion in 1722, residents of old Zuoying built the first earthen wall to defend against invaders and protect their homeland. However, as the earthen wall was repeatedly breached and became unusable, the government and local residents raised funds to rebuild the wall with stone, resulting in the structure we see today.

Firstly, Manager. Chen Zhenrong, Manager of Kaohsiung Cultural Association, was invited to introduce the historical development of Fenyang wonton and explained the relationship between wonton and Xuantian Shangdi. In the history section, it was mentioned that there are many legends and versions about the identity of Xuantian Shangdi before he became an immortal. One of the most popular ones is that in the book "běi yóu jì" (Journey to the North), it is written that Xuantian Shangdi was originally a butcher who took out his own stomach and intestines in order to save his mother and remove his own karmic obstacles, and was then touched by the heavens and ascended to become a god of immortality. Mr. Chen's lively and entertaining "interpretation" of the story kept the participants engaged and interested in not only Zuoying, but also Taiwanese folk beliefs as a whole.

First, we invite a handicraft experience instructor to visit Wenzao and lead everyone in creating. While creating tilings of geometric patterns, they will also introduce the value of "tilings of geometric patterns" in ancient houses, symbolizing the status of the owner. Each brick and tile carries historical memories and intrinsic value. Originally produced in England, flower bricks were introduced to Japan through trade relations and eventually arrived in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. Architects at the time adapted the patterns according to Taiwanese customs and embedded them in the walls of ancient houses. Therefore, by carefully observing the elements of ancient houses, one can understand the architectural background of “the ancestral homes”.

  "Yancheng," as the name suggests, was once a salt field. However, during the Japanese colonial period, the salt fields were filled in, transforming the area into a new coastal land. Due to its proximity to the seaport, the economy flourished, making Yancheng a bustling urban center. During the event, Mr. Huang led us through various streets and alleys, where we observed many distinctive features typical of Japanese architecture, such as curved corner buildings or guardhouses to prevent robbery. Additionally, Wenzao students and teachers visited the main commercial district at the time, the International Mall (formerly known as Takao Ginza). In the 1940s and 1950s, this area was very prosperous, selling many imported goods and symbolizing the economic prosperity of Yancheng. The Yamagata wooden structure of the "First Public Market of Yancheng" and the ubiquitous terrazzo were also characteristic features of the Japanese colonial period architecture. After government environmental refurbishment, local youth were invited to settle in, breathing new life into this over seventy-year-old building.

 The series of activities for this academic year has come to a close, with the final session led by Manager Chen Zhenrong, who shared lively and historically rich stories about the old town gate gods. Manager Chen explained the origin of the gate god sculptures above the North Gate of the old town in Zuoying. It stemmed from the “Lin Shuangwen event” during the Qing Dynasty. At that time, people were deeply afraid of the unrest, so they decided to move the town from Xinglong Village (now Zuoying) to Xiapitou (now Fengshan). However, later they received an imperial edict asking residents to move back to Xinglong Village. Many people were unwilling, so they fabricated rumors that a magistrate died after the completion of the new town, creating the notion that Zuoying's old town was an unfavorable location for Feng Shui, providing an excuse to continue living in Fengshan. Subsequently, to reassure people about returning to the old town, officials decided to carve gate god sculptures on the North Gate, symbolizing their function of "guarding," "suppressing evil," and "warding off demons." This is the locally circulated story of gate gods in Zuoying. Through this story, Manager Chen helped many participating students understand that behind the seemingly ordinary gate god sculptures lies a connection to real historical events that occurred in the area.

The cultural experience-related activities have now reached the third session. The current experience project is "Old City Tide Bags and Silk Printing." Unlike previous sessions, this time, participating students were first allowed to experience silk printing before listening to the cultural and historical story of the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda. In the experiential part, teacher Biyu first shared the origin, production method, and required materials of silk printing with the students. Through lively and interesting videos, she sparked the curiosity of the students. Teacher Biyu also explained that "silk screen printing is a kind of printing that has a very hand-made and warm feeling.” Simply put, it involves using a photosensitive plate to block the mesh outside the print on a silk frame. Then, ink is slowly scraped through the mesh with a scraper, and the pattern gradually appears. This craft has a wide range of applications, not only on fabrics but also on signs, tea sets, and even electrical appliances. Today, it is combined with modern plate-making technology, making it richer and more diversified.

In the section on literature and history, the overview and key events of Taiwan's century-long "History of Sugar Industry Development" are presented, along with anecdotes related to Zuoying Old Town . Manager Chen explains that as early as the Dutch colonial period, Taiwan was engaged in sugar production and trade activities. However, during that time, the colonizers described the Han people living in Formosa as the "finest silkworms" and "honey-making bees," indicating through various descriptions that the island's residents under colonization suffered from numerous unjust and oppressive treatments. Moving into the Japanese colonial period, Taiwan was regarded as an "important production base" and a "trade transit hub," with sugar remaining an indispensable export commodity.

The event will be held in four sessions on October 30, November 13, November 27, and December 18. Each hands-on experience activity incorporates elements from four dimensions of "History," "Humanities," "Attractions," and "Industrial Development" in the local area of Zuoying. The goal is for participating students to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the Zuoying Old Town through experiential learning. The featured activity for this event is the "Aroma Stone Amulet," with Manager Chen providing the origin story behind the handmade work -  "Zenyang and Shrine Sites." Manager Chen informed the students that the name "Zenyang" originated from the suicide attacks carried out by Japan in the late stages of World War II. Deploying special attack units, known as the Zenyang Squadron, to counter US warships, led to the establishment of a shrine in Zuoying, Taiwan. The site was discovered in September 2013. The amulet, in Japanese shrines, is a small item used for prayer. Several students expressed that this historical context left a profound impression on them during this activity, deepening their understanding of the local history and evoking a sense of connection to the Zuoying area.