Water Buffalo School Introduction
Yu Yi Mountain Forest Water Buffalo School Returns to the Countryside to Rediscover the Declining Culture of Ox Plowing. Located in Xinpu Township, "Water Buffalo School" principal Li Chun-Hsin witnessed the gradual decline of ox plowing culture and is dedicated to reviving it, calling upon all children, young and old, to return to the countryside, interact with the animals, and practice nature education that is friendly to the land. Opening the iron gate of the red-brick Sanhe courtyard, two tall and strong dogs immediately stood up alert. Besides Li Chun-Hsin and his four-and-a-half-year-old child, he also raises two cats, three dogs, seven buffaloes, and one pigeon. Perhaps due to years of living in the mountainous hills, Li Chun-Hsin, who is in his 40s, speaks somewhat clumsily, yet his laughter resonates lightly through the woods. Originally an information engineer, he went to Coventry University in the UK to further his studies in the arts after working for two years. Living in a foreign land, Li was often asked about his hometown and culture, which led him to believe that artists must find elements they love. Ten years ago, he established a personal studio in a small village in Xinpu, exploring the essence of Taiwanese life. Retrieving Traditional, Nature-Friendly Ox Plowing Techniques. During peaceful days in the mountains, Li often exchanged ideas with local small farmers and discovered that the traditional ox plowing method, predating mechanized agriculture, is more ecologically friendly. To experience organic farming, he decided to start by raising buffaloes to observe their growth habits, cultivate relationships with them, and hone ox plowing skills, rediscovering the culture of ox plowing that time has forgotten. Tasks that modern machinery can complete quickly require, through traditional ox plowing techniques, tools like plows and harrows to smoothly turn dry soil into mud. Li meticulously organizes the processes and tools while gradually developing a deep bond with the seven buffaloes. He praises buffaloes as inherently intelligent creatures, noting that they will return home when they are full and the sky darkens, recognize their owners, and will only show "bullish temper" when hungry or on hot days, much like people can be stubborn. As both the "Buffalo Daddy" and the principal of "Water Buffalo School," Li has a clear goal: to train all the buffaloes for plowing and teach them according to their individual learning progress. Through ample practice and reviews, he aims for the buffaloes to develop a plowing habit. Creating "Water Buffalo School" to Promote the Spirit of Taiwanese Buffaloes. Li interprets the word for "life" as symbolizing the essential partnership between humans and buffaloes standing together on the land, highlighting the importance of cohabiting and coexisting with buffaloes for land cultivation. Additionally, the "spirit of the water buffalo" symbolizes the resilience of Taiwanese people striving for a living. In establishing "Water Buffalo School," Li sees ox plowing as his vocation, centered around artistic creation, and promotes the cultural value of buffaloes through experiential courses, continuing the ideals of truth, goodness, and beauty. The school conducts life education through one-day experience camps and winter/summer camps, including lessons on various ox plowing tools and natural farming practices. Young shepherds learn to lead, graze, ride, yoke, massage buffaloes, clean barns, prepare fodder, dry manure, and bond with the buffaloes. Through interaction and labor with the animals, children experience the temperament and energy of buffaloes and discover the mysteries of life, appreciating the land. In addition to ox plowing, the curriculum at Water Buffalo School also includes activities like pigeon post, nature exploration, firewood chopping, outdoor cooking, and art projects such as making buffalo dung incense and buffalo dung handmade paper, enriching rural leisure life. It also plans for children to use tools and knotting skills to build traditional climbing huts, learning teamwork and the joy of utilizing traditional tools. A Leash Is a Brushstroke: Art Dance with Buffaloes. As a Master of Fine Arts, Li connects buffalo ropes with brush strokes, hoping to channel the subtle power experienced while leading the buffalo onto the land for drawing. "From observing the changes in the buffalo rope while leading, there is a variation in tension; when the buffalo relaxes, the rope slackens, and when it’s not well fed, the rope tightens and it’s reluctant to move. Transitioning this to drawing lines will not result in a single thickness; each line's variation depends on the different moods of both human and buffalo, giving them vitality." Li's ox plowing creations also include buffalo dung fuel, buffalo dung paper, and buffalo dung incense. He mentions that buffalo dung, also known as "hundred grass paste," comes from buffaloes that eat a diverse diet of grasses in nature, combined with ample exercise leads to strong, high-quality dung. Grinding buffalo dung into powder creates incense with a sweet aroma, perfect for enjoying a pot of tea during leisurely rural moments. Starting from a Close Relationship with Nature to Rediscover the Cultural Value of Buffaloes. Throughout the years since the establishment of "Water Buffalo School," there have been both sweet and bitter experiences. Li humorously claims his stubborn adherence to goodness has enabled him to attract like-minded partners and many children who wish to connect with nature and the land. As long as there are parents and children who acknowledge and want to learn the traditional spirit of ox plowing, rediscovering the cultural value of buffaloes is the most fulfilling achievement. Li states that buffaloes are a vital part of land culture, but Taiwan, having moved past an agricultural society, has forgotten its history with ox plowing; many cultural festivals do not feature buffaloes prominently, and only through practices like abstaining from beef do people silently acknowledge this. Now, Li hopes to awaken people's respect for ox plowing through the integration of it with art. In the future, he will continue to seek out lush, unpolluted farmlands to bring his buffaloes to this promised land, construct with natural materials, practice his ideals, and ensure that humans and buffaloes continue to walk together.
