Water Buffalo School Introduction
Yuan Yi Mountain Forest Water Buffalo School Returns to the Countryside to Rediscover the Declining Culture of Ox Farming Located in Xinzhu Township, the "Water Buffalo School," led by principal Li Chunxin, witnesses the gradual decline of the ox farming culture and is dedicated to reviving it. He calls upon all children, young and old, with a childlike spirit to return to the countryside, interact closely with the buffalo, and engage in natural education that promotes a friendly relationship with the land. Upon opening the wrought iron gate of the red-brick traditional courtyard, two sturdy dogs immediately alertly stand up. Besides Li Chunxin and his four-and-a-half-year-old child, he also raises two cats, three dogs, seven buffalo, and one pigeon. Perhaps due to his long years living in the hilly mountains, the over-forty-year-old Li Chunxin speaks a bit haltingly, but his laughter is particularly light and echoes in the forest. Formerly an information engineer, he pursued further studies in fine arts at Coventry University in the UK after working for two years. In a foreign land, Li Chunxin was constantly asked about his hometown and culture, and he says that artists must find elements they love. Ten years ago, he began establishing a personal studio in a small village in Xinzhu, exploring the local cultural essence of Taiwan. Reviving Traditional, Nature-Friendly Ox Farming Techniques During his serene mountain life, Li Chunxin often communicated with local small farmers and discovered that the ox farming methods of the pre-mechanization era were more beneficial to the land's ecology. To experience nature-friendly farming, he decided to start by observing the growth habits of the buffalo he raised, cultivating relationships and understanding with them while honing his ox farming skills and rediscovering the forgotten culture of ox farming. Modern machinery can quickly complete farming tasks, but traditional ox farming techniques require the use of tools like plows and harrows to effectively convert dry soil into mud. Li Chunxin meticulously documented the processes and tools, gradually developing a deep bond with the seven buffalo. He praises their intelligence, noting they will return home when satisfied and when night falls, recognizing their owner, and only exhibit "bull temperament" when hungry or overheated, acting out similarly to humans. As both "Buffalo Dad" and principal of the Water Buffalo School, Li Chunxin has clear goals: he hopes to train all of his buffalo for farming, tailoring instruction to each buffalo's learning pace, and fostering a natural habit of working in the fields through practice and review. Creating the "Water Buffalo School" to Promote the Spirit of Taiwanese Buffalo Li Chunxin interprets the pictogram of "life" as humans and buffalo standing together on the earth, highlighting the important symbiotic relationship between ancestral farmers and buffalo in cultivating land. Additionally, the "water buffalo spirit" symbolizes the tenacious vitality of the Taiwanese people in their pursuit of livelihood. By founding the "Water Buffalo School," Li Chunxin regards ox farming as his vocation, primarily focusing on artistic creation while promoting the cultural value of buffalo through experiential courses, continuing the legacy of truth, goodness, and beauty. The Water Buffalo School conducts life education through one-day experience camps and summer/winter camps, with curricula that include understanding various ox farming tools and natural farming methods. Young shepherds learn to lead, graze, ride, rope, massage, clean, prepare feed for, sun-dry buffalo manure, and interact closely with the buffalo. Through these interactions and labor, children experience the temperament and energy of buffalo, discovering the wonders of life and appreciating the land. In addition to ox farming, the curriculum at the Water Buffalo School also includes activities like pigeon messaging, nature exploration, firewood collection and outdoor cooking, and creating buffalo manure incense and handmade paper, enriched with rural charm. Activities are also planned for children to use tools and rope techniques to construct traditional climbing houses, learning about teamwork and enjoying the fun of utilizing traditional tools. Tethering the Rope as a Brushstroke: Dancing with Buffalo through Art As a Master of Arts, Li Chunxin connects the buffalo rope with brushwork, hoping to channel the subtle power felt during the rope leading process into drawing on land. "When observing the buffalo rope, it exhibits varying tensions; when the buffalo relaxes, the rope loosens, yet it tightens when the buffalo is not satisfied and unwilling to move. Transferred to drawing, the lines are not merely uniform; they vary according to the feelings of both the human and the buffalo, giving it a vital energy." His creations in ox farming also include buffalo manure fuel, buffalo paper making, and buffalo manure incense. He states that buffalo manure, also known as "hundred grass paste," benefits from the diverse grasses consumed by buffalo raised in nature, combined with their ample physical activity, producing high-quality, well-formed manure. The dried powder from buffalo manure can be made into incense with a sweet aroma; brewing a good pot of tea allows one to enjoy a leisurely rural life. Starting from Getting Close to Nature to Rediscover the Cultural Value of Buffalo In the years since the establishment of the "Water Buffalo School," there have been both sweet and bitter experiences. Li Chunxin humorously claims his stubbornness in choosing goodness, and this experiential learning increasingly attracts like-minded partners and many children willing to connect with nature and the land to join in. As long as parents and children recognize and wish to learn the traditional spirit of ox farming, reclaiming the cultural value of buffalo together is his greatest sense of accomplishment. Li Chunxin notes that buffalo is a vital part of land culture; however, Taiwan, which has transitioned through an agrarian society, has forgotten the memories of ox farming, and most cultural festivals do not highlight buffalo as central figures, acknowledging them only indirectly through cultural practices such as abstaining from eating beef. Now, he hopes to awaken people's attention to ox farming through the fusion of ox farming and art. In the future, principal Li Chunxin of the "Water Buffalo School" will continue to seek fertile, pollution-free fields, bringing buffalo to this promised land, constructing with natural materials to realize his ideals, enabling people to walk alongside buffalo.
