Meishan Hanlu Art and Ecology Center Introduction
Creating the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation "In a mountainous town where agriculture is the main economic force, there are people who believe that what is needed is not only economy, but also culture, which is the power to restore the social atmosphere. In May 1994, a group of Meishan residents, long engaged in education and culture, observed the increasingly chaotic society and believed that culture and education were needed for assistance. They thought, if a foundation could be established as a base for organizing cultural and artistic activities, shouldn’t they give it a try? After more than three months of effort, the founders of Meishan raised over 2 million NTD, reaching the legal establishment amount. In the same year, on September 28, 1994, the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation was officially established at the Meishan Elementary School Recreation Hall. In 1995, during the National Arts Season promoted by the Council for Cultural Affairs, Meishan used the theme "Meishan Sweat Path" to awaken local residents to pay attention to ancient paths. That year, following the establishment of the foundation, a cultural and historical research studio was established to explore the local hidden history, accumulating historical materials and documents, as this is the foundation of the place. Starting from the old place names, they searched through the words and memories of the elders to uncover the forgotten life experiences and revisit the ancient paths that had disappeared into the grass. Courses, Unique Learning For the past fifteen years, the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation has gradually promoted various cultural and artistic activities and historical documentation in its hometown. Various clubs and study classes may seem unimportant to those living in cities, but in a resource-poor mountain town, having courses and activities means stepping out of the house to learn more. Coming to the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation opens a different window, experiencing a different kind of learning. Fundraising and Establishing a Home In 1997, fundraising was initiated to buy land and construct a permanent space, which was completed in 2001. Since then, this four-story building has become the place for the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation. In 2003, the foundation was named "Meishan Sweat Path Cultural and Ecological Hall," becoming the first cultural hall in Chiayi County. The term "Sweat Path" refers to the Meishan area. Due to the significant elevation difference, residents are dispersed, relying on stone-paved pathways to transport agricultural products to the market for sale. In an era without machinery to assist road construction, these pathways were painstakingly forged through human effort. From the moment the building was completed, the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation made full use of the space, which was hardly acquired through sponsorship, to strengthen interactions with the community and schools, care for local affairs, and bring many cultural and artistic activities... This is a public interest, voluntarily operated organization contributed and managed by the people of Meishan. Year after year, accumulating stories from different themes about Meishan, starting in 2009 in the writings of Wu-huan Zhang, a Meishan writer, they found descriptions of mountain living from decades ago, integrating life, ecology, and production to establish a new pace of life with old memories of Meishan. Love for Hometown and Land The establishment of the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation may have initially had a hint of "not giving up." In 1987, the first township-level foundation in Taiwan was established in Xinyang, Chiayi County. Since the neighbor was able to do it, Meishan, valuing culture, certainly could too. Thus, a group of local residents who loved Meishan and belonged to the education system began to mobilize. Teachers in remote areas often get reassigned every three years and may spend no more than three years locally. However, those born in Meishan, who return home to serve after completing their education, are filled with passion for the land where they grew up and taught. The founding chairman of the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation, Shih Yao-hsiang, now serves as honorary chairman and can be said to be an important driving force in the establishment of the foundation. He is an elementary school principal, passionate about education, and deeply loves the land of Meishan. He fondly recounts the history of the foundation's establishment. His brother, Shih Yao-yi, has also contributed alongside him to the foundation. A Non-Profit Organization Built on Volunteerism The Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation, which gathers the strength of many, is the most local organization. Since fundraising began in 1997 to create a long-term home for the foundation, the cost of acquiring land and construction, over 20 million NTD, is no small amount. At the time, they voluntarily raised funds at a rate of 100 NTD per person per month, akin to the "choosing money" during temple construction, to build an artistic and cultural "home" for Meishan. This non-profit organization initiated in the locality has learned through ups and downs over more than a decade, managing larger and smaller matters on their own. Many volunteer workers occasionally feel fatigued, yet after a sigh, they continue to move forward. Automatically Seeking Answers and Understanding Meishan Automatically seeking answers is a characteristic of the Meishan Cultural and Educational Foundation. For example, several years ago, a geography department from a university in the north came to create maps of Meishan. On the large topographic map, residents of Meishan felt there were some doubts, so they took the initiative to verify. A small motorcycle ride of two hours led to GPS positioning to find the most confirmed answers for their hometown. Although many ancient path histories are not preserved, the foundation proactively explored, visiting abandoned mountains, interviewing elders, and conducting field surveys, weaving the stories of ancient paths with the lives of Meishan residents, turning them into living histories. The foundation has also recorded hundreds of local old trades through the most resourceful means, inviting elder craftsmen to demonstrate, documenting old skills on video, and conducting traveling exhibitions in various junior high and elementary schools in Meishan, allowing children to understand Meishan through incidental learning. Looking at Hometown, Looking Towards the World Through the accumulation of history, investigation of cultural life, and promotion of cultural and artistic activities, various aspects of Meishan have been pieced together into significant thickness. Climbing to the top floor of the foundation offers rare equipment, such as an astronomical telescope, allowing people to observe stars in Meishan. The sparkling stars present not only a close view of Meishan but also the motivation to look towards the world and the universe."
