Not many people know about Ruan Qiao. Under the fund support from Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau, Zhong Zheng Senior High School has shown documentary film of the story of Ruan Qiao and historical documents and objects in Beitou Hot Spring Museum. They invited everyone to learn more about the vanishing farm villages in Taipei and to support Ruan Qiao project.

  Xie Xiao Yun, the chief of Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau showed her appreciation to the school at the press conference. She was touched by the story of the people and land in Ruan Qiao. She strongly recommended to her colleagues and helped promoting it.

   Ruan Qiao farm village was hidden in the end of Lane 53 ,Wen Lin North Road for more than hundred years. They named Ruan Qiao because people crossed the rivers by wooden bridges before the stone bridge was built. It’s located in southern Quang Du Plain, between Cheng De Road and Wen Lin North Road. It’s now a reserved area for Shilin Beito Technology Park and under construction. Zhong ZhengSenior High School is just next to Ruan Qiao village. As there’s no wall between the school and the village, they can see the rapid changes of this village due to the urbanization.
   Something more important than scores.

   “This project is so special as if we don’t do it now then we won’t have any chances to do in the future.” Said Teacher Sun and Teacher Xu of Zhong Zheng Senior High School. They are also the founders of Ruan Qiao project of the school. They spent a lot of time to save the farming implements, documents of Ruan Qiao and talked to people house to house about their project.  They also made this project a curriculum in their school so that more student can learn about it. They asked nothing in return but tried their best to keep this project going.
 They not only took notes of the interviews with the elderly, also sent their students to the village.

  There were 50 amazing paintings from the fine art class and a dance drama about the story of Ruan Qiao farmers. Anyone would be touched by the scene if they watched it.

   The most funny part of the documentary film is that the students were interested in the old farming implements.  They didn’know how to use them and they asked an old farmer. He showed them the way and there were lots of laughter. They were also surprised at the wisdom of the ancestors.  In the film, they also showed how sad the villagers were when their lands were levied.

   “It’s truly meaningful for students to learn protecting the local culture.”said the principal of Zhong Zheng Senior High School Mrs. Jien Fei Li. They will keep doing the project and maybe in the near future they will also add the environmental protection into the project. She hopes the students can do something for this land besides the studies from books.

   Beside the documentary information, there are also miniature of Ruan Qiao village, old farm implements, old pictures, old number plate of houses, old books and baby clothes showing in Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The students were volunteers to be tour guide there. Open daily 9:00 AM to 5:00PM except Monday till 07 Nov. For more information please contact  2893-9981. (can also watch through YouTube)