Amidst the confluence of mountains and sea and swaying golden rice paddies, the 2014-2015 Hualien District Interdisciplinary Aesthetic Education Achievement Exchange was warmly held on June 20th at Daoxiang Elementary School. The event was attended by Professor Hui-Ling Chao of National Taiwan Normal University, the # Interdisciplinary Aesthetic Project co-host; Professor Chen-Feng Kao of Taipei Municipal University, the co-host; and Professor Hsiu-Chu Hsu of National Dong Hwa University, a teacher training committee member. Section Chief Hsiu-Chin Huang of the Hualien County Government Education Department also graced the event with her presence.

Hualien is a vast country, and schools from all over have developed unique curricula from diverse cultural backgrounds. Let's take a look at the highlights of the courses shared by the partner schools in Hualien.

Daoxiang Elementary School, with the theme of "Knowing the Beauty of Rice", guides students to rediscover the beauty of Ji'an through a planned field trip program.

Xifu Elementary School guides students to explore the unique Mafu clay in the community, combining the aesthetics of tea ceremony with pottery techniques to appreciate the subtlety and depth of the culture.

Tsuruoka Elementary School cleverly integrates Amis culture into the curriculum, guiding students from speaking the Amis language to learning about tribal wild vegetables and designing Amis-style menus. This way of learning not only allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the things around them, but also allows them to establish a close connection with the land.

Fengbin Junior High School also focuses on Amis culture, with teachers and students visiting farms to learn about wild vegetables and plants, make seasonal calendars, and design a "Cat Tribe Puzzle Solving" activity to allow students to learn through adventure.

Guofeng Junior High School takes reading as its starting point, guiding students through articles to connect with their life experiences, and further combining text with art and sculpture to make students' learning more in-depth and layered.

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By connecting local culture, ethnic identity, and social concern, the partner schools in Hualien showcased a brilliant practice of integrating aesthetic education with local culture. Professor Hsu Hsiu-Chu, a teacher training committee member, also commended the teachers for providing students with a rich and diverse learning experience despite limited resources. Special thanks to Principal Chen Tzu-Fang and her teaching team from Daoxiang Elementary School, a benchmark school, and Group Leader Chu Ling-Yin for their assistance in organizing this presentation, ensuring the event's smooth and successful completion.