news source: <Kinmen Daily>

On Kinmen Island, which was once devastated by artillery fire and is now moving towards peace, a group of children used their brushes and hands to paint history and express hope, leaving a cross-generational peace commitment. Fifth-grade students from Jinhu Township, Kinmen County, spent two months together to complete the giant mural "Peaceful Kinmen Island". They will represent Taiwan in the "Peace Prayer Gifts in Nagasaki" International Children's Peace Painting Exhibition in Nagasaki, Japan, allowing the voice of Kinmen to cross the ocean and reach the world.

Transforming war memories into peaceful creations through action
Zhang Zhimeng, a long-time elementary school principal, explained that this creation began with the theme unit "Japanese Occupation and War Memories" in the fifth-grade social studies class. Starting from the textbook, students deeply understood the historical background of World War II and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and extended their exploration of the military relics in Kinmen, including bunkers, Guitiaozhai and anti-airborne piles. At the same time, they also went to families and communities, interviewed elders and local teachers, and listened to first-hand memories of the war. The class started with listening to the story and ended with drawing the story. The children transformed the heavy history into the power of creation, and wrote a new chapter of peace for Kinmen with a stroke of color.

Constructing islands with colors and conveying hope with images
The mural "Peaceful Kinmen Island" created by fifth-grade students of the elementary school is 3.5 meters high and 7.8 meters wide. In the center of the picture is an island with orange as the main color, symbolizing Kinmen's rebirth from war and its transformation into an island of peace. There are 17 colorful curling lines circling around the island, corresponding to the 17 indicators of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showing the children's imagination and response to education, sustainability, equality and peace.

The painting incorporates the Spanish artist Juan Miró ( Joan Miró ) in an abstract style, the students constructed the overall artistic conception with unrestrained lines and symbolic symbols: the black and gray Gui Tiao Village symbolizes the shadow of war, the red and purple agave represents potential crisis, and the blue, yellow and red fighter jets express the anxiety and fear of war.

However, above these heavy images, a group of orange and white loving doves fly high above, conveying the message of happiness and peace. The picture is also dotted with peace symbols, stars and floating balloons, as if it is a peace poem written by children.
In addition, the painting also includes images such as submarines, sailboats and balls that symbolize freedom and exploration, as well as the "Wind Lion God" representing the patron saint of Kinmen, reminding people not to forget the land that has experienced war.

Become an empathetic and responsible global citizen
Principal Zhang Zhimeng of Longnian Elementary School said that "Peaceful Kinmen Island" is not only an artistic creation, but also a cross-disciplinary teaching result of Longnian Elementary School integrating history education, aesthetic creation and social emotional learning (SEL). In the course, students not only learn how to use colors and symbols to convey emotions, but also practice listening, expression, understanding and empathy in group cooperation, story discussion and creation.
Students worked together to complete the entire canvas and placed a black handprint on the green background to symbolize commitment. Each handprint is a declaration of a peaceful future and a historical connection across generations. This class not only taught students to "learn to draw", but also to become global citizens with empathy and responsibility.

The islands drawn by children are a letter back to the world
Principal Zhang Zhimeng, who has been teaching at the school for many years, said, "From recording stories to collective creation, the children used every stroke and every handprint to write down their response to the world. This class made us deeply realize that art can gently express heavy things."
After viewing the exhibition, Deputy County Magistrate Li Wenliang said affectionately: "This work shows how children use the simplest brushstrokes and the most sincere emotions to depict the peace and hope in their hearts. Kinmen was once a battlefield, but now children can use art to spread the message of peace to the world. This is the most profound power of education."

Director Sun Liqi of the Kinmen County Education Department also pointed out: "This painting is not just an island drawn by the children, but also their reply to the world - a reply full of hope."

Let the seeds of peace blossom from Kinmen to the world
The school said that "Peaceful Kinmen Island" is currently on display at the school, and will soon depart for Nagasaki, Japan to participate in the "Peace Prayer Heart Heart in Nagasaki" International Children's Painting Exhibition. The canvas of the Kinmen children will be exhibited together with the works of children from all over the world, and in the concept of "using the earth as a canvas", they will sow the seeds of peace together. The children of Kinmen have proved with their actions that peace can start from a hand, a painting, and an island, slowly take root, and eventually bloom.