Dazhong Elementary School, Bade District, Taoyuan City—A cup of tea illuminates the sustainable journey of the tea-producing region.

The tea industry is a vital sector in Taiwan. Its prosperity during the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese occupation significantly contributed to Taiwan's economy, leaving a rich legacy on the landscape and culture for generations. After the 1970s, Taiwan's tea exports gradually declined, replaced by a more refined domestic tea culture. In recent years, declining birth rates and rising labor costs have necessitated more flexible management practices in tea-producing regions to ensure stable economic development. Therefore, tea tourism has become a focus for many Taiwanese tea-producing areas in recent years. However, developing tea tourism is no easy task. Providing tourists with a deeper experience, and ensuring that these experiences are sustainable, are crucial considerations. This project, a collaborative effort between teachers and students, uses tea dregs for dyeing, creating tea-based cultural and creative products in a completely different way. Based on ecological photography, local ecological patterns are incorporated, and tea dregs are used to create bookmarks and lanterns. This approach fully aligns with the SDGs8 concept of "diversification, innovation, and upgrading of economic productivity." Furthermore, it responds to the two sustainability indicators of SDGs 4 Quality Education and SDGs 15 Terrestrial Ecology through high-quality teaching and ecological photography.
This innovative teaching program is divided into six parts, each providing students with opportunities to learn and unleash their creativity. These six steps are: "Tea-Scented Slow Travel," "Ecological Photography," "Tea-Dyed Bookmarks," "Tea-Dyed Lanterns," "Handicraft Promotion," and "Tea Ceremony Performance." It utilizes outdoor education themes to inspire students' five senses, then leverages photography to enhance their aesthetic observation skills and environmental knowledge. Next, innovative tea-dyeing techniques are applied to the creation of bookmarks and lanterns. In the promotion section, a combination of physical and online methods will be used, including community demonstrations and online tea-dyeing demonstration videos, to promote the concept of sustainable tea-producing regions. This program's educational activities are not only about aesthetic education but also a secret to promoting local tourism.
A secret weapon. Through "Tea-Scented Slow Travel" and "Ecological Photography," children are guided to observe the light and shadow in tea gardens and incorporate these images into their tea-dyed artwork. These handmade products, imbued with the delicate aroma of tea, become an excellent vehicle for promoting tea culture. Through the tea-dyeing experience, tourists can not only enjoy tea but also participate in the process of "waste recycling," enhancing the added value of the tea industry and the appeal of in-depth tourism. The final course, a performance of the Seven Bowls of Tea Poetry, aims to help students develop tea-centered activities into unforgettable aesthetic experiences, fostering a lifelong connection with tea and making it their friend!