Written by Alice Hsu / Translated by: Ken Kraynak

As the Xiuguluan River cuts a path through the Coastal Mountain Range it meanders past the village of Qimei, the mid-way rest stop for rafting trips on the river. Whether you start from the lush green of the Rift Valley or the azure blue of the coastal route, not long after you begin ascending the Coastal Range on the Ruigang Highway you’ll reach Qimei Village, from where you have a clear view of the river and the distinctive grain of the Coastal Mountain Range.

Qimei is full of colorful legends, and due to its remote location sinification came to the village relatively late. Residents recall that right through the 1980s most of the homes in the village had thatch roofs, the last of which was blown off by a major typhoon in 1989.

Relatively isolated from the forces of modernity, Qimei has always been a few decades behind other Amis villages, and its traditional culture and age-grade system has remained largely intact. Yet in recent years even Qimei has begun to undergo a large-scale exodus of young people.

Over the past three years, however, the earnest encouragement of social activists has led a number of young people to return to the village, set up independent enterprises, and attempt to make a living without giving in to the social forces which lure most young people to the big cities.

Community activists have devised an array of programs which encourage village youth to cultivate new skills and mobilize community resources, one result of which has been the reappearance of thatch roofs and plans for guided tours of the area. All this has allowed young people who have returned to Qimei to preserve the traditional age-grade system and imbibe a wide range of skills necessary for the development of village-based enterprises.

Amongst these endeavors, learning English presents one of the larger challenges. Beginning in April of this year, aiming to get a feel for the territory, youths from Qimei village began to participate in an English tour guide course organized by National Dong Hua University’s Graduate Institute of Environmental Policy. Due to their comparatively weak background in English, however, the village youths haven’t been able to derive much benefit from the course.

Not willing to throw in the towel so easily, the villagers decided to apply for funding to start an English class in the village. The class is taught by a local teacher named Amber, one of the few villagers with an advanced degree. Amber also has training and experience as an English teacher, and beginning in August of this year young villagers have been coming to her class twice a week for rigorous drilling in all the basics. Eager to use her skills to benefit her native place, Amber has also begun to help translate the tourism materials.

According to village activist Wu Mingli, “Since beginning we’ve had a modest degree of success, and we’ve still got a long way to go, but this kind of endeavor requires lots of hard work and there are no shortcuts. This is our dream, and at present we are planting seeds; even though it will take some time, seeing even a small sprout brings us much hope and joy.”

Realizing any dream requires making a start. Qimei Village has already taken the first step, and is now looking towards the future with great expectations!