A resident of a northern Taipei suburb has gone from being a
virtual stranger in his community to being a leader of local
affairs. Hung Te-jen is doing what he can to educate his fellow
residents on the value of history and the importance of activism.
A magazine article published late last year drew readers' attention to a renovated building in northern Taipei's Beitou district, an area known for its hot springs resorts. "The Beitou Hot Springs Museum was established five years ago as a result of the joint efforts of local residents, teachers, and students," reads the article in a nostalgic tone. Al though the writer expresses concern about a proposal to entrust the museum's management to the private sector, he emphasizes that the story surrounding the establishment of the museum is frequently told to touch people, including the storytellers themselves.
Hung Te-jen is one such storyteller. Hung, a medical doctor, is one of Beitou's most prominent community activists and president of the Beitou Culture Foundation (BCF), a grassroots organization established in 2000 to promote interest in the district's culture and history. The foundation is now one of about 40 such local groups, according to the Taipei City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, each representing a different area. Hung especially enjoys the story behind the Beitou Hot Springs Museum as it is a prime example of the community joining forces to successfully preserve an important historical relic.
In 1995, several students at the Beitou Elementary School came across an abandoned structure among overgrown grass while on a field study. The two-story building, modeled after a British country villa, was originally constructed by the Japanese in 1913 to house a hot springs pool and bathing facilities. When the Japanese colonial government left in 1945, the bathhouse was put to various uses by the public and private sectors before the decaying structure became desolate. "The children loved the building," says Hung. "And their devotion moved the local community and government to save a piece of history." After it was rediscovered, the building gained official recognition as a historic building and is now a major tourist destination in Taipei.
Hung was not always active in community affairs. In fact, he admits to being a stranger to the Tamsui River, a major waterway running through the Taipei basin. That, however, changed after he reached the age of 40. "I used to know nothing about the river but that it caused floods from time to time," he says. "Levees along the riverbank seemed like concrete barriers that prevented the river from flowing into my life."
As a young Taiwanese student, Hung learned much more about the faraway Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. He points out that knowledge about the two largest rivers in China represents a gap between education and the lives of those who receive the education. "It seems that we've been taught to ignore our hometown," he notes. "If we don't know the soil under our feet, we can't be sure of what we know about ourselves." Hung vows to establish a discipline of learning he calls "Beitou science." This kind of local research can build the foundation of a greater "Taipei science," and help create a more dynamic picture of the city as a whole, notes Liao Hsien-hao, director of the city government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, during a recent meeting of local specialists that included members of the BCF.
Hung's concern for education has prompted the BCF to initiate a local learning program, one of 12 in Taipei arranged by the city government. According to the physician, this community college is supposed to develop a practical and locally pertinent way of learning. "Students won't just sit in classrooms as in regular schools," Hung explains. "In addition to offering an easily accessible channel of lifelong education, our community college will also offer a venue for local affairs and public issues to be studied and discussed from different standpoints."
Beitou's proposed cable car project is one such example. Since 1979, in a bid to counter the economic fallout from a ban on prostitution, a once-lucrative trade in Beitou, planners proposed building an aerial cable car. After decades of discussion and debate, the project--now promoted as a means of relieving the heavy traffic between Beitou and Yangmingshan, a nearby tourist attraction--is in the final stages of planning and is awaiting approval by the Yangmingshan National Park authorities. "The community college can introduce necessary information to people and hold forums so residents can exchange opinions with experts, scholars, and others who're responsible for the planning and construction," Hung says. "So even if local people oppose a project and it proceeds anyway, people would at least be able to put considerable pressure on the government and help produce better results."
Hung's pragmatism is also reflected in his willingness to accept help from all available resources. "I know there're groups that insist on their independence from governmental sectors," he notes. "But considering the significance of continuous regional interaction, I'd rather develop a sensible system of cooperation among relevant parties." In addition to the Beitou Community College launched in April, another of the BCF's ongoing government-sponsored projects concerns the promotion of culture- and ecology-oriented tourism in Beitou. As part of a national effort, this program is funded by the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA). Since the mid-1990s, during a period of renewed interest in Beitou's history, the CCA has supported development projects at the community level that often require cooperation with local groups.
In contrast with previous local events that included traditional festivities and sporadic charity fundraising, Hung wants to make a sustainable business of local culture and welfare services, such as care for children and the elderly. For example, the community may cooperate with schools to establish an after-school learning program as an alternative to crowded cram schools. "The results of national economic development should be enjoyed by everyone every day," Hung says. "And the best way to fulfill that ideal is to promote a community-based industry that is reasonably profitable." To this end, business management concepts, such as packaging and marketing, should be applied to local agricultural and cultural products like tourist attractions.
As a doctor, Hung belongs to one of three groups that he considers crucial for long-term community development in terms of their potential contribution. The other two are pharmacists and junior high and elementary school teachers. Professionals from these three fields are more inclined to build close relations within the local community and are less likely to move from the area without a second thought, Hung notes. Moreover, they are already knowledgeable and just have to be sensitive to their surroundings to be able to make significant contributions to the community, he adds. Currently, such central BCF members as You Yuan-jheng, deputy director of Beitou Community College and He Yu-cheng, editor-in-chief of the foundation's periodical, are making their contributions through teaching at the primary school level. "Community work is a long-term job that may continue for years, or even decades," He says. "Hung shows considerable selflessness and humanity, and the BCF's vision of a better Beitou has given us great inspiration."
In light of Taiwan's history, a doctor like Hung is relevant in overall social progress not only in terms of humanitarian reasons. Modern medical science was introduced to Taiwan in the early 20th century by the Japanese and became one of two disciplines--the other being agriculture--accessible to Taiwanese students with academic ambitions. At that time, those in the medical profession had an overbearing presence in intellectual, social, and economic pursuits. In 1921, for example, Dr. Jiang Wei-shuei (1890-1931) founded the Taiwan Cultural Association, which engaged in unarmed resistance against Japanese colonial rule. Postwar social turmoil and political persecution, however, largely silenced native Taiwanese elites. "In the wake of this retreat from public affairs, doctors have been generally regarded as isolated money-makers in ivory towers," Hung notes. "Yet, the last decade of political democratization has brought doctors back into the public sphere, where now they represent one of the numerous professions that are addressing public issues."
In the final analysis, however, Hung's mission rises above any single profession. "Human factors are the essence of community work, and the point is not a single person but a group of people," he says. "How many middle-aged persons, such as ourselves, can work together for common nonprofit goals?" Jhan Ru-zong, a member of the BCF's board of directors, echoes this view. "It's like traveling back in time to the good old days of rural life," says Jhan, remembering a time when neighboring villagers helped each other harvest their crops free of charge. "Instead of feeling empty and helpless like so many modern people, I know I have friends and partners who are ready to back me up if anything happens to me."
After spending nearly a decade devoted to his hometown, Hung Te-jen says he has experienced inexplicable moments that suggest life has its own natural course and purpose. Prior to an event at Beitou Park, for example, Hung and his fellow organizers worried that the forecast of rain would keep thousands of expected visitors away. They woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunny day. "We do our best and let the Heaven Grandpa decide," he says. Just as Beitou is a place where the plains, mountains, and rivers meet to foster a unique and rich ecology, the doctor would like to see human and natural factors join forces to create a story that his fellow community residents will one day share with others.