Craftsmanship is an artistic expression closely tied to everyday life and environmental sustainability. Ludong Elementary School has introduced Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat weaving courses, allowing students and teachers to participate together. This initiative aims to use the craft as a means of environmental awareness and cultural heritage preservation.

Approaching cultural heritage through education is an important way to strengthen our connection to our hometown. The village chief of CHIAO-TOU Community once told us: "If a student understands their hometown and contributes to it from a young age, they will naturally develop a strong attachment to the place."
He also mentioned that those with deep emotional ties to their hometown are more likely to return after leaving. As long as people are willing to engage with their local communities, there is hope for their preservation and growth.

We also learned that Sun Yorkos Industries has developed sustainable materials that promote eco-friendly cycles. For example, Sinamay, a natural fiber, was traditionally handwoven in the UK. Unlike synthetic fibers, natural fibers have length limitations, making mass production difficult. However, Sun Yorkos Industries developed a unique technique that extends fiber length and enables faster production using machinery. This complex method is something only Jia Quan Industries has successfully mastered worldwide.

Instructor TSAI,YEN-YU stated:"As long as the foundation is strong, mastering the weaving techniques becomes much easier!" With this confidence, she expressed a willingness to experiment with weaving Taiwan Cypress Straw Hats if the materials became available again. Her innovative mindset inspired us, sparking unexpected creative ideas. She also shared: "Problem-solving can be exhausting, but once you figure it out, everything becomes easier." This technical challenge has actually led us to discover new ways to promote the Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat.

To further our efforts, we designed marketing materials (DMs) and used our computer class knowledge to create Scratch animations, including comic strips, tower defense games, mazes, and puzzle games. These projects challenged our creativity but ultimately yielded significant results.

Additionally, while preparing for the cultural exhibition and Teacher’s Day greeting card event, we experimented with using recycled paper to create small deer figurines—further embracing the spirit of sustainability in our craft.

We also noticed that our Taiwan Cypress Straw Hat game became popular among younger students at school. They actively searched for the game during their computer class and enjoyed competing against one another, proving how engaging and fun cultural heritage can be when presented in an interactive way.