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The pond in the mountain holds many beautiful childhood memories of the main character. After many years, the mountain and water are still there, but the majestic sight of the pond no longer exists. The Pond from Childhood illustrates the wetlands in Shuanglianpi, Yilan and presents the precious animals and plants living in the water and on the side of the mountain. The story also captures the joy of being in nature as a child. Through the story, children can discover the beauty of nature and understand the value of floating islands and wetlands, in order to experience the importance of ecological protection and conservation.
The story of The Pond from Childhood starts in Shuanglianpi in Yilan. In the past, Shuanglianpi was picturesque. The surface of the water shimmered with the reflection of the surrounding majestic mountains. The aquatic plants swayed in the reflected light and play tricks with the lights and shadows of the moving water. The scenery around the pond changed with the seasons. In spring, the surface of the water was covered in pink flowers. The area became lush with green during summer and the mountains and water were painted in different shades of yellow during autumn. And In winter, the Salix kusanoi are covered in golden strings of flowers. The different scenery of each season was Shuanglianpi’s charm in its early days.
This was a paradise for aquatic plants and a natural playground for children.
In addition to the gorgeous natural scenery of Shuanglianpi in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, Shuanglianpi is also a low-altitude wetland, which is rare in Taiwan, and contains floating islands, which is rare in the world. In the past, the pond was home to more than 100 species of aquatic plants, accounting for more than one third of endemic aquatic plant species in Taiwan. The surrounding area was also home to hundreds of different types of insects. The grass blanket and the aquatic plants link together to form a floating island that moved with the water and wind, like a moving castle, silently protection the animals and plants in the big pond. Precious yellow pond turtles, crab-eating mongoose, Aphyocypris kikuchii, and Japanese rice fish have been seen in the pond and the surrounding areas. Rare aquatic plants such as Trapa incisa, Trapa incise, and watershield, formed a sea of green by connecting the plants below and above the surface of the pond, nurturing a rich ecology and earning the titles of “aquatic plant paradise” and “pearl within the mountains” for Shuanglianpi. These titles describe the unique ecology of Shuanglianpi in the past. In the memories of the older generation living in Shuanglianpi, children could jump on the floating islands like it was a trampoline, or they would catch bugs and harvest vegetables like the main character and Xiaogao in The Pond from Childhood. They enjoyed games in the mountains and in the water. At the time, Shuanglianpi was not only beautiful but was also a natural playground for children.
Caption: Shuanglianpi was once called an “aquatic plant paradise” for its rich ecology.
The road to conservation is long, but it will help the children find happiness in their memories
It is a shame that after several decades, with human destruction, introduction of foreign species, conventional farming, and climate change, the beauty of Shuanglianpi has lost its original spark. There are no longer the sounds of children laughing echoing along its shores. Many of the common species in the past are now appearing on the endangered list one after another.
Luckily, a group of people have stepped up to work towards protecting the ecology of Shuanglianpi. Just like in the story, when the main character returned to Shuanglianpi with his daughter, Wistron Foundation and the Society of Wilderness gathered volunteers from around Taiwan as well as volunteers from the local community, to invest more than a decade of manpower and resources to rehabilitate the pond and surrounding areas with their bare hands. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked hard in and around the pond to protect the aquatic plants and organisms. Environmental education was implemented to promote eco-friendly farming methods and conduct habitat conservation. Every person contributing to this effort is protecting the natural jewel of Shuanglianpi with all their heart.
The main character of The Pond from Childhood guiding us through the story is like taking a time machine with our children to go back in time, flying to the time before concrete jungles and returning to the embrace of nature to relive happy childhood memories and restore the glory of the pond. The activities in the forests and fields will also strengthen the bond between parent and child. Although the road to restoration is long, we hope to use this illustrated book to show more people the beauty and value of Shuanglianpi. We will work hard together to restore the magnificence of the pond among the mountains.
Caption: In order to cultivate environmental education, the Wistron Foundation donated 3,000 illustrated books to elementary schools around Taiwan in order to plant the seeds of sustainable development for ecology. Photos of the VIPs attending the donation ceremony. (From right to left) Secretary-General Liu Jien-Long of the Society of Wilderness, Principal Chang Chong-Rong of Taipei City Beitou District Taoyuan Village Elementary School, Director-General Peng Fu-Yuan of the K-12 Education Administration, Ministry of Education, CEO Chou Wen-Ling of the Wistron Foundation, Division Chief Huang Xiang-Yuan of the Course Development Division, Office of Education, Yilan County government, and President Hsu Yao-Yun of the Future Parenting Platform.
A donation of 3,000 illustrated books were provided to schools around Taiwan to plant the seeds of sustainable development.
The Wistron Foundation made a special donation of 3,000 illustrated books to elementary schools around Taiwan. Through the reading of the illustrated books, the hope is that parent-child relationships can be brought closer together and more people can see the beauty, value, and possibility of ecological balance in Shuanglianpi. The books will also act as powerful teaching materials to plant the seeds for sustainable development in children.
Guided reading of the book