Under the support of the University Social Responsibility (USR) Program of the Ministry of Education, students from the Department of Visual Communication Design, STUST, have been supported by the 2022 "College Students’ Migration to the Rural Areas Competition" residency program of the Bureau of Agriculture Committee of the Executive Yuan. Zuozhen Junior High School and local youths joined hands to conduct a field survey on the old streets, disclose the stories of the old street, and look forward to revive the splendor of Zuozhen.

[A group photo of students from STUST in Zuozhen Fieldwork Workshop.]

Through the USR course of "Cultural Industry and Museum" in the 110th academic year, students of the Department of Visual Communication, STUST, gained a basic understanding of Zuozhen Old Street and initially completed the historical visual design of Zuozhen Old Street. In order to continue their connection with local people and make their design realized in Zuozhen, eight students from the Department of Visual Communication of STUST—Yu-zhen Lin, Ya-ping Wu, Hui-ping Zeng, Wan-jing Yan, Zi-pei Yang, Pei-shuan Yang, An-cen Hsu, and Yu-rou Chen—invited Zi-ning Li, a second-year local student from the Department of Fine Arts, Tainan University of Applied Science and Technology, to join the group. The "Go Left" team designed 4 curatorial activities for residents of different age groups to gradually collect the memories and thoughts of the people in Zuozhen. The exhibition is expected to be completed by the end of August.

[A group photo of Zuozhen Field Research Workshop at the Green Fruit Market.]

The first curatorial activity "Zuozhen Old Street Investigation Workshop," in cooperation with Zuozhen Junior High School, allowed college students and Junior High School students to be mixed into groups. They kept records, do other related work, and wrote interview records after the two investigations in the morning and afternoon. They worked in groups, with STUST students and high school students mixed together to facilitate the operational practice of fieldwork, trying to do the interviews, photographing, recording, and writing interview records after two investigations in the morning and afternoon. The interviewees included the green grocery stalls, Azhen Grocery Store, Chingzhenshuan bakery, and some local snack stalls. The students learned about the field investigation through the practice. On the other hand, through the interview process, they came to understand the changes of Zuozhen and the impact of transportation development on the old street and its nearby markets.

[Students from Zuozhen Junior High School were conducting an interview with an old store.]

Ms. Meng-ling Lai, who conducted the USR course on "Cultural Industries and Museums", said that Zuozhen is one of the "villages that are about to disappear." Although Zuozhen Fossil Park has attracted more than one million tourists since its opening in 2018, the Tsailiao area has gradually become active. Zuozhen Old Street, which has declined due to the opening of the outer ring road, still needs to actively promote the participation of residents and attract tourists. With the investment of Shanhaitun social enterprise, the restoration of five old houses is about to complete. Therefore, the project team will continue to work in series on the construction of related software and application, such as local Siraya culture, old shops, high-quality fruit farmers, and the establishment of a guide mechanism. They will use the "Zuozhen Field Investigation Workshop" to discover local highlights and collect important materials for follow-up tours and publicity.

[Students were having an interviewing with an old shop owner.]

Deng-maw Lu, President of STUST, said that the teachers and students of the USR project team of the Department of Visual Communication in their "Zuozhen Local Creation—Zuoshan Tourist Town Cultural Creation" have long used Zuozhen as the field of their study. Through courses, practice, activities, reflection, they have professionally participated in local cultural preservation as well as inheritance and promotion actions, supporting Zuozhen local creation in terms of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Quality Education (SDGs 4), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDGs 11), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDGs 12). STUST will continue to implement the university's social responsibility and local connection, cultivate innovative talents, and share prosperity and benefits with the local community.

[Students of STUST and students from Zuozhen Junior High School were discussing about the story of the old stores.]