Beat the workbook and talk to the big tree. Meinong's "Children's fun Market" glows on the grass with thousands of people in the countryside.

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The Longbelly Primary School in Meinong, Kaohsiung, has a total of only more than 160 teachers and students, but thousands of people poured into it on October 19th, all for the "Children's fun Fair."

The main stage of the event is small, no exaggerated platform, no scaffolding, canvas, simple hand-dyed cloth hanging over the audience area, can filter most of the autumn sun. Under the big trees and on the grass, people can be seen sitting on the ground with picnic mats everywhere. When tourists go to various stalls to look for food, they all bring their own environmentally friendly tableware. Here, "no plastic" is not a slogan, but a group of people gathering spirit to express their true love to the earth.

The performing children are singing, the audience is waving their buttocks, applause and laughter are incessant. There are hundreds of stalls, some sell tea and coffee, or make bread and chicken rolls on the spot, while others make it clear that they only come to make friends, take their children to draw pictures, play games, tell stories, and even open a "worry-relieving grocery store" for free. The child wrote "do not like homework" on the note, and the boss replied, "Please beat the workbook bravely, because you will be more tired when you grow up."

Xiao Le, a first-year student in Longbelly Primary School, was one of the last children to leave the event. It was clear that it was dark and all the stalls had been collected, and he was still reluctant to look back frequently on the way home. He looked up and asked, "Mom, will there be a market tomorrow?"

Teacher Mei Xu set up a stall for the children to draw until they had fun. (photo: Li Huiyi) "sure enough Red" combines "Agriculture" and "Art" to accumulate Rural Energy

The organizer, "sure enough Red Studio", is a peasant combination of Luo Yuanhong and Cai Jiarong. This year's "Children's fun Fair" is entering its third year, and the activities are getting bigger and more lively. Starting more than nine o'clock in the morning, there is a gradual rush of traffic on originally quiet community roads. Before 10: 00, 57 stalls from Meijiu District and Pingtung County of Kaohsiung Banner were located in order. The number reached its peak before noon.

What is the reason why Luo Yuanhong and Cai Jiarong are childless? what made them wish to hold a "children's fun fair" in their hometown?

Luo Yuanhong, 46, is a native of Meinong and comes from a peasant family. Cai Jiarong, 43, is the daughter of Nanzi and comes from a family of car repair factories. The two met 18 years ago and got married 16 years ago. Luo Yuanhong's father died after marriage, and the couple decided to go back to Meinung to take care of their old mother. Three or four years after they returned home, the two men took over the papaya garden left by their father and tried to sell it on Guanyin Mountain in the big society, but there was no match in life, so Cai Dad couldn't help asking his daughter, "Don't you really want to find a job?"

Cai Jiarong is introducing the pupils who are going to perform. (photo by Li Huiyi)

The concern of relatives and friends is still ringing in our ears, but after the August 8 storm, the couple were so determined that they simply gave up the customary agricultural law and switched to natural farming. At the same time, Luo Yuanhong also worked hard in his creation. he first worked with the Meinong Love Township Association for many performances and multi-media creation, and then went to Canada and Japan in 2014 and 2015 to learn from them. and because of the performance of "Yue Hou wife has the Earth Art Festival", he enlightened his new vision in the development of rural art.

In 2017, Luo Yuanhong and Cai Jiarong finally fulfilled their old wish by raising their own funds to hold the first "small Land Art Day" on their farm, proving that small villages can also create art and accumulate the cultural and ecological significance of agriculture. This year, they also began to launch the first "children-oriented"children's interest fair" in China. Cai Jiarong said: "behind each elementary school is a community, and if you promote it in the primary school, you can go further into the local area."

The day before the market, Haji, a natural media artist, had already gone to the Dragon belly Primary School for cloth work, hoping to let the participating friends enjoy the most natural and comfortable atmosphere. (photo: Li Huiyi) the grass picnic under the sunflower has no plastic, environmental protection, and loves the earth.

On the service counter of the "Children's fun Market", there are no flyers, only a row of check-in forms, and an oversized handwritten unmolded slogan-"No disposable containers". Luo Yuanhong said, "in fact, we cannot force people to do what they have to do, but our spirit is to be 'friendly to the environment' and 'show local characteristics'."

In addition to the booth, there are three sets of installation art in the bazaar, namely, "Dragon Turtle Dialogue", "Ant worker" and "speech Wo". "Dragon Turtle Dialogue" is a legend about the origin of the dragon belly settlement. "ant worker" sounds similar to the Hakka word "volunteer", symbolizing a group of enthusiastic friends who volunteer to participate in the market. "words" is the most meaningful, jointly created by Luo Yuanhong and artist friend Haji, especially under Grandpa Ye Lan Jen of Dragon belly Primary School.

Installation art dragon turtle dialogue. (photo by Li Huiyi)

Without destroying the original space, Luo Yuanhong first propped out two circles with steel bars as bones, and Haji covered them with branches, dead leaves and pieces of banana leaves that can be seen everywhere in the countryside. This design allows children to "hide" into the nest to chat with Grandpa Tree.

As a result, unexpectedly, most of the people who went into the "conversation nest" to write notes to grandpa trees were adults. Someone wrote, "people who play 123 wood are going to lose for the rest of their lives." There are also people who give 100 likes to the old tree, "because holding hands to give children shade for a hundred years, I really can't live without you!"

Zhang Erwen, the current headmaster of Longdu Primary School, said, "when I was studying in the 1960s, there was a climbing frame under the big leaf olive tree. Everyone rushed to play after class. I was very impressed. This time Yuan Hong chose a century-old tree to design such a space, which is very interesting! "

Whether it is spatial dialogue or gossiping about the past, the laughter of children is left in the "talk nest", and it also awakens the childlike innocence of the older children who have been sleeping for a long time. Haji said: "to find the common good and trust between man and nature is the original intention of our creation."

Hide in the "talk nest" to meditate and listen quietly to what Grandpa Shu is saying. (photo by Li Huiyi)

Seeing that there were rarely so many people in the school, and that there was no noise, Principal Zhang Erwen felt something in his heart. "someone just told me that I never knew Dragon belly Primary School was here," he said. In the past, every time I went to the Yellow Butterfly Valley, I always drove all the way north. I didn't expect such a great community and school on the way! "

Luo Yuanhong, who was standing nearby chatting with friends, also mentioned at this time, "in fact, we have already discussed the 'children's interest' next year, and the next stop is in Guangxing Primary School."

Children from Shanlin Bananhua Tribal Primary and Middle School teach everyone how to cut open the bamboo tube to get delicious tea refreshments. (photo: Li Huiyi) it is not difficult for children to make decisions. Adults, put it down.