Since the retrocession of Taiwan to the Republic of China, Lanyu has been under the jurisdiction of Taitung County, and opened up to the public as a tourist district. Following in the tourists' wake came merchants, scholars and officials who brought with them material civilization which caused changes in the islanders' lifestyles. Today, Lanyu incorporates traditional and modern elements, and fully represents a culture in transition.

The staple food of the Yamei tribesmen is sweet potatoes, taro and fish. They live from hand to mouth, and never plan for tomorrow. Poor nutrition coupled with scorching sunshine and strong winds cause the Yamei people to age rapidly.

Most of the older men prefer to wear a scanty "G-string" while the older women usually go "topless." Although the younger people are more modest in their habits, hygiene is still neglected. Most people never take a bath, brush their teeth or change their clothes.

Lanyu's population is concentrated in six settlements scattered around the coast, known as Hung Tou, Yieh Yu, Lang Tao, Yeh Yin, Tung Ching and Yu Jen. Living quarters usually consist of underground chambers covered with wood, stone and thatch. The government built modern houses for them free of charge, but the natives refused to move in, preferring their primitive huts. Efforts to teach them to grow alternative crops such as rice, and use more modern methods to catch fish, have failed to catch on because the people of Lanyu consider them too complicated and troublesome.

Realizing it was a hopeless task to try to change the entrenched habits of the older generation, the government decided the best hope lay in educating the young people of the island. Lanyu has four primary schools and a junior high school, at which tuition, rooms and board are free. But the children show no interest, and further encouraged by their parent's apathy, they always run away from class.

Lin Mao-an first visited Lanyu in the summer of 1974. As a member of a work team from Christ's College at Kuantu in the suburbs of Taipei, he went to the island to promote the work of the church through teaching the children to sing sacred songs, and understand Bible stories.

He immediately fell in love with the beautiful scenery on this island paradise, but was amazed to find that the lifestyle of the people was worlds apart from that across the water in Taiwan, only a few dozen nautical miles away. Lin immediately decided that something had to be done to improve the situation.

After his graduation three years later, he was considering whether to go abroad to continue his studies. But in his prayers, the faces of the aborigine children in Lanyu would keep coming back to him. With the approval of his parents, he returned to Lanyu in 1977.

At first he lived in a dormitory provided by the church, but moved to a small hut three months later. Although he had no official post, the children would flock around him after school and Lin would help them to do their homework. They would greet him with the words "Ya Ma-Kung (hello papa)" and refer to him as "Teacher Lin." As the children made rapid progress in their studies, Lin was happy for a year to enjoy a simple nd happy life among them. But one day an incident occurred which was to change his attitude entirely.

On a hot day in mid-summer, Lin saw a small girl drown, simply because the tribesman had a sense of fatalism which prevented them from offering any aid. Worst of all, they even ran away from the scene. Lin observed that although the Yamei loved their children as much as any other people, their superstition and ignorance prevented them from looking after them properly. The children ran around naked and wild along the seashore, and often slept out in the open at night. Their bellies often protruded, their faces were dirty, and their noses were always running. Not surprisingly, children ran into a host of accidents, and the mortality rate was high.

After visiting several kindergartens in Taiwan, Lin decided to set up a similar facility in Lanyu. He browsed through many publications before working out his plans.

Through a publicity drive launched in the mass media, Lin won wide support from the public in Taiwan, both spiritually and financially. The Mining Research Institute of the Ministry of Economic Affairs donated one of their buildings for Lin's use. Helped by his friends, Lin decorated the building with cartoons, boats, trains and animals, and on the outside painted the three big characters "Lan En Kindergarten." In the summer of 1979, the first kindergarten in Orchid Island was opened, fully equipped through public donations either in cash or in kind. To "hoodwink" the children into going to the school, Lin and his friends first played with them in their villages.

At present, some 37 children attend the kindergarten, divided into two groups, presided over by teachers Chiang Ke-chi and Kuo Tze-mei. Lin is in charge of the administrative work and the sports class. As all the funds for the kindergarten must come from charity, the teachers receive meager remuneration. But despite the heavy workload, no one complains. The children pay no tuition fees, and are served with a free snack and lunch every day.

In fact, the kindergarten is more like a home than a school. Lin and his colleagues decided from the outset they would not teach the children complicated subjects, but would concentrate on enabling them to appreciate their environment, form good habits, and understand the meaning of love. No matter how badly the children behave, the teachers guide them patiently because they know they need care, love and instruction more than most other children.

Every morning, the Lan En school bus picks up the children at different villages. Lin always travels with the bus to make sure every child is present. The first hour at school is known as "corner time," during which the children are free to join in playing with books, pictures, dolls and wooden blocks. The teachers watch them closely to see what kind of instruction will suit them best. At 9 a.m., Chiang starts to play the organ to call the children to join in the flag-raising ceremony. After singing a simplified version of the National Anthem, the children are lined up to do calisthenics, although some insist on huddling together to play their own games.

Lin is the first to admit that he encountered obstacles in starting his class. At first, the children paid no attention to their teachers, and insisted on doing exactly what they wanted. Since few of them could speak standard Mandarin, they soon lost interest and laughter and crying could always be heard in the classroom. When they left without notice, the teachers had to go and look for them in the mountains. Lin soon realized that often, the children would run away simply to attract attention. If the teacher ignored them, they would return of their own accord.

In all classes, Lin and his colleagues encouraged the children to display their individual talents, while at the same time hoping they would live up to the standards set for them. When the children expressed fear over receiving cholera shots, the teachers had the injections first and said: "It's just another mosquito bite."

The teachers had to cook food, and do all the cleaning themselves. The children were trained to form sanitary habits and have table manners. They had to wash their hands and faces before lunch, and brush their teeth afterwards. They were forbidden to drink tap water or eat with their hands. Teachers also helped them to de-louse and wash their hair and bathe in the nearby creek.

As founder of the first kindergarten in Lanyu, Lin says modestly: "This school has been made possible by the dedication and support of the public. I only serve as a bridge. In future, I intend to establish a small library and zoo, a vegetable garden in the yard, and eventually a second kindergarten in a nearby village. My greatest difficulty stems from the lack of suitable teachers. I think that only on a one-to-one basis can these children receive enough love."

He concluded: "Every human being must have self-respect. I hope the new generation on Orchid Island will be able to adapt to modern civilization better than their forefathers."

[Picture Caption]

1. Teacher Chiang plays in the fields with children of the Lan En kindergarten. 2. Flag-raising ceremony. 3. Teacher Kuo shows a map of China to the children.

1. Teacher Chiang demonstrates to the children how to count on their fingers. 2. A boy builds a house from wooden blocks. 3. Children listen to teacher Chiang's story in rapt attention. 4 & 5. Children help Lin carry a beam to the playground to train them in poise and balance.

1. A child pumps air into a volleyball. 2. Children playing together. 3. Two girls show off their snacks to each other. 4. Teacher Chiang talks to children peeping through the kitchen door as she prepares lunch. 5. Children say grace before eating.

Teachers in the Lan En Kindergarten train children to form good habits including washing dishes after lunch, bathing in the creek every Tuesday and Friday afternoon, and washing their hair.

Left: When the school bus is otherwise engaged, Teacher Lin walks the children back to their homes.

Flag-raising ceremony.

Teacher Kuo shows a map of China to the children.

Teacher Chiang demonstrates to the children how to count on their fingers.

A boy builds a house from wooden blocks.

Children listen to teacher Chiang's story in rapt attention.

Children help Lin carry a beam to the playground to train them in poise and balance.

Children help Lin carry a beam to the playground to train them in poise and balance.

A child pumps air into a volleyball.

Children playing together.

Two girls show off their snacks to each other.

Teacher Chiang talks to children peeping through the kitchen door as she prepares lunch.

Children say grace before eating.

Teachers in the Lan En Kindergarten train children to form good habits including washing dishes after lunch.

bathing in the creek every Tuesday and Friday afternoon.

and washing their hair.

When the school bus is otherwise engaged.

Teacher Lin walks the children back to their homes.