The Han Chinese were originally a continental farming people, but a few centuries ago pioneers among them ventured across the “Black Ditch” of the Taiwan Strait to live on a mountainous island surrounded by ocean, with fast-flowing rivers that were prone to flooding. All across Taiwan, a unique water culture developed with water-related rituals that survive to the present day.
In the beloved comic book and anime series One Piece, Luffy and his companions sail the Going Merry over the high seas, hunting for a mysterious treasure. Yue Ming Elementary and Junior High School is giving Taiwan its own young nautical adventurers. These young mariners have sailed all the way around Taiwan with students from other schools, participated in international sailing competitions, and are now preparing to sail with a group of French schoolchildren and their teachers. Yue Ming’s students are writing their very own nautical adventures and making sailing friends all over the world!
