On a sweltering July 17th, Loojing Elementary held its summer program "Loojing's Mullet-Roe Story, Tracing Lugang's Footsteps" — taking students on a journey through Lugang's history, culture, and local industry, full of surprises from start to finish.
The morning began with the guide introducing the name "Loojing" itself. It turns out "Loojing" is actually a literary name for Lugang — "Loo" sounds close to "Lu" (鹿, deer) in Taiwanese, while "Jing" means a port or ferry crossing. Scholars and writers of the past often used "Loojing" in their writing to refer to Lugang, so students got to learn the story behind their town's name right from the start.
Next, the group arrived at Sailboat Plaza. At first, everyone noticed only the eye-catching ship-shaped art installation — but the shade pavilion beside it turned out to hold a clever design of its own. Its shape was modeled after the three-masted sailboats once used for Lugang's trading ships, and back then, those sailboats were about the same size as a modern tour bus — leaving everyone amazed: "The ships back then were really that big!"
The morning also included visits to a shop making mullet roe by traditional methods and one of Lugang's landmark temples. With the guide's clear, engaging explanations, students learned not only the traditional craft behind mullet roe, but also more about Lugang's history, culture, and stories of faith — making for a richly rewarding morning of exploration.
The afternoon turned to hands-on making — an incense tablet (xiang pai) DIY workshop. The instructor first introduced the types of incense materials and how they're made, guiding everyone into the culture of incense-making, before demonstrating the tablet-making technique step by step. From kneading the incense paste, to pressing it into a mold, to carefully trimming the final shape, every step called for patience and care — and watching each tablet slowly take form let everyone feel the delicacy and warmth of this traditional craft.
In a single day, from learning the story behind the name "Loojing," to exploring Lugang's cultural heritage, to finishing an incense tablet by hand — students gained not just knowledge, but a cultural memory that will stay with them for the rest of the summer.
一起走進洛津，發現鹿港名字背後的故事
炎炎夏日的7/17，洛津國小舉辦暑期課程「津艷鹿港－津港烏魚情．鹿城尋跡趣」，帶著大小朋友一起走進鹿港，從歷史、文化到產業，展開一場充滿驚喜的探索之旅。
一早，導覽老師先從「洛津」這個名字開始介紹。原來「洛津」正是鹿港的雅稱，「洛」的發音與閩南語「鹿」相近，而「津」則有港口、渡口的意思，因此過去文人雅士在文章中，常以「洛津」代稱鹿港，讓同學們一開始就認識了這座小鎮名字背後的由來。
接著來到風帆廣場，大家原本只注意到醒目的船形裝置藝術，沒想到一旁的遮陽亭也藏著巧思。原來它的造型是以昔日鹿港進行商業貿易的重要船隻──三桅帆船為設計意象，而當年的帆船竟然和現在一台遊覽車差不多大，讓大家聽了都忍不住驚呼：「原來以前的船這麼大！」
上午的行程中，大家還走訪了古法製作烏魚子的店家與鹿港的特色廟宇，透過導覽老師深入淺出的解說，不僅了解烏魚子製作的傳統工藝，也更加認識鹿港的歷史文化與信仰故事，一趟走讀下來收穫滿滿。
下午則進入手作時間，體驗香牌DIY。老師先介紹香材的種類與製作方式，帶領大家認識香文化，再一步步示範香牌的製作技巧。從揉製香團、壓模塑形到細心修整，每個步驟都需要耐心與細心，看著一塊塊香牌慢慢成形，也讓大家感受到傳統工藝的細膩與溫度。
一天的課程，從認識「洛津」的由來，到探索鹿港的人文故事，再到親手完成香牌作品，不僅收穫了知識，也收藏了一段屬於夏天的文化回憶。
