A village that fought to keep its school.
Qimei Elementary opened in 1925 under Japanese rule as a branch of Ruisui Public School, serving the village known in Amis as Kiwit. Facing population decline, the school was merged into Hegang Elementary as a branch campus in 1989 — but this was not the end of the story. Local villagers petitioned successfully to restore the school's independent status, which it regained in 1992. That grassroots persistence reflects how deeply this community values having its own school at the center of village life.
奇美國小創立於日治時期大正14年（1925年），最初為瑞穗公學校分校，服務阿美族語稱為「Kiwit」的部落。因人口減少，學校於民國78年（1989年）併入鶴岡國小成為分校——但故事並未就此結束，部落居民積極陳情爭取，終於在民國81年（1992年）成功恢復獨立設校。這份草根的堅持，展現出這個社區對於擁有自己學校、作為部落生活核心的深厚重視。
What makes this school worth knowing.
✊ Restored by Villagers' Petition
部落陳情爭取復校
After being merged into Hegang Elementary as a branch in 1989, Qimei Elementary was restored to independent status in 1992 thanks to a successful petition by local villagers — a rare grassroots reversal.
👴 Living Age-Grade Traditions
保存年齡階級制度
Qimei (Kiwit) is known for preserving traditional Amis age-grade social organization — a system that structures community roles and responsibilities by generation — more fully than many other Amis villages.
🏞️ On the Historic Xiuguluan River
秀姑巒溪畔古老部落
Located along the Xiuguluan River, Qimei is considered one of the oldest and most traditional Amis villages in the region, giving the school a deep well of living cultural heritage to draw on.
Kiwit, keeper of Amis age-grade culture.
Qimei, known in Amis as Kiwit, is a historic Amis village on the Xiuguluan River celebrated for preserving traditional age-grade (社會階級) culture more completely than many other communities — a system that organizes social roles, ceremonies, and responsibilities by generational cohort. The school's own history of grassroots restoration mirrors the village's broader commitment to sustaining its traditions.
Find the school.
No. 47, Qimei Village, Ruisui Township, Hualien County 978, Taiwan
花蓮縣瑞穗鄉奇美村47號
School's Official Website (Chinese) ↗
Last updated: July 2026 · Content adapted and condensed from the school's official Chinese-language website by the Taiwan Bilingual Hub team, not yet reviewed by the school. If you're from Qimei Elementary and would like to correct or expand this page, please contact us.