Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, March 2021
2021年3月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of March 27, 2021, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led seven ARF interns and their parents on a trip to discover fossils and the modernization of urban waterworks in Tainan. It was clear and sunny on the day of the tour, and the interns and their parents were on time for the departure. At the start of the day's activities, team leader Ms. Lu Ming-yun reminded everyone about things to note and what to observe, and gave the interns some background knowledge. ![]() The tour began with a visit to Tainan City Zuojhen Fossil Park in the morning. Guided by its fossil researcher, the tour started with an introduction to the background of the fossil park and its surrounding environment through architectural models. Many precious animal fossils have been discovered in the basin of Cailiao River, Zuojhen, even parts of the skull of Zuojhen Man, making it an important site for fossil research. In recent years, the government has integrated all these resources into the fossil park, keeping the precious fossils and historical relics for public viewing. The tour guide went on to describe the formation of fossils, explaining that fossils are formed when dead organisms are buried in flood sediment or volcanic ash before they fully decomposed, and are discovered when they emerge from the earth during tectonic shifts. The tour guide also showed everyone an oyster shell fossil that he dug out from the Cailiao Creek. By touching it with their hands and feeling its weight, the interns were amazed at how a previously light, thin and sharp shell could have turned into a thick, smooth and solid stone. Everyone then proceeded to a special exhibition that was held during that period. Through 360-degree surround view and models of marine fossils, everyone learned about how fishes have changed their body structure to gradually move from sea to the land. The tour guide pointed out that marine fossils can also be found in the mountains because tectonic plates under the sea push together and rise up to the surface. For instance, shell fossils have been discovered in the river beds of Taiwan's mountains. ![]() In the afternoon, everyone visited the Tainan Shan-Shang Garden and Old Waterworks Museum. The tour guide began by explaining that the museum was formerly the old Tainan watercourse, which is the most well preserved watercourse in Taiwan. Using a hand-drawn board, he also explained how water sourced from Zengwen River goes through many steps to become clean tap water, establishing the fundamental concept for everyone. Next, everyone entered the old quick-filtering room to simulate the actual operating method used in the past. Using an instructional video and role-playing, the tour guide described the quick filtration of impurities, explaining how aluminium sulfate is used to absorb microscopic impurities in the water, and how chlorine is used for sterilization, allowing the interns to learn through interaction and hands-on experience. As water filtration and purification involve the knowledge of chemistry and the process is complex and difficult to understand, the tour guide had carefully prepared teaching materials and designed the role-playing game to facilitate learning in an easy and fun way, leaving a deep impression on everyone. At this point, the day's itinerary came to an end. Everyone took a group photo before heading back and looked forward to the next study tour. |