Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, May 2015
2015年5月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() On May 30, 2015, Ms Lu Ming-yun led 10 ARF interns and their parents on a tour to Gangshan, the center of fastener manufacturing in Taiwan, and Rende, a district rich with the history of wood crafting. It was sunny on the day of 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 morning's itinerary brought everyone to the Taiwan Fastener Museum. The museum, which is the first of its kind in Taiwan, is slated to be the base for fastener-related industrial R&D, exhibition and teaching. Up to 70% of Taiwan's fastener industry is located in the Gangshan District, which produces 16% of the world's fasteners, making it a significant presence in the international market. The tour began with an introduction to the operation and division of labor in the fastener industry, followed by a visit to the exhibition area for fastener manufacturing machines. All machines in the museum are discarded machines donated by suppliers. The tour guide carefully explained the different shapes produced by each type of machine and their respective functions. Different indentations and thread patterns give the fasteners different applications in everyday living. Furthermore, the museum also collaborates with technological universities to give students opportunities to showcase their creativity. Besides exhibiting outstanding designs, the museum also provides a platform for their works to be sold. During the entire tour, the guide left a deep impression in everyone by answering all questions and explaining in a manner that was easy to understand. ![]() After a sumptuous lunch, everyone took a bus ride to Home Tech Hydrogel Tourism Factory. Hydrogel is widely used in everyday living, from the food we eat, dehumidifying products we use to medical devices and medical skincare products. The tour guide first introduced a preliminary concept of hydrogel through a video presentation, and then allowed everyone to understand the composition and chemical reactions of hydrogel through hands-on experience. Next, everyone took the bus to the nearby Furniture Manufacturing Eco Museum. The tour started with a visit to the museum's woodwork school to appreciate the effort required in wood-crafting. Everyone also watched a video to find out the long history of furniture making and saw many pieces of valuable antique furniture in the exhibition area. Through the tour guide's in-depth explanation, everyone gained a deeper understanding of antique furniture and the different carvings used for different social statuses in history. At this point, the day's itinerary came to an end. Everyone boarded the bus to Taipei after taking a group photo and looked forward to the next study tour. |