Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, April 2018
2018年4月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of April 21, 2018, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led 19 ARF interns and their parents on a tour to Zhaixing Villa in Tanzi and experience miso-making in Taichung. 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 provided the interns some general background knowledge. ![]() Local culture-history research worker Mr. Chen Shih-hsien was the tour guide for the morning's itinerary. The first destination visited was Zhaixing Villa. The villa, which was built in 1871 by General Lin Chi-chung during the Qing Dynasty, took eight years to complete and is one of the rare few Qing Dynasty residences in Taiwan that belong to a military officer. Mr. Chen began by introducing the historical background and cultural value of the villa. He then went on to explain that the position of the villa and its gatehouse symbolizes vitality and wealth, and vertical door latches and loopholes were used as defense against robbers and invaders. Moreover, the crescent-shape pond in front of the entrance hall was not only used for raising ducks and geese but also for burglary prevention, and for irrigation, drainage and fengshui purpose. Mr. Chen also explained the symbolism and meanings of the exquisite sculptures and paintings, and calligraphy couplets in the villa. Even exquisite brick carvings can be found in inconspicuous corners of the walls, which is clearly evident of the elaborate and ornate architectural style seen everywhere in the villa. After leaving the Zhaixing Villa, everyone went to visit the Fengyuan Tzu Chi Temple. Focusing on temple art, Mr. Chen explained that the paintings and sculptures are from different eras because the temple has gone through many reconstructions and renovations. However, famous craftsmen had poured their heart and soul into creating all these works, further affirming their value in traditional culture. ![]() After lunch, everyone took the bus to Miso Cultural Factory. The guide gave a slideshow presentation to introduce the origin of miso culture and knowledge about miso brewing, and through models exhibited at the factory, the interns learned about miso trading in the past. The interns also responded spontaneously during the quiz contest to win prizes. Next, the tour guide showed everyone the ingredients that go into making miso, encouraging the interns to look, smell and touch them to observe their differences and to find the best combination for making miso. They also explained that differences in brewing time and ingredients will change the color and smell of the miso, creating various types of miso. During the DIY activity, everyone learned to mash cooked soybeans with a rolling pin, add rice yeast and knead the mixture into a ball shape, and finally placing it in a container and topping it with a thin layer of salt. The interns not only had hands-on experience in making miso but also learned the difficulty of manually making miso in the early days. At this point, the day's itinerary came to an end. Everyone returned to home after taking a group photo and looked forward to the next study tour. |