Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, July 2019
2019年7月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of July 27, 2019, Ms Lu Ming-yun led 26 ARF interns and their parents to Golden Town in Miaoli to learn about irrigation canals and red jujube cultivation. 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. ![]() Focusing on Golden Town in Miaoli, the study tour began with DIY beeswax wraps in the morning. Before the DIY activity starts, the tour guide explained that beeswax is wax secreted by worker bees and it is used to construct combs of their hive. Secreting one portion of beeswax requires the ingestion of eight portions of honey, thus natural beeswax is precious. Beeswax has extensive applications, including use as lip balm and in skincare products. In ancient times, candles used by wealthy families contained beeswax. Beeswax is mainly harvested from burr combs built by bees in unwanted places during spring-summer reproduction period and from old combs. The tour guide warned that some farmers use paraffin wax to build the foundation for the beehives due to cost consideration. If the old combs from such beehives are sold after they are melted, the beeswax mixed with paraffin wax will not be suitable for use in food products. Thus, one should be careful when purchasing beeswax wrap. During the DIY activity, the tour guide explained the use of beeswax wrap and how to wash it. Due to the beeswax's low melting point, the beeswax wrap cannot be used to wrap hot food otherwise the beeswax on the cotton fabric will melt. At the red jujube orchard, the tour guide provided instruction before everyone started plucking the fruits. The interns thought it was an interestingly new experience as it was the first time they saw fresh red jujubes. ![]() After lunch, everyone visited Miaoli Cultural Park. Besides the showcase of local agricultural products, the park also provides an overview of the ceramics industry in Miaoli. During the Japanese Occupation, the the Shinchiku-Taichu earthquake unearthed refined soil, and with the discovery of petroleum, natural gas and coal, the ceramics industry began to boom with the abundance of natural resources. At the next destination, Chuan Long Education Farm, the tour guide introduced, with the use of slides, the origin of the name "Golden Town", its industrial development, surrounding environment and the community's promotion of agricultural tourism. The tour guide also explained that Gongguan, Miaoli, is the only red jujube production area in Taiwan as its unique geographical environment is ideal for the growth of red jujube, providing mineral-rich irrigation water, well-drained soil, and cold wind blowing along Houlong River from Xueshan Range reduces the infestation of fruit flies. After the slide presentation, everyone made their way to Chuan-long Canal on foot. Along the way, the tour guide explained the construction of the canal and its importance to the local residents. The pristine water drawn from Houlong Creek is the key reason why Gongguan is suitable for growing crops, and is essentially the river of life of the locality. 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. |