Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, September 2019
2019年9月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of September 21, 2019, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led 12 ARF interns and their parents to Taoyuan to learn about gemstones and disaster prevention. 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 day's itineraries began with a visit to Te-Hsin Hall in the morning. Guided by the local development association's volunteer, the tour began with an introduction of the building's geographical position. Seated in the east and facing west, the building's position is designed according to Fengshui principle to gather wealth. In ancient times, birds were thought to be creatures of the spiritual realm and could communicate with gods. Thus, swallow-tail ridge were often seen in the architectural designs of temples and residences of government officials. As the traditional Minnan-style house features a swallow-tail ridge, it is evident that the owner's ancestor was once a government official. Next destination on the itineraries was Jurassic Museum. The tour guide began by explaining environmental conditions required for the formation of gems, and the characteristics and places of origin of different types of gemstones. Red spinel and red corundum are similar in appearance and are often mistaken. For instance, the Black Prince's ruby on the state crown of England was later proven to be a red spinel. Everyone then watched a documentary on gemstone mining, which showed miners having to go down the mine which was as deep as the height of Taipei 101. The inside of the mines are dusty and work environment is harsh, and tunnels can collapse easily during explosions. Thus, miners working underground often do not live past 35 years old, giving cause for us to reflect on the issue of the divide between the rich and the poor. After watching the documentary, the tour guide taught everyone an easy method to identify real amber – genuine amber will float in a saturated saline solution because of its relatively low density. ![]() After lunch, everyone headed to Taoyuan Disaster Education Center. Using interactive models, the tour guide explained the reasons natural disasters, such as typhoon, earthquake and mudslide, occur. According to the tour guide, the transmission of seismic waves causes us to feel vibration when earthquake occurs. There are mainly two types of seismic waves, the less destructive P wave and more destructive S wave. Today's earthquake early warning system uses the initial P wave to predict the vibration of the oncoming S wave and sends out alert before the S wave arrives, providing critical seconds of notice. In the fire prevention zone of the center, everyone learned that there are four types of fire which must be extinguished differently to avoid causing greater danger. Everyone also participated in an evacuation drill in a smoky room. As the day of the visit marked the 20th anniversary of the 921 earthquake, the tour guide reminded everyone to remember the three steps to take during an earthquake, i.e. drop, cover and hold on. After finding a suitable shelter, one should cover one's head and neck with both arms. Everyone also practiced the three steps on an earthquake experience platform, which could become handy in the event of an actual earthquake. 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. |