Sketch of Archilife Study Tour, November 2019
2019年11月份見識之旅縮影 ![]() For the study tour of November 16, 2019, Ms. Lu Ming-yun led 12 ARF interns and their parents to learn about the development of bicycles and enjoy a LOHAS trip in Taoyuan. 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 morning's itinerary was a bicycle trip at Xinwu Green Tunnel. Xinwu covers a vast area. In the early days, due to strategic considerations, the military constructed a road for defense purpose and planted coastal plants on both sides of the road to cover the army's track. As the tension between Taiwan and China eases, the Green Tunnel has been converted for tourism use. Led by the staff of Pacific Cycles Museum, the morning began with a round trip to Yongan Fishing Port. The tour guide introduced Xinwu's ocean view and pointed out the stone weirs known as the "Great Wall of the Sea". The stone weirs are ancient tidal fish traps. Fishermen would build stone walls by stacking rocks in the intertidal zone. During high tides, fish would swim in along with the seawater and when the tide went out, the fish would get trapped within the walls as the walls were higher than sea level. In the early days, locals depending on the sea for their livelihood had to manually move cobblestones to build hundreds, even thousands, of meters of stone walls. A single stone weir would require the labor of a whole village. Not only does it show the pioneers' wisdom and teamwork, it is also evident of the interdependent relationship between mankind and nature. ![]() After lunch, everyone went to visit the Pacific Cycles Museum. Before the tour began, everyone watched a film introducing the purpose and characteristics of the museum. After watching the film, the tour guide explained the difference between the large wheel diameter and small wheel diameter – small one requires less driving force and makes riding easier while large one may initially requires more effort because of more driving force required but once it builds up momentum it becomes easier to ride than the smaller one. On an upward slope, small wheel diameter is easier because large one will not be able to achieve momentum. However, due to the small wheel diameter, the distance traveled per revolution will be shorter. After introduction, everyone was able to try riding different bicycles, some of which are built for specific users. During the experience, everyone learned the main purpose of different bicycle types. For instance, hand-cycles are designed for people with disabilities who have difficulty engaging in outdoor activities. The collection in the museum are bicycles of different designs, which show the evolution and changes in functionality of bicycles over time. Initially designed as a simple form of transport, it has now become a trendy recreational sport, and a part of the government's effort to conserve energy and reduce carbon footprint. 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. |