The Second Week in Taiwan

 

 

The winter study abroad to Taiwan is a collaboration between UMD and Tamkang University (淡江大學) in Taiwan.  Since students are taking classes in the Taipei campus, they haven't seen the main campus in Dan Shui (淡水) until this Wednesday (1/8). The Dean of International Affairs received us warmly with a lunch. After changing gifts, the Director of the Chinese Language Center gave us a campus tour. We also visited Fort of San Domingo (紅毛城) that went through Spanish, Dutch, and Britain eras, and saw how the structure of the buildings was a combination of Western and Taiwanese elements.

On Tuesday (1/7), the class visited Mangka (艋舺), the oldest part of Taipei City. The name Mangka was originally the name of boats that transported sweet potato by indigenous people. LongShan Temple (龍山寺) was the main attraction that was built in 275 years ago. Its principle god, the Goddess of Mercy, was brought to Taiwan from Fu Jian (福建) Province of China. We also explored the historical district of Bo-Pi-Liao (剝皮寮). Bo-Pi-Liao is a collection of old houses that were built at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries. Students got a chance to how the old clinic, hospital and school all looked. They also played games from way back, such as puppet show, rowing steel circle, primitive bean-ball game and writing wish-prayer posts in Chinese.  We stopped by a refreshments store to enjoy shaved ice or red bean soup in a store that was established in 1920. The pictures on the wall displayed the family of three generations who have kept the prosperity of the juice and shaved ice store.

 

 

 

The class also learned how to sew fragrant sachets on Thursday (1/9). Chinese parents usually dress their children up with a sachet on Dragon Boat Festival on May 5 of lunar calendar.  Students first sew little bags with colorful cloth, then fill the bags with cotton and perfume particles, instead of herbal medicines（草药）, and finally string them with threads. The sachet will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil and insects.

 

 

 

Tomorrow is our second weekend excursion to Yi- Lan (宜蘭) to visit some factories, such as wine brewer, orchid nursery, and preserves manufacture. We also will go to Hua Lian (花蓮) to observe the natural scenery in the east coast of Taiwan. Stay tuned to read more about what students will learn from the second excursion.