by Rita, Project Student
Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages' University Social Responsibility Practice Program, "OUR TOWN Community Sustainable Cross-Domain Collaborative Platform Project”has initiated various collaborative communities this semester.The "Cultural Experience Design Community" has planned two themed activities for this session. Participants will engage in hands-on experiences such as tilings of geometric patterns to learn about the distinctive features and culture of the ancient houses in Zuoying Old Town. Additionally, participants will be invited to brainstorm and collectively design content. The results of their work will be presented at the second event.
First, we invite a handicraft experience instructor to visit Wenzao and lead everyone in creating. While creating tilings of geometric patterns, they will also introduce the value of "tilings of geometric patterns" in ancient houses, symbolizing the status of the owner. Each brick and tile carries historical memories and intrinsic value. Originally produced in England, flower bricks were introduced to Japan through trade relations and eventually arrived in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. Architects at the time adapted the patterns according to Taiwanese customs and embedded them in the walls of ancient houses. Therefore, by carefully observing the elements of ancient houses, one can understand the architectural background of “the ancestral homes”.
After the hands-on experience and detailed introduction to ancient houses in the pre-class session, students showcased their creativity in the project presentations. There were four groups in total, each focusing on different aspects: "Doorframe Cookies" placed on the front door, "Plum Blossom Coasters," childhood toys like "Paper Airplanes" commonly seen in front of ancient houses, and "Divine Beast Lions'' connecting the temples in Zuoying Old Town. "Doorframe Cookies" and "Plum Blossom Coasters" centered their activities around selecting door frames as the main theme, integrating designs from the unique doorframes of Zuoying Old Town's ancient houses such as "Mei Kui," "Ji Shan Jia," and "Hong Xi" for stamping activities.
Among them, the students working on "Doorframe Cookies" selected rectangular wooden-colored cookies as the base for door frames. They used red food coloring as stamp ink, making the design simple to operate. The finished product resembled small door frames, providing participants with both an edible and playful experience. Meanwhile, for the "Divine Beast Lions" in front of temples in Zuoying Old Town, students used lightweight clay for DIY crafts to introduce the cultural significance of stone lions. For instance, male lions typically hold embroidered balls under their feet, while female lions have a small cub beneath theirs. Through the process of molding clay, participants gained a deeper understanding of stone lions. During the sharing sessions within the community, members expressed their newfound understanding and perspectives on Zuoying Old Town. They discovered the richness and fascination of cultural knowledge hidden behind each ancient house.
This "Cultural Experience Design Community" has concluded successfully, and will soon usher in the second themed activity "Wonton Making Experience". The team will incorporate the legends of "Xuantian God and other folk beliefs" to help everyone understand the cultural value behind it is expected to be launched on May 22 at Wenzao. We sincerely look forward to the active participation and support of more community people and school teachers and students, and jointly contribute to the development of the old Zuoying community and continue to pass on the culture.
Cultural experience of designing the tilings of geometric patterns.
Wenzao teachers and students discuss the design and content of experience activities.
Wenzao students explain their design concepts and achievements in the report.
All community students take a group photo with their finished artworks.
