Blog #4
Post Nantou/TaiChung update! Our last couple of days were booked and busy during our day trip. We visited a few different museums and most importantly, a few different crafting workshops. On wednesday morning, we went on the charter bus and were off to Nantou!
First up, we went to the tea museum for a guided tour. The tour guide showed us the process of harvesting and treating the tea leaves for consumption and at the end, we had a tea bag making workshop where everyone got to make their own tea bag to be used as a bath aromatic or a closet freshener. It was super fun learn about the craft was harvesting tea and then finish it off with making one of our own to take home. After the workshop we were given the opportunity to try a few of their handcrafted teas and purchase some for our own. I was so excited to be able to buy one to bring home to my grandparents as I know it will hold so much sentimental value for them.
In between the tea bag workshop and the next workshop, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant. I thought it was a fun activity to point out because after lunch, most of us went outside on the lawn to play with the large inflatable balls they had available outside. It was a super fun bonding experience to be able to run around outside with my cohort.
After lunch, we made our way to the bamboo factory for our tour. During the tour, they showed us the process of crafting the raw bamboo into usable and sellable products. It was so interesting to be shown each step of the process from cutting them into the right size, leaving them out to dry so that they won’t grow mold, sanding them, painting them with non toxic paint, and even rasterizing the exterior for their logo. I really appreciated their love for the craft, and it was inspiring to see how much sustainability meant to them.
At the end of the day we checked into our hostel for the night and we were all marveled at how beautifully and mindfully designed the interior was. Founded with sustainability and a sense of community in mind, it was truly such a great experience being able to get inspired by the owner’s story and how the hostel came to be. For dinner, a group of us explored the rest of the building and had a food crawl trying different restaurants in the building.
That night, my group and I sat down together in the communal study space to work on our concepting presentation. Although we stayed until very late in the night, we really appreciated the ambiance of the study space.
The following morning, we got our hotel breakfast and happily ate together in the dining space. We can unanimously say that it was our most meaningful hotel experience of the trip.
Following breakfast, we went to the Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute where we saw a huge variety of designed objects. We first entered a building that showcased beautifully woven baskets out of bamboo and wooden crafted chairs. The wooden chairs were so beautifully crafted and the industrial design students very visibly admired the skill required to make these objects. The wooden chairs were some of my favorite designed objects we’ve seen on this trip. Although they were made from such thin pieces of wood, the way they overlapped, joined, and fit together demonstrated remarkable structure and stability. This exhibit was just such an amazing experience and truly inspiring.
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