FIELD RECORDINGS
After preliminary research into regional histories, students work in groups exploring the history of a cultural, historic, geological or natural site. They are challenged to work with scale by developing an highly detailed 3d mesh of the location through the process of photogrammetry and conduct field recordings in the area in order to learn more about about events, histories and contexts related to the location.
Beitou Hot Spring Museum was built in 1913 during the Japanese colonial era. At that time, it was a public bathhouse until the end of WWII. After the Taiwanese Republican Party, called KMT, took back Taiwan from Japan, the bathhouse then became a community center, which included a marriage venue, a swimming pool, and a police station. Finally, in 1997/2/20, the former bathhouse was stablished as a municipal historical site by the Ministry of Interior. A year after, the Taipei City Government rebuilt the museum.
Currently, the museum is a two-story building. On the first floor, visitors could see Victorian style terracotta-made pools that were in use during the Japanese Imperial Era. As for the second floor, it has been turned into a wooden resting area with a recreation room. The museum exhibits the principles on how hot springs are formed and the geography of its surroundings. The most dominant and astounding feature that the museum exhibits is Hokutolite, so-called Beitou Rock, a rare radioactive mineral that are only found in two places on Earth, one of which is in Beitou area.
Hot springs are an indispensable part of the Japanese culture. In addition to relax purposes, soaking in a hot spring also contains tremendous health benefits. For example, hot springs can boost blood circulation, reduce stress, relieve pain, and even heal skin problems due to the water’s high temperature and rich minerals. Furthermore, since Japan was 75 percent mountainous and with many volcanic features, there are more than 3000 hot springs in the entire country. When Japan was expanding its empire, this unique tradition was then introduced into Taiwan.
Beitou is located in the middle of the Tatun Volcanic group in Northern Taiwan. Since the volcano groups are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Beitou experience frequent geologic activities. Not only does Beitou have frequent earthquakes and an active volcano right beside the district, there is also rich geothermal resources. Consequently, thermal valley, sulfur valley, many hot springs resorts, and other volcano-related visitors attractions can be seen in the area nearby.
This model was created by Jordan Wang and Jacqueline Chou
Xianse Temple, commonly known as “Wǔ Gǔ Wáng Temple" or "Wuwangwang Temple", is the city's historic site in Erzhongpu, Sanchong District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Built in the Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign, it is a temple between Taoism and folk beliefs, the main Shennong, a mythical sage ruler of prehistoric China.
The first ancestral temple was built in Xinzhuang District. Due to the unbearable floodings of the Danshui River, it was moved to Sanchadian. Then later relocated to Wangbei Street, Erzhongpu, Sanchong District. It is the oldest temple in the district. “Wǔ Gǔ Wáng” also became the name of the village.
There are two architects who were competing during the relocation. One of them was Yingbin Chen (陳應彬), a Zhangzhou style architect; Another one was his Haitong Wu (吳海桐), a Chaozhou style architect. The temple was split into two side, left and right, for both architects to work on. Thus, the temple has significant style differences. Its was a classic 對場建築, also the only one left one Taiwan.
對場 was a common building method on temples and residential. The landlord would employ two architects to work on the same project. By using this method, the landlord can assure the quality of the architecture. The completion between the architects would motivate them to improve their work. Sometimes, it can be intense. According to legend, someone find a magic figure inside the roof during reconstruction many years later. It was suspected as a curse from one of the architect to another.
Now, believers worship over 13 gods and figures, including Mazu, Wenchang, and more, at Xianse Temple. It also has the largest tile wall in Northern Taiwan according to a report in 2013. Xianse Temple is a historical and architectural attribute of Taiwanese heritage.