The Department of Landscape Architecture, National Chiayi University, and Yuemei Community, Singang Township collaborated on a winter vacation workshop. Recently, led by Chairman Chiang Yen-Cheng and Assistant Prof. Ceng Shuo-Wen, fourteen second-year students from the department headed to the Yuemei Community for a six-day college student residence program. The event was expected to bring the students closer to the agricultural specialty products and local residents by visiting the countryside. Through rural experience and community tours, it could also help strengthen the students’ understanding of rural industries, environment and culture. While putting their creative ideas in the classroom into practice, assisting in packaging design of local agricultural products, they continued with the wall beautification project carried out by their seniors in the village over the years. They brought new life to the countryside by decorating different corners, and reshaping the image of the community.
Residents of the community took the students on a tour of the countryside during their intensive visits in the village. They discussed the industry management, and brainstormed on the building and development of the community. Through group proposals, the program was expected to train students to communicate design plans with clients in the future, and demonstrate outstanding teamwork. Mr. Zhuang Fu-Sheng, a volunteer of the Yuemei Community Development Association was specially invited to introduce the students to the unique local industries – koji pottery. He explained the craftsmanship of koji pottery and fragmented ceramic art with works on the golden furnace and roof of the temple. He also instructed students to create koji pottery works reflecting their impressions of the Yuemei Community from sketching, composition, pottery pinching to coloring.
According to Chiang Yen-Cheng, this was the third year since they have cooperated with the Yuemei Community in terms of the student residence program. The residence program allowed students to fully communicate and interact with the community, and get closer to the local industries, ecological environment and residents. The students could accumulate practical experience through planning and designing, which focused on the local cultural characteristics. During greening of the village, the local residents stopped by and offered greetings and encouragement. They filled the students with the warmth of humanity, sense of belonging, and a new identity. The experience was expected to turn into an impetus for the students to migrate to the countryside after graduation. They hoped that both the cooperation with the local rural community, and friendship between the university and the local area could continue on, so that the students could have the space to put into practice what they have learned.
