It is our first time following Professor Li on a field trip, and the destination is Tamsui, a town with an enriched historical background and cultural scenery. With its location advantage, it has been an important trade port in northern Taiwan during the period of Dutch and Spanish settlements. This made Tamsui prosperous. We selected Fort Santo Domingo and Yinshan Temple to visit. During the field trip, we seemed to have gone through a time tunnel. We not only observed the architectural design of historic sites but also experienced the life of our ancestors. From this precious experience, we realized that Tamsui had a long history and was full of stories. Also, a lot of stories were behind these ancient buildings.

Source: Professor Li Chien-Lang

Source: Professor Li Chien-Lang

Our first impression of Fort Santo Domingo is the red bricks with the castle-style building. Fort Santo Domingo makes us recall the Age of Discovery, as well as the extensive overseas exploration by western countries. It is one of the earliest architecture in Taiwan with over three hundred years’ history and is listed as a Level One Historic Site. The second site, Yinshan Temple is a Hakka-style building with a classical design and quiet atmosphere. It was constructed in 1822 with the increasing number of Hakka immigrants from Tingzhou, China. They chose Tamsui to build the Temple, which has been classified as a Level Two Historic Site. Professor Li used traditional methods to repair the Temple, enabling us to see the clay sculpture of the roof ridge dating approximately two hundred years ago and to experience the background of Tingzhou immigrants.

Professor Li said, “Knowing ancient architecture is a way to learn about our past.” He guided us to weave through the historic buildings in Tamsui and shared with us a lot of interesting stories. Through the field trip to Tamsui historic sites, we got to understand its unique history and rich culture. To help the ancient buildings keep their original looks even after renovation, Professor Li insisted on using the traditional technique for all restoration projects, which represents friendliness and respect for the environment. When descendants see these restored buildings, they can recall the memories of the past. In this regard, everyone also needs to work together to preserve these buildings to make the stories behind these buildings pass down from one generation to another.