The fourth edition of the Hunt Taiwan series brought together a group of 32 students to explore the concept of “placemaking” (aka, “local revitalization”).

The international assembly consisted of students from Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Mongolia— all of whom were ready get a glimpse of some of the ideas that are currently moving forward placemaking trends in Taiwan.

The first destination was the Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum, which in in the Japanese Colonial era, housed the Huwei County Office of Tainan Prefecture –an office that stationed both administrative personnel and police officers. In 1989, the Yunlin County government made plans to recreate it as a museum. At the museum, a wide variety of puppets can be seen on display, with guided tours providing explanation on the different styles and functions of the puppets. The students took it all in—and even had a chance to get behind the stage and try their hands at puppetry.

The second stop on the trip was the Honey Museum, which has a legacy that stretches back nearly 80 years. At the museum, the students were introduced to various aspects of colonies and hives, and leaned how to distinguish between the different members of the colony. Before departing, the students all got a chance to try out some delicious honey ice cream and honey water made from longyan honey.

From there, the students a chance to “stop and smell the roses” at Rosahill Manor. At the manor, the students took in the pleasant rose garden atmosphere, as they strolled around smelling and taking pictures of the beautiful flowers. The final stop before returning to campus was the Yang Fang Factory City Tour, where the students got a look creative expressions of the food industry. The itinerary gave students a chance to look at the different cultural and aesthetic aspects incorporated in industrial activities and to think about new ways to develop business opportunities and create interesting places.