樹梅坑溪暨竹圍創意..

【Zhuwei Creative Urban Village】

Rediscovering Plum Tree Stream & Rebuilding the Zhuwei community

Press Release for workshop (May 15-16)

 

The greater Zhuwei area is very rich in cultural heritage, it is home to many historical monuments, and houses the descendants of the earliest settlers who discovered its beauty. In addition, there are various streams flowing through the area, giving it a very unique ecological environment.

 

Since the beginning of the 1990s, there has been rapid development of the suburbs around the Taipei metropolitan  area. Residential buildings were built one after another and the Zhuwei area developed into a “bedroom city”. From the planning perspective, not only do high-density residential environments lack public facilities, it also limits what can be done about disaster prevention and relief. These restrictions have shaped the Zhuwei area to become an insecure community with poor living standards.

 

The mother river of the Zhuwei area is the Plum Tree stream. The source of the stream are the pure waters of the Datun mountain range, there are tributaries that come from Shuiwei and the Wu Clan in Pingding; Fengdanbailu area in Minsheng; and Guandupuding in Fude. The stream then runs through the centre of Zhuwei to the Zhuwei bridge where it joins the Danshui (Tamsui) River.

 

The section of the Plum Tree stream that flows through the centre of Zhuwei brings back memories for the more senior members of the Zhuwei community. They may have childhood memories of looking for clams in the stream while washing their pants and appreciating the beautiful Plum Trees on the banks of the stream. Today, the Plum Tree stream is heavily polluted by the inappropriate development of the growing transportation network, water has nowhere to go and causes flooding. It is now impossible to see the Plum Trees that once lined the banks of the stream. Why have we let the hub of our childhood memories slip away? And what can we do to reinstate what has now become a filthy and overflowing drain?

 

On 15 & 16 May (Saturday & Sunday) the TKU Department of Architecture, Institute of Arts Administration and Management at the Taipei National University of the Arts, Bamboo Curtain Studio and Tsuwei Culture Science Workshop will join forces to organize a 2-day workshop. The aim of the workshop is to discuss, with the occupants of the Zhuwei area, about the history of development in the area, as well as formulate a plan for the future. We aim to construct a plan that does not limit Zhuwei to only what urban planning has designed for us, but to expand our horizons to encompass the natural beauty we have been given.

 

Using the concept of the “urban village”, we hope that the Zhuwei people will learn to identify with Zhuwei, and start to heal the river that gives Zhuwei its soul. May we develop a magnificent community together, and picture ourselves bathing in the arms of our mother river!

 

Day 1 (May 15): Reflection – through investigating the Plum Tree stream, we learn about the lifestyle in the past

	Time	Details	Person in charge
	0900-0930	Workshop background	Jui-Mao Huang
	0930-12000	Surveying the Plum Tree Stream	Chun-He Wu、 Xin-Fu Chen (Ecology)
	1200-1300	Lunch
	1300-1500	Plum Tree Stream – sketching & discussion	Mali Wu、 Jui-Mao Huang
	1500-1630	Keynote speech: Managing water and developing a symbiotic relationship	Min-Yee Luo  (Green Citizens’ Action Alliance)
	1630-1700	Homework	Writing about personal lifestyle

 

Day 2 (May 16): The present & envisioning the future

	Time	Details	Person in charge
	0900-1030	Dialogue: the future  of our bedroom city,  envisioning the new  Zhuwei Urban Villiage	Chairperson：Mali Wu Moderator: Margaret  Shiu 、Jui-Mao Huang
	1030-1200	The way of life –  sketching & discussion	Jui-Mao Huang *split into 2 groups  according to previous  writing *discussion with   residents
	1200-1300	Lunch
	1300-1500	Life in Zhuwei –  visualizing & sketching	Jui-Mao Huang、 Margaret Shiu
	1500-1630	Follow up action (in groups)	Jui-Mao Huang、 Mali Wu Action on Plum Tree stream Developing the Zhuwei network and follow up action
	1630-1700	Discussion & sharing	Ji-Zhong Zhong

 

Workshop organizing committee:

• Jui-Mao Huang (Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Tamkang University)
• Mali Wu (Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Interdisciplinary Art, National Normal Kaohsiung & Part-time Professor, Institute of Arts Administration and Management, Taipei National University of the Arts)
• Margaret Shiu (Founder, Bamboo Curtain Studio)
• Chun-He Wu (Tsuwei Culture Science Workshop)
• Ji-Zhong Zhong (Director, Guan Hai Ji Pin Building & Danshui Jinsedanshui Community)

 

For more information, please contact Jewel Lai at 0968-567-762 or jellylai1974@hotmail.com

Application deadline: 13 May 2010 (Thurs)

Venue: Bamboo Curtain Studio (No. 39, Lane 88, Sec. 2 Zhung-chan E. Rd., Zhuwei, Danshui Township 251, Taipei County, Taiwan)