All freshmen of Department of Architecture participated the 2010 Tamsui International Environmental Arts Festival this month by making eco-conscious giant puppets, such as Mudskippers and Fiddler crabs. The cute puppets had attracted children’s attention when the group of students joined an opening parade of the festival at the Tamsui Old Street on October 9. Many children even came to take photographs with these puppets. Chen Szu-han, a freshmen student of the department hopes these cute puppets can inspire everyone’s eco-conscious and to love the Earth by engaging in environmental protection efforts.

This was the third time for the department to join such a festival. The main theme of the department’s parade was “The Legend of the Mangrove.” These bamboo-made puppets feature many animals and plants one can find in the mangrove, including a six-meter-tall “Tree Spirit.” The huge “Tree Spirit” was built with very complicated construction skills, making the model to have highly changeable facial appearances. Dr. Sung Li-wen of Department of Architecture said the parade offered a great opportunity for freshmen students to be familiar with those tools they will be using for the next couple of years. The parade also inspired students’ creativity to give birth to works that are one of its kinds.

Meanwhile, students also joined a beach-cleaning event at the Sha-Lweng Bathing Beach in Tamsui. They collected garbage found at the beach and converted them into stage properties for dancing performances, another effort done to promote the idea of environmental protection.

(Translated by Yeh Yun-kai)