2024.08.08
NTHU and VisEra personnel at the signing ceremony for the Hsinchu Culture Walk. From left to right: VisEra director Richard Yu (游智閔); VisEra vice president WR Huang (黃文榮); VisEra vice president Jane Chen (陳恒真); VisEra vice president Ben Fun (方有平); VisEra CEO Robert Kuan (關欣); NTHU senior vice president Ping-Chiang Lyu (呂平江); Tsing Hua College executive associate dean Jyh-Ming Wu (吳志明); Tien-Chien Lee (李天健); Interdisciplinary Program of Humanities and Social Sciences chair Associate Prof. Jen-To Yao (姚人多); and Chi-Ying Chang (張繼瑩).
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan has recently finalized an agreement with VisEra Technologies Company Limited to establish a set of literary walking and biking tours in Hsinchu. Dubbed the “Hsinchu Culture Walk,” the plan calls for the Regional Innovation Center at NTHU and undergraduates of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to partner with local groups in setting up five routes and developing an interactive guide app combining real-life games and AR to introduce the cultural highlights of the greater Hsinchu area.
Five Routes Featuring Hakka and Aboriginal Culture
With funding provided by VisEra Technologies, the first phase of the project, to be completed by the end of this year, will map out five routes, including: “Qing Dynasty Scholars Road,” a walking tour of the streets and alleys of the old section of Hsinchu City; “A Leisurely Ride to Donghaiku,” a bicycle tour through rice fields, focusing on Hakka culture and the history of the irrigation canals; “In Search of the Nanpu River,” featuring traditional Hakka culture and the landscape of the Daping River Basin; “Exploring the Yuemei Fluvial Terraces,” centered in Emei and focusing on the history of export commodities during the Japanese colonial period; and the “Horse Trail,” focusing on the natural ecology in the aboriginal township of Jianshi. Each route can be completed within two hours.
In the second phase of the project, which will take place over the next three years, an additional 30 routes will be set up in the East, North, and Xiangshan Districts of Hsinchu City, as well as in 13 towns and cities in Hsinchu County.
A Joint Effort Between Academia, Industry, and Local Organizations
At the signing ceremony, NTHU students and Pasang Yumin, an elder of the Atayal aboriginal tribe, led the distinguished guests on a virtual walking tour of the Matai Ancient Trail at Jianshi; they also conducted a ceremony customarily held before entering the mountains, and hosted a traditional Atayal meal.
NTHU senior vice president Ping-Chiang Lyu (呂平江) said that this project is a benchmark in the school's sustainability policy. He thanked VisEra Technologies for supporting this project, which combines the efforts of academia, industry, and local organizations in a way that supports the balanced development of urban and rural areas.
Getting to Know Hsinchu on Foot
Robert Kuan (關欣), chairman, CEO, and president of VisEra, is a graduate of NTHU, as are numerous members of his management team. Kuan said that he came to Hsinchu 40 years ago to attend NTHU, and afterwards settled down here. He found that many young people come to Hsinchu to work, but never learn much about the area's rich history and culture. For this reason, he has been encouraging his colleagues at VisEra to participate in the current project by sharing photos and opinions, since “The more you know about Hsinchu, the more you will love it.”
Boosting Hsinchu's Image
One of the organizers of the Hsinchu Culture Walk project is Assistant Professor Tien-Chien Lee (李天健), director of the Regional Innovation Center. He said that two months ago students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences conducted a questionnaire survey of workers at the Hsinchu Science Park. They found that only 30% had a good opinion of Hsinchu's dining and entertainment options, and that only 50% felt a strong connection to Hsinchu. Lee is confident that the project's walking tours will help to promote local dining and entertainment to the 170,000 workers at the Hsinchu Science Park.
An Interactive App with Real-Life Games
Lee and fellow organizers Associate Professor Chih-Fan Chen (陳芷凡) and Associate Professor Chi-Ying Chang (張繼瑩) said that the app being developed for the project uses GPS and multimedia navigation, and includes puzzles and real-life games. Users can upload photos, leave comments, and even create their own videos. Multi-language versions are expected to be developed in the future.
Professor Hsiao-Chin Hsieh (謝小芩), director of the NTHU History Project, is in charge of the “Qing Dynasty Scholars Road” walking tour. She said that Hsinchu was once known as the literary capital of northern Taiwan, with numerous poetry societies and a distinctive literary style inspired by the area's rich agricultural heritage and aboriginal culture. She envisions the project as forming a bridge between the old and new Hsinchu.
The Hsinchu Culture Walk project has come about through the combined efforts of NTHU, VisEra, and local organizations.
The Hsinchu Culture Walk project has come about through the combined efforts of NTHU, VisEra, and various local organizations.
Ping-Chiang Lyu (呂平江) (right) and Robert Kuan (關欣) displaying the signed agreement.
泰雅族邱德昌長老（右）帶貴賓虛實交錯走進尖石馬胎古道。Atayal elder Pasang Yumin leads distinguished guests on a virtual walking tour of the Matai Ancient Trail at Jianshi.
Ping-Chiang Lyu (呂平江) thanking VisEra Technologies for supporting this project, which combined the efforts of academia, industry, and local organizations.
VisEra CEO Robert Kuan (關欣) has been encouraging his colleagues at VisEra to participate in the Hsinchu Culture Walk project.
Liu Yi (劉奕), head of FD Farm, at the signing ceremony.
The Hsinchu Culture Walk project was jointly launched by NTHU and local organizations.
The Nianni Fun Park established by the Taiwan Fenghezi Association has become a big hit with kids.
Ducks removing pests from a paddy field in Emei Township.
NTHU and VisEra Technologies Join Forces for the Hsinchu Culture Walk
