Jr-Ping Wang, National Kaohsiung Marine University;
Wen-Ling Hong, National Kaohsiung Marine University
Kuo-Tung Luo, National Sun Yat-Sen University
Hong-zen Wang, National Sun Yat-Sen University
Chiao-Chin Liang, National Sun Yat-Sen University
Tian-Chi Hou, National Kaohsiung Marine University

Posted: September 7, 2015

The lead researchers (trained as naval architects) were involved with the Free China, an old Chinese junk ever crossed the Pacific Ocean. Later, an inter-disciplinary team was formed to combine knowledge of wooden boat building, effort of a hands-on class in teaching Naval Architecture and social study about shipbuilding to establish a wooden boat building school in Kaohsiung. Master shipwrights were recruited to pass on the skills to students and general public. The school, supported by the Ministry of Education and universities, aims for social construction through sharing the traditional knowledge of wooden boat building and re-inventing its modern form for modern Taiwan. Currently, a western sail boat and a traditional sampan are being built side-by-side. The school has hosted several workshops for children, college students and general participants.  These projects facilitate active discussions and new ideas about using wooden boatbuilding as a media for social construction and science education. 

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPi0OPTXBE (in Madeiran)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k2vfD89jJM (in Madeiran)