Note: Claire’s reflection alludes to the visit to the Chang Tai Chan Buddhist Monastery, which is the focus of Leo’s blog. See more in-depth coverage over on his post.
Today, we left the city of Taipei and drove by bus to Puli, a smaller town of 80,000 people about three hours south of Taipei in the center of Taiwan. We went to a Buddhist Monastery and although we couldn’t take pictures above floor two, we were able to take pictures outside. All of the monks at the temple shave their heads and wear the same red robes in order to be equal to one another. We toured the many levels in the temple and the guide explained to us many of the practices and teachings that are learned by monks and nuns in the temple.
Next, we went to a paper mill and learned how to make paper using traditional techniques. Making paper involved many different steps in which we first how the local trees get harvested. The next step is to mix the pulp in water.
This pulp is then mixed with water to soften up the fibers. After soaking, the pulp mixture is sifted, much like panning for gold. The pulp is collected on a roller to get rid of excess water.
This proto-paper is then heated on large metal slabs to drain any leftover water.
We then used this paper to create images of our choosing to create images on the paper.
We also made traditional Taiwanese fans and used a blowing technique to spread the ink into the shape of a tree branch. While doing all of these activities, we met with nine students and the director of a local high school (CNASH – The Affiliated Senior High School of National Chi-Nan University). From a small drop of ink, we used our breaths and paintbrushes to create the following. Please enjoy our creations!
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