Gold Panning with IMAS: The Last Day of Asian Summer School
Jointly organized by the College of Social Sciences (CSS), the International Master’s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies (IMAS), the University of Nottingham, and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Asian Summer School on Political Parties and Democracy concluded its final day on May 27. Led by Professor Philip Hsiaopong Liu, Associate Dean for the CSS and Director of IMAS, the participants visited the Gold Museum, the French Military Cemetery, and the Ershawan Fort to gain insights into Taiwan’s modern history.
The faculty and students first visited Jinguashi, an area actively developed from the late Qing Dynasty to the Japanese colonial period, now transformed into the Gold Museum, which preserves the history of gold mining. At the entrance stands the well-preserved historic site “Four Joined Japanese-Style Residences,” originally the dormitory for Japanese mining officials and their families. As the name suggests, four houses are connected and separated by paper doors or wooden walls. The group then visited the Crown Prince Chalet, built for the Japanese Crown Prince (later Emperor Showa). For many foreign students and teachers, these structures not only hold significant historical value but also offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the management class at that time.
The group then entered a mine tunnel to further understand the life of Taiwanese miners. They sampled miner’s lunchboxes, visited the ore and gold areas, and participated in a gold panning experience. Following the instructions of the guide, they quickly obtained small gold flakes from the sand. While excited, they also began to worry about how to declare these to customs when returning home.
After leaving Jinguashi, the group visited the French Military Cemetery in Keelung. Professor Yves Tiberghien from the University of British Columbia, familiar with French history, lectured the group on the Sino-French War of the late 19th century. He noted that French textbooks rarely mention the battles in Taiwan or the difficulties faced by the French troops, emphasizing that Keelung’s humid climate, known as the city of rain, was the most challenging enemy for the French soldiers.
The next destination was the Ershawan Fort, which engaged in battles with the French forces. Designed by the Germans and linked to the Sino-French War in Vietnam, the fort attracted significant interest from students and teachers from Europe and Southeast Asia. They overlooked the coast, calculated the distance between the fort and the French Military Cemetery, and imagined the battles of the past. Together with their gold panning experiences, these activities helped them gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s development today, marking a perfect conclusion to the Asian Summer School on Political Parties and Democracy courses.
Professor Hsiaopong Liu pointed out that the CSS international program always emphasizes the connection of students with local culture during their learning process. Co-organizing the Asian Summer School on Political Parties and Democracy naturally allowed IMAS faculty and students to share this learning feature with the participants. In the future, similar transnational courses will incorporate elements of local culture into their planning, establishing the unique feature of international cooperation at the CSS.
