Taiwan Today

"Take in 5,000 years of Chinese culture at a glance; tour 10,000 miles of magnificent scenery in half a day." This is the promotional theme of "Window on China," the world's largest architectural miniature exhibition. Located two hours to the southwest of Taipei, the 30-acre tourist attraction is the brainchild of cultural entrepreneur Chu Chung-hung, who serves as chairman of the family owned and operated enterprise. The exhibition park, which is divided into three sections, offers vivid representations of China's architectural history from ancient times to the present.

The contemporary displays in the first area are a visual celebration of Taiwan's rapid growth toward becoming a world-class economic power. Children and parents alike are attracted to the detailed and animated reconstructions of scenes such as busy Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, lined with worldwide carriers and their disembarking passengers, and bustling Taichung harbor with its miniature stevedores busily transporting bulk cargo, while nearby huge cranes clear container ships and a new ship is launched at China Shipbuilding Corporation.

Besides reproductions of freeways and other transportation facilities, the park reflects Taiwan's prosperity through copies of Shihmen Dam, a satellite communication station, and large container and oil storage areas. Many of the miniatures are electrically activated, and some encourage children to try their hands at operating the small machines that lift the bars of a railway intersection, operate cranes, or launch newly-constructed ships.

Chu is a strong advocate of the educational and cultural functions of "Window on China," saying it is intended to be much more than a public recreation ground. Throughout the park, attractive and detailed signs provide further data and historical background for each architectural section. University students in humanities and architecture frequently visit the park to supplement their studies.

Sung Wen-chi, who is a research assistant in environmental planning and design at National Taiwan University (NTU) says: "I guess everyone in the field will visit 'Window on China' if he has the chance. We have studied Chinese architectural history, now many of the buildings illustrated in the books are presented in three dimensions." Ph.D. candidate Mi Fu-kuo agrees: "Miniaturizing any architectural construction inevitably necessitates simplification and omission, but its value lies in showing us traditional Chinese architectural styles that are not available in Taiwan. It is especially educational for non-professionals."

The second section of the park includes essential components of modern Chinese society, presenting all walks of life through architectural forms. The city hall of Kaohsiung, built in 1931, is chosen as a representative governmental building, especially because of its eclectic combination of European neo-classical and Japanese architectural elements. The National Taiwan University hospital (1914), Tainan District Court (1912), Lukang Folk Museum (1903), and Taiwan Provincial Museum (1915) are all elegant buildings of the neo-classical style. The Land Bank of Taiwan (1933) is a blend of Egyptian, Mayan, and Japanese architectural characteristics.

Minor details are treated flawlessly in the 1/25 scale reproductions. Tiny bricks, stones, and roof tiles have been reconstructed piece by piece following the actual modes of construction. For example, several hundred thousand tiny bricks were used in the construction of NTU's walls alone. The mottled appearance of the university's old walls is remarkably represented. Another bow to detail is found in the mini-clock hanging on the tower of Hsinchu Railway Station: the timepiece is so accurate that visitors often adjust their watches by it.

Foreign architectural styles found in Taiwan, such as an early 19th century Presbyterian church and the Taipei Grand Mosque, are also included in the array of architectural examples. The latter was unveiled February 1986 by Sheikh Asaad A. Al-Zuhair, ambassador from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the ROC.

Despite the relatively modern representative buildings found in this section, the prime emphasis is on traditional Chinese architectural forms. Large numbers of mainland Chinese migrated to Taiwan in the 19th century, bringing with them traditional styles of architecture found in southern China. Chu has selected some of the best examples for the park.

Yusan House (1889)—the original is located in Changhua County—is an example of the popular settlement farmhouse of the Ching Dynasty. Three-bay and open-court, it has particular aesthetic appeal because of its fine masonry and excellent carpentry. Nearby, the miniature reconstruction of Yiyuan House (1846) represents the largest among the four-bay residences still found in southern Taiwan. The home is unique for the manner in which its integrated, gabled walls also serve as a defensive device. Its distinctive horseback-shaped ridge line is rarely seen in Taiwan.

From ancient times, Chinese cities were built with walls closely surrounding the community on all four sides, limiting entrance to a grand gate at each side. In larger cities, the gates were constructed in intricate designs, themselves pieces of art. The Chingfu Gate in Taipei, built around 1880, is noteworthy because of its special combination of heavy block-house topped by a high hip-and-gable roof with flying eaves.

Chinese have a lengthy religious tradition, and the temples that are found scattered throughout the island are represented in the park by reproductions of the best architectural examples. The Lungshan Temple at Lukang is an especially rich cultural treasure. When it was built in 1786, special building materials were transported from the mainland, as were master workers for designing, stone-cutting, wood-carving, and the actual construction. The wood-carvings and painted decor on each wall and pillar, which illustrate stories from Buddhist sutras, are faithfully copied on the miniature, and illustrate the incredible care and trouble taken by the park's craftsmen.

The Confucian Temple of Changhua (1726) is one of the island's most precious architectural edifices. Its hip­-and-gable roof structure and its double flying eaves are expressed in full graceful beauty. Even in miniature, the ambience of the whole structure is extraordinarily powerful and majestic. There are paintings on every window and door, carvings on every pillar. For millennia, annual rites venerating the great sage have been held on his birthday, September 28th, in Confucian Temples around the country. In the process of maintaining traditions, participants in the annual ceremonies don ancient-style costumes and perform ritual dances that are thousands of years old. "Window on China" not only faithfully presents the main structure of the Confucian Temple in Changhua, with all its detailed carvings and decorations, but also reproduces the rite with power-operated human figures.

This particular display has traveled widely. Last year, Chu air-freighted its 3,000-pound weight to Singapore for a major convention of international travel agents, and another duplicate to the Netherlands for permanent display in Europe. Chu believes that the great interest shown in the miniature has served tourism as well as promoting greater understanding of Chinese culture.

That culture is undergoing continual development, as is amply demonstrated by the miniatures of the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Built during the 1970s, their bright, eye-catching colored roofs present a harmonious blend of traditional architectural characteristics and modern taste.

The early tradition upon which this modern blend draws is represented by some of the most striking reconstructions in the park. The lengthy history of China has witnessed a wide variety—yet considerable continuity—in architectural styles. "Window on China" includes master works selected from this long history in its third section: historical monuments.

The Erhlitou Palace Complex (1450 B.C.) and the Panlungchen Palace Hall (1600 B.C.) are both Shang Dynasty architectural reconstructions based upon still incomplete archaeological evidence. Wood and thatch were the primary building materials.

The First Emperor (246-214 B.C.) of the Chin Dynasty is one of the most notorious tyrants in Chinese history, yet he is also credited with several grand constructions. The Great Wall was built following his orders to restore and join into a continuous barrier already existing small defensive walls that had been built to protect against northern barbarian tribes. The task was done entirely by forced corvee labor. Thousands of families were separated for the cause, and millions lost their lives in the process. The Great Wall remains one of the world's most magnificent constructions, but its foundation is blood and tears.

Around A.D. 494, sculptures representing various meditative attitudes of the Buddha began appearing on the walls of the hilly Lungmen Caves in Loyang, Honan Province. Artists of succeeding generations kept contributing works, with the art form reaching its highest attainment in the 9th century during the Tang Dynasty. When the "Window on China" craftsmen were producing the seated First Dhyani Buddha, the largest Buddha of the Lungmen complex, they encountered a major obstacle. The original sculpture, 85 ft. in height, bends slightly forward. By reducing it to 1/25 of its original size, the elevation angle changed and negatively influenced its dignified demeanor. After repeated modifications they finally succeeded by applying a counter-perspective technique.

The 218 ft. Shihchia Pagoda (1056) was built by wedging pieces of wood together without the help of a single nail. The miniature was carefully produced in the same manner. The solidity of the miniature had been secretly doubted by staff members of "Window on China," but after seeing it successfully survive two typhoons, they were assured that their building technique was in no way inferior to their ancestors.

The Humble Administrator's Garden in Soochow was built by a Ming Dynasty politician after his retirement. The miniature is one of the park's most popular attractions. Chen Chih-wu, a research assistant at NTU with an M.A. from the geology department, says that "the exquisite character of the Soochow style garden is truly remarkable. Without the miniature, it is difficult for us to realize its actual arrangement and the disposition of its buildings." The actual garden is considered a masterpiece of gardening art for its exquisitely designed landscape. Artificial hills, stone pathways, and other features are carefully laid out in an aesthetic triumph of the gardener's art. Trees are planted to form verdant screens, dividing the entire garden into several sections, each with its own special beauty. Along the banks of a pond, willows bend gently forward above the limpid water, their reflections making the scenery even more enchanting.

The garden is one of Chu's favorites, and was constructed under his own supervision. He insisted that the shape and position of trees—and even their reflections in the placid ponds—be the exact minimized duplicate of the original. He proudly points to a picture of one corner of the miniature: "I am sure no one can tell the difference from the real scenery. "

The Forbidden City, with its royal compounds first built in the Yuan Dynasty, is one of the more spectacular scenes in "Window on China." It consists of a grand gate, watch towers, and a number of magnificent palaces. Generations of emperors held court in the center hall of the Taiho Palace, the largest structure in the Forbidden City. Directly behind it is the smaller Chungho Palace, which provided resting quarters for the emperor during morning court sessions. The Paoho Palace at the far rear, almost as magnificent as the Taiho Palace, is where emperors received foreign dignitaries and the top three winners of the imperial civil service examination.

To animate the architectural reconstructions, a reproduction of the imperial wedding of Emperor Kuanghsu (1875-1908) of the Ching Dynasty is on display in the terraced platform in front of the Taiho Palace. Arrayed in carefully balanced lines are civil officials, martial officials, mounted troops, soldiers with banners, and guards escorting the sedan chairs. In the front corridor of the palace, a grand royal orchestra equipped with traditional musical instruments performs matrimonial melodies.

The Hakka people are best known among Chinese for their unity and self-possession. This general character is fully expressed in the Cheng Chi Lou, a Hakka communal compound in Yungting County of Fukien Province. Built in the early 17th century, the fortified, four-story, circular building consists of 300-plus rooms. The first and second floors are exclusively for kitchens and storage. The third and fourth levels are residential compartments with windows serving also as watchtowers and firing points. The outer walls are, at intervals, constructed of slacked lime, rock, and pebbles impacted together to the hardness of stone. In the courtyard, there are two layers of smaller, circular buildings for holding social activities such as marriage and funerals. To the residents, the Cheng Chi Lou was the universe. They lived here in self-sufficient existence for generations without even selling foot in the world outside the walls.

Due to the extreme technical difficulties involved-and the cost-there are very few miniature exhibitions in the world. Chu Chung-hung, because of his passion for Chinese architecture and awareness of its tremendous educational potential, devoted ten years to planning and building "Window on China." The long process began with selecting representative buildings with special, architectural characteristics. Their historical values and functions were also taken into consideration. The next step was prudent evaluation. After determining which structures would be used, Chu and his staff reviewed thousands of pictures that covered every angle and detail. For objects partially or totally destroyed, materials concerning their original appearances had to be thoroughly researched. Although Chu did much of the research and data-collecting him­ self, a team of researchers was dispatched to visit professors of architecture and old craftsmen in the fields of carpentry, wood-carving, and painting to learn as much detail as possible about the objects selected for reproduction.

Since materials on historical architectural monuments located on the mainland were difficult to find Chu enlisted the able assistance of Hsia Chu-chiu, assistant professor of civil engineering at National Taiwan University. Hsia provided him with detailed surveys and diagrammatic schema on the 16th century buildings such as the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, as well as the 900-year-old Fokuang Pagoda. Together with Chu's own painstaking efforts in consulting relevant books in leading libraries around the world, the reconstruction of the historical monuments in "Window on China" become possible.

After completing the preliminary research work, Chu set about actual production. Chu and his staff experimented with many materials before making final selections because the miniatures were going to be exhibited on open ground exposed to the elements. The reconstructions have indeed passed the test of seasons, earthquakes, and typhoons. In early 1985, a rare hailstorm swept the area and caused more than 2,000 casualties among the 60,000 miniature figures populating "Window on China." All the architectural works, however, remained intact.

Most of the architectural structures are complemented by individually designed human figures, who are placed to replicate daily activities. Stevedores are busy on the docks, worshippers throng about temples, invalids are carried into a hospital on stretchers, country folks sit chatting in courtyards, and university students stroll on the campus. A fair is in process in front of the Lungshan Temple of Lukang; kungfu fighters and lion dancers exercise covered in sweat, and varied forms of folk art are being performed nearby, attracting hundreds of bystanders. Within the inner count yards of the temple, solemn religious rites are underway as the chanting of a Buddhist sutra echoes softly in the air.

The largest crowd of all is found around the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. It is one of Taipei's most frequented places for civic activities. On display is a military parade rehearsal, a guard of honor performance, folk dances, dragon and lion dances, kungfu exercises, and many other cultural performances.

If visitors to the exhibition bring binoculars, they are astonished to find that the individual features, expressions, and gestures of each human miniature is unique. The people surrounding the architectural works of different historical periods not only dress in the styles of the time, but show manners reflecting the national mood. For instance, the Tang Dynasty was one of the most prosperous and powerful empires in Chinese history, so people of the time reflect composure and confidence.

Chu believes there are additional possibilities for "Window on China." Spacious family land-holdings adjacent to the enterprise allow future developments. And because of China's long history and rich cultural heritage, he could add an almost infinite variety of subjects. In addition to the original three themes of "Window on China," he is currently planning another two: the influences of Chinese immigrants in Southeast Asia, and the traditional shopping streets in Taiwan. For the latter, more than 100 streets of dry goods stores, variety stores, drugstores, and other shopping areas have been investigated for possible replication.

The preparations for the Chinese immigrant theme are much more complicated. Chu commissioned local specialists in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hongkong to undertake preliminary investigations and evaluations. Some of the candidate buildings are located in remote countryside areas, unknown even to most local residents. Others, already half-destroyed, have been designated by local governments as historical protection sites and cannot be entered. Chu and his assistants are accumulating historical background materials through books, interviewing aged Chinese immigrants, and applying to governments for access to selected buildings for close observation. Chu is fully aware of the difficulties involved in developing this theme, but he is undaunted because of its educational significance. He believes it will give Chinese better understanding of how these ancestors labored with bare hands in foreign soils, and eventually contributed to the prosperity of the host countries.

Chu is encouraged by the success of "Window on China." Beyond his expansion plans, he is also plunging into another project: the exhibition of a Mini-World showing the development of world culture. His idea is to include representative architectural subjects from ancient times such as Greek, Indian, Mayan, Incan, Egyptian, and Islamic cultures down to medieval Europe and modern cultures. The project is even more formidable. It has been in the planning stages for five years, and Chu cannot yet give an exact date for completion. He says: "I have dedicated ten years to the production of 'Window on China.' Though I have learned much from the experience, the complications involved with a Mini-World is a new challenge. In fact, every new production is a challenge to me, and I am happy to meet it and take it as a lifetime business." Chu Chung-hung's enthusiasm and results redefines "cultural entrepreneur."