【Article by Chinese Language Center 】

October in Yilan brings the gentle atmosphere of autumn under clear, bright skies.

On this autumn day, the Chinese language classroom moved beyond its familiar walls and into a world of traditional architecture, performing arts, and the everyday flavors of Taiwan. Rather than learning about Taiwan solely through textbooks, students explored, observed, listened, and participated firsthand, discovering the connection between the Chinese language and Taiwanese culture in an authentic cultural setting.

On October 17, 2026, the Chinese Language Center at National Chengchi University organized its autumn field trip to the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan. The day’s activities included a guided cultural tour of the park, a performance of The Monkey King, a hands-on Taiwanese Gezai opera experience, and a mochi-making activity. From traditional architecture and performing arts to food culture, the program introduced students to different facets of Taiwanese culture through a variety of immersive experiences, bringing the Chinese they learn in the classroom into everyday life.

Stepping into Tradition: Discovering Taiwanese Culture through Architecture

In the morning, students began their visit with a guided tour of the National Center for Traditional Arts, where they learned about Taiwan’s traditional courtyard houses and architectural culture. Through the spaces and structures around them, students were able to encounter aspects of traditional Taiwanese culture up close.

For students learning Chinese in Taiwan, the tour also provided an opportunity to connect language learning with their surroundings. The buildings, landscapes, and cultural elements they encountered offered them a richer understanding of Taiwan beyond the classroom.

Following the guided tour, the students gathered to watch a live performance. Moving from traditional architecture within the cultural park to performing arts on stage, cultural elements that had previously appeared in texts, stories, and classroom discussions became more tangible through firsthand experience.

Through the morning’s activities, students discovered different dimensions of Taiwanese traditional culture, paving the way for another cultural encounter later in the day: Taiwanese Gezai opera.

From Audience to Stage: Discovering Taiwanese Gezai Opera

At noon, students were divided into Groups A and B, taking turns participating in the Taiwanese Gezai opera experience while the other group had lunch and free time. This time, rather than simply watching traditional opera from the audience, students stepped closer to the stage and explored Taiwanese Gezai opera under the guidance of instructors.

“One beat, two beats ... thirteen beats!”

Following the instructors’ guidance, students entered the world of Taiwanese traditional opera through observation and listening before trying it for themselves. In addition to learning to sing, they also had the opportunity to try on traditional Gezai opera costumes. Costumes usually seen only on stage could now be experienced firsthand, allowing students to move from simply “watching the opera” to becoming active participants in the cultural experience.

From watching a performance to singing and trying on costumes themselves, Taiwanese Gezai opera became more than something presented on stage. Through direct participation, students encountered traditional Taiwanese performing arts from new perspectives, while language learning also took on forms different from those found in the classroom.

Chinese was no longer limited to vocabulary, sentence patterns, and conversations in textbooks. It became part of performances, guided tours, and cultural experiences.

For learners of Chinese, the value of a field trip emerges precisely in moments like these, when learning becomes part of real life. Words and expressions first encountered in the classroom take on new meaning when students can see, hear, and experience them firsthand in authentic cultural settings. Through these activities, students engaged with Chinese in different ways while using the language as a gateway to a deeper understanding of Taiwan.

A Taste of Taiwan: Making Mochi by Hand

In the afternoon, the focus shifted from traditional performing arts to a familiar part of Taiwanese food culture as students took part in a hands-on mochi-making activity. From preparing the ingredients and making the mochi to completing their own treats, food became more than something simply to taste. It offered another way to experience Taiwan’s everyday culture.

Following a morning of cultural exploration and stage performances and a midday introduction to Taiwanese Gezai opera, the afternoon mochi-making activity brought another dimension to the day. As students worked with their hands, they encountered a familiar part of Taiwanese food culture, adding the experience of “making” to a day already filled with seeing and listening.

From traditional architecture to performing arts, and from Taiwanese Gezai opera to food culture, the day brought together different forms of cultural experience. Culture was no longer simply knowledge to be introduced or explained. Instead, it became something students could enter, encounter, and experience for themselves. Chinese, too, extended beyond the classroom and naturally became a medium through which students could discover Taiwan through genuine cultural interaction.

Although the day’s cultural journey eventually came to an end, students took home more than memories of an autumn field trip. From the traditional culture of the National Center for Traditional Arts and the stage performance of The Monkey King to trying on Gezai opera costumes and making mochi by hand, each part of the journey added a different cultural dimension to their experience of learning Chinese in Taiwan.

Through this autumn field trip, the Chinese Language Center hopes to encourage students to step beyond the familiar classroom and engage with Chinese in authentic settings shaped by Taiwanese culture and everyday life. When language and culture meet, learning is no longer confined to the words and sentences found in textbooks. It extends into every moment of observation, every hands-on experience, and every memory students create during their time in Taiwan.