The National Day family holiday "2011 Taipei World Design Expo" features a uniquely creative event!

By Wei Ruyu, Reporting

For the three-day National Day holiday, the "2011 Taipei World Design Expo" has specially planned a family-friendly visiting route where parents can take their kids to the Design Clash exhibition area (Hall 1), the International Graphic Design exhibition area (Hall 4), the Taiwan Design Pavilion (Hall 11), and the Design Players exhibition area (Hall 10) to participate in various hands-on activities. Moreover, on this Saturday (10/8) afternoon, there will be a special “Bottle Planter Painting and Planting” activity where both kids and adults can join in to “design love for the Earth.”

The Design Clash exhibition area mainly focuses on learning themes such as “caring for the Earth and daring to pursue dreams.” One of the highlights is an animated bird film co-created by artists and 9,000 elementary school students; the International Graphic Design exhibition area centers around the spirit of “caring for others,” including designs for Japan’s 311 earthquake relief posters and “Thank You Taiwan” posters; the Taiwan Design Pavilion adopts the learning concept of “ecological protection and future new technologies,” featuring a touch-based virtual design studio that allows visitors to personally engage in the designers’ work process. It also uses surround projection and image detection technology to guide people in understanding the connection between design and daily life.

The Design Players exhibition area, which emphasizes interaction and experience, conveys the concept of “get your hands moving, become a little designer.” It teaches how to use readily available resources for reuse to reduce environmental pollution caused by waste materials. Here, children can make toys using environmentally friendly chopsticks and rubber bands. From 10/7 to 10/10, there are also 100 limited paper models available for assembly, such as wooden rocking horses and cowboy hats. Additionally, there is a “Cazi Gang AR Augmented Reality Storybook” station where children can perform puppet shows with story characters and create novel and fun sensory experiences. The site also offers various promotions, including gifts with purchase and discounts of up to 50% off.

The "2011 Taipei World Design Expo" at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park runs from 9/30 to 10/30. Visiting hours are from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, with extended hours until 8:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. In addition to free admission, a free shuttle bus is also available from Hall 1 of the World Trade Center (near the 101 employee entrance on Shifu Road East), or visitors can take the MRT or bus to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station and walk to the venue. For more details on each exhibition area, the “2011 Taipei World Design Expo Online Pavilion” (http://vr.2011designexpo.com.tw) has also launched, allowing the public to learn about the exhibits and visiting routes in detail from home, making the visit smoother.