Kinmen County’s program to train artisan builders would help the archipelago preserve the cultural heritage of traditional Minnan-style buildings, county Deputy Commissioner Li Wen-liang (李文良) said at the certification ceremony for trainees on Monday last week.
The program to train qualified builders is aimed at increasing the county’s ability to restore and maintain the Minnan houses found throughout the area, he said, adding that the county government is committed to preserving the architectural jewels of Kinmen culture.
The educational program is preparing to launch a joint initiative with the Ministry of Culture to train builders as part of the nation’s certified traditional crafts-people system, National Kinmen Senior Vocational School principal Wu Chih-yen (吳志衍) said.
Photo: CNA
“Kinmen could become the cradle of certified craftspeople for Taiwan,” he added.
The county created the program with the vocational school in 2018 to preserve the craft of restoring traditional buildings, a profession that has become endangered due to a lack of new talent, the Kinmen Economic Affairs Department said.
The program offers courses in brickwork, carpentry, project management and drafting, with each section divided into basic and advanced skill levels, it said.
The graduating class included 18 builders with basic skills and 15 builders with advanced skills who completed their training last year.
The department has since 2001 provided NT$1.02 million (US$33,542) in subsidies for the restoration of 721 privately owned traditional buildings as part of an effort to protect local culture and boost tourism, it said.
The county and the Kinmen National Park management office have directly or indirectly contributed to the restoration of 1,100 traditional buildings over the past two decades, National Quemoy University assistant professor of architecture Tseng Yi-jen (曾逸仁) said.
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