Kaohsiung conference: part 2

It was the second day of the 2025 International Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage. My fellow speakers and I gathered in our normal meeting space at the National Science and Technology Museum, while conference staff set up and guests registered. I wandered into the hall. To my surprise, the room right next door to us was equally busy - people were filing into what looked like a classroom. Each person had a long, rectangular case on their back. I watched with curiosity as they unpacked what looked like string instruments. I had to know more. 

Thanks to one of the conference staff, I learned the instruments are called Erhu. The erhu is a bowed instrument with two strings (A and D), and its sound is iconic in Chinese culture. Back when I was a child, my dad traveled to China for work and brought me back a collection of CDs with Chinese folk music. The erhu was featured in nearly every song. I was fascinated to see this instrument in person here in Taiwan. 

Over the course of the day, students came and went with their erhus. One of the other international speakers, Ole, asked one of the students to play a song. See the video below - the song is called "Jasmine," but unfortunately, I did not catch the name of the performer. 

We wrapped up talks for the conference in the morning, and then the afternoon was dedicated to roundtable discussions. My roundtable was hosted by the National Academy of Marine Research (NAMR) president, Dr. Chen. She opened the roundtable with a question for the group: what can you contribute to understanding underwater cultural heritage in Taiwan? I was so happy to get that question - I knew exactly how to answer it. When my turn came, I reiterated that underwater cultural heritage are part of the marine environment and serve as habitats for microbes and animals. Understanding the biological communities and how they shape underwater cultural heritage is critical for proper management. I would happily and eagerly collaborate on projects incorporating biology here in Taiwan.

The following day, I learned that NAMR researchers had gotten together and decided to deploy a type of recruitment panels called ARMS on two shipwrecks in Taiwan's waters. The researcher who shared this with me, Dr. Fu, said it was my speech that had prompted the decision. I was immensely proud to know that my perspective had influenced NAMR's research plans. Of course, proactively seeking expert advice from abroad is what prompted NAMR and the Bureau of Cultural Heritage to invite the international scholars to speak in the first place, but still, I was proud. I will gladly provide any and all assistance that I can to Taiwan.