From the Classroom to the Streets: Students of ICID Joining the Hayashi Parade through Participatory Observation

Hayashi Department Store, one of Tainan’s most iconic cultural and tourism landmarks that has accompanied generations of the city’s residents, celebrates its 93rd anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the store specially invited students from the Creative Industry Experience course to participate in the Hayashi Parade, joining artistic and cultural groups from across Taiwan and around the world.

Led by Professor Hui-Wen Lin, the institute’s student team adopted participatory observation as the core of their learning approach. Through direct involvement and action in real-world settings, students were guided to gain a deeper understanding of the practices and dynamics of the creative industries and culture. In the parade, students transformed cultural and ecological symbols—such as Tainan fish vendors, local street foods, and the Formosan black bear—into wearable and interactive characters through meticulous craftsmanship and cross-disciplinary creative thinking, bringing these figures into the streets and among the crowds.

By personally engaging in the parade, students were able to observe in action how creativity is seen, interpreted, and responded to by the public. This experience vividly demonstrates the institute’s distinctive pedagogical approach, which integrates design education with culture through experiential, city-based learning.