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FYI SOUTH Magazine, December 2004.

Anping Oyster Shell Cement Kiln Culture Chamber

* 110-1, AnBei Rd., Tainan City ¡F(06) 228-6836
* Hours: 9 am-5 pm; closed Mondays

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 HMany of Anping's old buildings were constructed using not lime-based cement, but cement made from crushed oyster shells. Oysters are, of course, a plentiful natural resource in this part of Taiwan, and are still farmed in large quantities. The Anping Oyster Shell Cement Kiln Culture Chamber is a new museum built around the only remaining oyster-shell kiln in Anping, a four-meter-wide circular pit dating from about 1920. One section explains how oysters are cultivated, what the differences between the various kinds of oyster are, and how they can be cooked. But most of the museum is devoted to describing the cement-making process, which involved using rice straw and charcoal to bake oyster shells at a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius. Admission is free; the staff are more than happy to answer any questions you might have about the kiln or the Anping area. City Bus No. 2, from Tainan Train Station, goes past the Oyster Shell Culture Chamber. --By Steven Crook, translated by Iva Huang