What are #taipeirocks?
Taipei Rocks is a project that started at Taipei European School (TES) as part of their plan to become an official Green Flag Eco-school.
Students at the primary campus decorated and wrote environmental messages on rocks. Next, they will spread their messages outside of the school walls by placing their rocks in public places.
The project has two main goals; Firstly to raise awareness of important environmental issues within our community and beyond. Secondly, to encourage students to spend more time outdoors enjoying nature. Our hope is that students at TES can see how a message can spread, and how even a small act can be the catalyst for much bigger change.
If you find a rock…
You can search for the rock you have found on our website using the 4-digit code on the back of the rock. When you find the rock on the website, please upload your photo of it to the site. Be creative with your photos! You could take the rock out for some beef noodles or do some sightseeing with it around Taipei 101! The children who made the rocks will be following their page so we think it will be really fun for them to see pictures of their rocks travelling around. Finally, please share the message of the rock on social media using the hashtag #taipeirocks to help spread environmental awareness.
The next step is to place the rock somewhere else. We want the message to spread, so the rocks need to keep moving around to do this.
Of course, if you would like to paint your own rock and add it to the treasure hunt, that would be even better. You can find out how to take part on our website. Let’s see how many rocks we can inspire and how far they can spread these positive messages!
How can I re-hide a Taipei Rock?
Each Taipei Rock has a page on our website with a map showing its last known location. If you would like to re-hide the rock, we would like to ask that you update the location on the page to help others find it in the future.
If you just move the rock within the park that it is in, there is no need to update the location. If you move it to another park, city, country(!) then please help update the map.
Can I hide #taipeirocks anywhere?
No. Please don’t leave the rocks in National Parks or anywhere with a LNT (Leave No Trace) policy. Choose a suitable place that isn’t going to cause damage or disruption to the surroundings.
How do I make a Taipei Rock?
Firstly you will need to get a suitable rock. We recommend smooth river rocks that can be purchased online or from hardware shops. It is a good idea to practice on paper first to get an idea of your design. Then you can draw with pencil on your rock. For the colour, we use Posca pens to draw on the rocks, but any non-toxic oil based pens should work. Make sure you add #taipeirocks and your rock code on the back to keep spreading the message! You should also use a non-toxic clear sealant when you are finished to protect your artwork and prevent your rock from affecting the environment. Once your rock is finished, you can visit our website to learn how to upload your rock to join in the fun!
I can’t find a Taipei Rock where it says it should be on the map. What’s wrong?
As much as we would like to hope that the map stays up-to-date, there are inevitably going to be #taipeirocks that get misplaced or maps not updated. We can’t be sure that the locations on the website are accurate. So if it is a short drive/walk to look for one, then go for it. However we wouldn’t recommend booking a flight to Hawaii to look for a Taipei Rock!
