Digital Forensic Investigation of the Xiyu Pagoda Lighthouse: A Library-Led Interdisciplinary Research Project

Abstract

This article provides an update of a lighthouse heritage experiential education project conducted by the Run Run Shaw Library, City University of Hong Kong. This project initiative aims to encourage students to conduct research by leveraging digital technology and archival collections, and hence connect themselves with the communities. The research team followed the six-step ‘forensic investigation' to continue its mission of 3D restoration of the lost Xiyu Pagoda Lighthouse in Xiyu Island, Penghu, Taiwan. A new line of inquiry regarding the economic behaviour of the pagoda lighthouse was also extended during the course of clarifying the obscured text of the evidence collected. Beyond demonstrating how technology and humanities are intertwined, the aim of this article is to illustrate how librarians may actively disseminate knowledge through connecting students with archival collections.