Interviews
★J. W. C. Reflection
Diane│Sean│Demi│Kevin│Iris│Ian│Gordan│Philip│Ariel│Kathleen
Diane Wang
His desire to improve and his spirit of innovation are worthy of respect and also an attitude I want to learn.
From the interview with Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, I was most impressed with his personal qualities that contributed to his success. His desire to improve and his spirit of innovation are worthy of respect and also an attitude I want to learn. As a child, the petty little things never bothered Mr. Chen, and he showed generosity when interacting with his brothers and sisters while growing up. His generosity and open-mindedness are qualities in his character that followed him into adulthood.
In his work, Mr. Jui-Wen Chen always works hard and never stops trying his best. Although he only holds a junior high school diploma, he has an extraordinary gift for having innovative ideas. He checks every detail of his work carefully, and that is reflected in the level of perfection in his invention.
I think the most powerful feature of Mr. Chen’s invention, the breathing road, is that it can absorb rainwater like a sponge; moreover, the water can be recycled and reused, decreasing the chance of flooding in Taiwan. Last but not least, the breathing road can lower the surface temperature of roads, so it will not be unreasonably hot in Taiwan during the summertime.
During this visit, I gained a lot in my overall understanding of how and why the sponge road was developed. Mr. Chen overcame his difficulties with his persistence, and that is reason he is as successful as he is today.
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Sean Lin
We will never forget him and the impact he has made.
During our interview with Mr. Jui-Wen Chen on October 4th, I was most impressed with Mr. Chen’s urban farmland. He used his JW Eco-Technology to grow many different plants, and they all thrived in the small square in which the seeds were first planted. It was unbelievable to see, in such a small amount of space, how healthy and lush the plants had grown. This sight truly left a lasting impression in my heart, and it further proves that the JW Eco-Technology can offer a suitable environment for healthy plant growth.
There were many more features of the JW Eco-Technology that astonished the members of our research team. For example, 12,577 mm of water can permeate through the JW Pavement in just under one hour. Compared with the repair cost of permeable bricks, the repair cost of the JW Pavement is NT$894 less per square foot. Not to mention that the JW Pavement does not require repair in the first thirty years, whereas permeable bricks require maintenance every five years. What a vast difference that is!
Even so, Mr. Jui-Wen Chen continues to do research to improve his invention. In him, I see many characteristics of a successful person, such as his unwavering determination to improve himself and his design of the JW Eco-Technology. As a result, each design of the breathing road is better than the one before. More and more people recognize Mr. Chen’s success and his contributions, yet, he humbly told us, “The JW Eco-Technology still has a lot of room for improvement.”
I gained a lot from this visit. I would like to say thank you to Mr. Chen for giving us the chance to interview him. We will never forget him and the impact he has made.
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Demi Lin
You must never give up even if you do not succeed after many attempts.
The most memorable discovery from our interview with Mr. Jui-Wen Chen on October 4th was seeing how he made his own urban farmland using his invention, the JW Eco-Technology. In the urban farmland, there was cabbage, elephant ear plants, and many others. I was amazed that plants grown using the JW Eco-Technology were of the same quality as vegetables grown on organic farms. What surprised me even more was that it only took 30 days for those vegetables to become fully ripen. How convenient!
From Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, I learned that you must possess these three essential qualities if you want to be successful: you must focus your mind on one target at a time; you must be fully concentrated when doing experiments; and you must never give up even if you do not succeed after many attempts.
What I admire the most about Mr. Chen is his persistence when doing research. Not only so, the product of his research has brought an enormous contribution to the world. In my opinion, the most valuable feature of the JW Eco-Technology is that it does not require any maintenance within the first 30 years of its installation. In addition, the quality of its stored and filtered rainwater is better than that of a typical water filter system for home use.
This opportunity to interview and speak with Mr. Jui-Wen Chen was a rewarding experience. First, I want to thank God for blessing Taiwan with someone who values our environment, Mr. Jui-Wen Chen. Second, I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to learn from Mr. Chen; through speaking with him, I have become more aware of the importance of environmental protection and more knowledgeable about the JW Eco-Technology.
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Kevin Chang
Environmental protection is not just about turning off the lights and trying to reduce carbon footprint in our daily life.
October 4, 2015 was a normal Sunday for most people, but for the students in our gifted math class, it was a very important day that is worthy of remembering. Why? It is because that was the day we interviewed the world-renowned inventor of the JW Eco-Technology Pavement – Mr. Jui-Wen Chen.
From our conversation with Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, I learned an important life principle. I learned that, if we want to be known by the world, we must always “try our best” and never give up. Even if the challenge is great, we must face it in a positive way!
After our interview with Mr. Chen, I am more knowledgeable about environmental protection as well as innovation and invention. My attitude towards what those words stand for even changed. I realized that environmental protection is not just about turning off the lights and trying to reduce carbon footprint in our daily life. In fact, there are more active ways for us to achieve our environmental protection goals, and the JW Eco-Technology Pavement is one of those ways. What, then, is innovation and invention? Many people pursue innovation and invention at the expense of nature, and they sometimes damage our environment during the process. However, their actions can have a long-term effect on our world that may be irreversible. Therefore, we should seriously take Mr. Jui-Wen Chen’s JW Eco-Technology into consideration as it can reduce surface temperature of pavements, store water, and minimize the negative impacts of the greenhouse effect. The application of the JW Eco-Technology can reverse some of the damages caused by global warming, create a more balanced ecosystem, and return nature to its most original state.
At last, we want to thank Mr. Jui-Wen Chen for taking the time out of his busy schedule to meet with us and teach us. It certainly gave us an opportunity to learn more about our topic – the JW Eco-Technology and its key features. We are all grateful to him for giving us this unique experience.
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Iris Chen
It is rare to see this kind of urban farmland in a city.
As I walked into Mr. Jui-Wen Chen’s office building, his urban farmland quickly caught my attention. When I looked around, I saw vegetables growing from what looked like the holes on the roadside concrete. It is rare to see this kind of urban farmland in a city, but these urban farmlands can beautify the environment and improve air quality. How impressive!
In his office, Mr. Jui-Wen Chen eagerly introduced the JW Eco-Technology to us. In addition to his PowerPoint presentation, he showed us models of how the JW Eco-Technology creates a water cycle, fulfilling his dream of building a sponge city. The JW Pavement allows rainwater to quickly permeate into the catchment level of the structure. The catchment level is composed of a group of water retention balls, forming a water-storing area that effectively makes use of available water resources. The rainwater, which has been recycled, can provide plants with an adequate amount of water. This process leads to a greener city, creating a secret paradise for the city residents.
Taiwan is a humid region, and its rainy seasons as well as typhoons bring much rainwater to the island. However, with the occurrence of extreme weather, sudden and heavy rainfall is becoming more prevalent. Without an adequate drainage system, flooding and drought are more common than before; certain areas in Southern Taiwan even suffer severe water shortage problems as a result. To respond to this situation, we can make use of the JW Eco-Technology, reconstruct pavements, and build an underground reservoir.
The JW Eco-Technology is a relatively new invention. Not only does it have the potential to change Taiwan, but it could also change the world. The best approach to building a greener environment in the urban area is to use our water resources effectively. For the Earth and ourselves, let us take action in protecting our environment!
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Ian Chen
It was a real pity to miss this golden opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Jui-Wen Chen.
We were scheduled to interview Mr. Jui-Wen Chen on October 4th and 5th, but I had accidentally fractured my hand just the week before.
In the hospital, I await the doctor’s arrival hoping that I could be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the doctor said, “You just underwent surgery, so you need to rest well for the next two days.” I thought to myself, “What! Those are the two days we will be interviewing Mr. Jui-Wen Chen.” I immediately asked the doctor if I could be discharged the next day. The doctor said he would assess the progress of my recovery again the next day to determine my situation.
The next morning, the doctor came by to check on me. He told me I was recovering quite well, so I was free to go home by the afternoon. I was ecstatic! I hurried home that afternoon to put on my school uniform, so I could join my classmates in interviewing Mr. Jui-Wen Chen. To my surprise, my teacher asked me to rest at home and come back to school tomorrow. She was afraid that I might injure my arm again.
It was a real pity to miss this golden opportunity to meet and interview Mr. Jui-Wen Chen and see his JW Eco-Technology Pavement. However, looking at the photos and videos taken by my teachers and the parents of my classmates, I felt as if I were right there with them!
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Gordan Huang
In Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, I see a hard-working person who always tries to accomplish his goals by his own effort.
Did you know the JW Pavement can withstand the weight of an entire airplane? During the interview process, Mr. Jui-Wen Chen asked us to stand on the pavement built using his JW Eco-Technology. At first, I was not sure that it would hold our weight. To my surprise, the pavement was very sturdy, and you can even move around and jump on it without damaging it one bit. We were all very impressed.
In Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, I see a hard-working person who always tries to accomplish his goals by his own effort. He rarely asks other people to do his work for him. If it is something he can finish on his own, he will persistently carry through to the end.
Aside from its ability to store water, the most amazing feature of the JW Eco-Technology is its ability to filter pollutants, creating a more ideal environment for humans. Furthermore, the JW Pavement does not accumulate snow or water; in fact; an entire year’s volume of rainfall can permeate the JW Pavement in just under an hour. How efficient!
Through this experience, many of us learned something new. We also came to know that Mr. Jui-Wen Chen is not a traditional businessman. Actually, he is quite relaxed and very open-minded. We felt very comfortable speaking with him.
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Philip Huang
Through conversation with Mr. Chen, I discovered that he possesses all of the most essential qualities of a successful person.
While interviewing Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, what interested me the most was the display model of the structure and features of the JW Eco-Technology Pavement. This model helped us to understand how the pavement was constructed using the JW Eco-Technology. It also helped us to understand how the Aqueduct Grate, water retention balls, and the crushed gravel layer together give the JW Pavement a high load-bearing capacity. Most importantly, we learned how the chimney effect from Mr. Chen’s design helps to make our world a better place.
In my opinion, the best part of the JW Eco-Technology Pavement is its layer of crushed gravel. This layer of the structure provides microorganisms a space to survive, and the impurities leftover from the water filtering process can serve as food for microorganisms to feed on. In addition, the JW Pavement has a high load-bearing capacity, and it can even withstand the weight of an airplane.
Through conversation with Mr. Chen, I discovered that he possesses all of the most essential qualities of a successful person. From his mistakes, he learns to think critically; from his failures, he learns to persist through difficulties; and he has been learning to think creatively ever since he was a small child. All of these qualities are gained from personal experience. This goes to show us that world-renowned international inventors could be anyone who trusts in their abilities, not just a selected few.
After this visit, I learned more about the JW Eco-Technology and its applications, and I also learned the different layers of design involved in building the sponge road.
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Ariel Tsai
The lessons we learned from Mr. Chen are not just knowledge or information, but they are life principles for us to live by.
This experience of meeting Mr. Jui-Wen Chen was interesting, impressive, and memorable. I had the opportunity to explore the features and practical applications of the JW Eco-Technology. I discovered that the sponge road, constructed based on the principles of the JW Eco-Technology, is a road with excellent water-storing capabilities; in addition, it is an eco-technology that will bring us warmer winters and cooler summers.
Mr. Chen showed us his urban farmland, which is planted using the JW Eco-Technology. This natural, small world of greenery is unique as it is set behind a busy street. Under the layers of concrete, plants can thrive and grow freely. Clean, drinking water filled the “reservoir” under the pavement, and the quality of that water is comparable with fresh water found in the mountains.
After this visit, I have a more comprehensive understanding of the meaning of environmental protection. I had thought that the depletion of resources was unavoidable, and we can only do our best to conserve water and electricity to slow down the depletion of resources. Now, I know we can use the JW Eco-Technology to conserve, clean, recycle, and reuse water.
I want to show my gratitude to Mr. Jui-Wen Chen, for he took the time to answer our questions and teach us. The lessons we learned from Mr. Chen are not just knowledge or information, but they are life principles for us to live by.
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Kathleen Chien
Mr. Chen’s story tells us that a person must use all his or her might to finish something he or she sets out to do.
On Sunday, we interviewed Mr. Jui-Wen Chen. Our goal was to understand how he developed the sponge road and what sparked his desire to do so. What are the principles of science behind his invention design? What does he believe are the essential personal qualities that led to his own success?
After the interview, I learned that Mr. Jui-Wen Chen does not have a strong academic background. As a young boy, he volunteered in a temple and learned some basic skills of construction. When he started his own company later in life, he was inspired and determined to find a solution to conserve and protect the rivers and marine life in his hometown. His strong will finally paid off, and he successfully invented the sponge road. However, the biggest regret of his life is that Taiwan did not adopt his ideas and make use of his sponge road.
Mr. Chen’s story tells us that a person must use all his or her might to finish something he or she sets out to do. It does not matter what level of education he or she has; it only depends on how much effort he or she puts into completing his or her goal.