Our first stop is the PTS Sculpture Memorial Museum on Taipei’s Linsen North Road, where museum director Pu Hao-chih and art historian Hsiao Chong-ray will tell us about sculptor Pu Tian-sheng’s artistic style and maturation, and outline the development and historical significance of sculpture in Taiwan.
During our journey, I hope you will notice the rich variety of shop signs along our city streets. Though they come in a confusing array of styles, they are fascinating and distinctive. Dr. Lee Ming-tsung, CEO of Searchlight Culture Lab, observes: “Shop signs are a microcosm of culture…. Foremost is the culture of Chinese characters, then comes Japanese colonial culture, and finally the impact of globalization and American influence. More recently, the cultures of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and of Southeast Asia have been added into the mix.”
Next we go to Yilan, where we will visit some makers of the county’s well-known fermented tofu, including “Lee 13,” who is also a renowned erhu fiddle maker. Other highlights of our unforgettable stay in Yilan are the Tangcong Culture Hall at the National Center for Traditional Arts, and the Hanyang Beiguan Troupe, which is keeping alive Taiwan’s authentic tradition of Beiguan music and drama.
Continuing south along Taiwan’s East Coast, we will visit colorful indigenous communities in Hualien’s Fengbin Township and Taitung’s Changbin Township. There we will experience the cuisine, natural environment, lifestyles, and culture of local indigenous residents. Then we travel to Kaohsiung, where we will learn about the Hakka community of Meinong from Chiu Kuo-yuan, a local historian, Huang Sen-sung, publisher of the community magazine Today’s Meinung, and Wen Chung-liang, chair of the community association Rural Meinung Field Learning.
Next we head northward to the Siraya National Scenic Area, which stretches across parts of both Tainan and Chiayi. The leisurely pace of life in this place, along with Chiayi City—known as “Timber Town”—will calm your souls. Then we go to Taiwan’s offshore islands, with readers’ photos from Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and Lanyu. Last but not least, we hear about the experiences of students from six Southeast-Asian countries who came to Taiwan to take part in the New Southbound Policy Elite Study Program, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This rounds off our tour, and we look forward to your joining us again next time!
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