As Taiwan’s biggest
cultural event, the Romantic Route 3 Arts Festival (浪漫台三線藝術季) is taking place from Oct. 19 through Dec. 15 at
various locations in Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County,
and Taichung City, across 9 Hakka settlements spanning 150 kilometers on Taiwan
Romantic Route 3, also known as the Provincial Highway 3.
During the 58-day
festival, artists from different countries bring 50 artworks to the island, and more
than 100 cultural events are waiting for
visitors to experience.
The festival presents a locally
distinctive exhibition of contemporary arts, at which professional designers
and resident artists engage in a campaign to revitalize
the region with local teams. Art pieces featuring Hakka landscapes
create new cultural imagery, inject modern energy into ethnic tradition, and give
rise to Hakka renaissance.
Through integrating
cultural experiences into tourism, the festival topples
the stereotype about Hakka culture while displaying the idyllic lifestyle
on Taiwan Romantic Route 3.
The inaugural Romantic
Route 3 Arts Festival encompasses three themes: highways, waterways, and
trails, which are intertwined with time to form a glamorous avenue, telling the
stories of small towns along the Provincial Highway 3, the tales of irrigation
canals in Hakka villages, and the history of Raknus Selu Trail (樟之細路).
It welcomes visitors to slow down their pace, savor their time with nature and humanities of these villages, and enjoy the exclusive Hakka charm. More information can be found at http://www.romantic3.tw.
Event locations:
Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard
Taiwanese artist Lin
Shuen-long (林舜龍) brought his creative process to Taipei’s
Ketagalan Boulevard on Oct. 19 and 20, using plenty of bamboo materials and
trays for persimmons cushions to build his installation art in front of the Presidential
Office Building.
Taipei’s Songshan Cultural and Creative Park
An exhibition called “Ca
Ngi (茶遇),” which means an encounter
with tea, is taking place at Songshan Cultural and
Creative Park (松山文創園區) from Oct. 19 to 27, giving an overall introduction
to the Romantic Route 3 Arts Festival.
Taoyuan’s Longtan District
To promote the beauty of
the region, several installation arts and workshops are set up at Sankeng
Ecological Park (三坑自然生態公園). Visitors
can also take a trip to Sankeng Old Street (三坑老街) to explore Longtan, a key Hakka settlement in Taoyuan.
Hsinchu’s Zhudong Township
A grand feast is
presented at Zhudong Market (竹東市場), which is Taiwan’s
largest Hakka traditional market, offering visitors abundant Hakka cuisine that will surely satisfy their appetite.
Hsinchu’s Hengshan Township
Combined with the history
of the Neiwan Line railway (內灣線鐵道), numerous artworks
created jointly by artists and local residents
are brought to train stations, transforming the railway area into an art gallery.
Hsinchu’s Beipu Township
As one of the oldest
Hakka settlements, Beipu’s long history inspires
the invited artists to create their art pieces, which provide visitors with an artistic
len to view this unique town.
Hsinchu’s Guanxi Township
To experience the authentic Guanxi, visitors can spend time drinking
some tea and enjoying Hakka music concerts during the arts festival.
Hsinchu’s Emei Township
Regarded as Hsinchu’s
fairyland, Emei fires the resident artists’ imagination with its natural
beauty. The creative artworks are surely giving visitors a wonderful sensation.
Miaoli’s Shitan Township
For Shitan, Miaoli
County, Raknus Selu Trail (樟之細路) was an indispensable
link to the outside world in the past and now is a seductive historic pathway. Visitors
can take a stroll and appreciate arts along the trail.
Miaoli’s Dahu Township
A captivating exhibition
is taking place at Dawo Ecological Park (大窩生態園區), revealing the less-known
historical fact that Hakka and indigenous people have coexisted harmoniously
for a long time because of an irrigation canal.
Taichung’s Dongshi District
Growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, Dongshi has a long history of the irrigation canal system. During the festival, visitors can have a tour of local canals and attend hands-on activity of making preserved vegetables that exude Hakka flavor.