Come for the hiking fun at Huashan (Mount Hua)! Create your own culture from the body. In Taiwan, when people talk about Huashan these days, many might first think of the “Huashan 1914 Creative Park” on Zhongxiao East Road. Of course, fans of wuxia (martial arts) novels might think of Jin Yong’s legendary “Huashan Swordplay.” But from today (the 18th) through Sunday, there’s a real mountain experience at Huashan — the “2018 Taiwan Cultural Expo” is in full swing. Here you can watch high-mountain documentaries, go camping, admire the beauty of craftsmanship, explore the history of Taiwanese hip-hop, and even savor “food fashion” through style.
●Culture + Economy: The “Taiwan Cultural Expo” showcases diverse creative energy
Asia’s most thought-provoking exhibition — the “2018 Taiwan Cultural Expo” — opened simultaneously today at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Songshan Creative Park, and the Expo Park’s competition venue. This year’s expo, themed “Created from the Body,” emphasizes cultural depth, with design thinking as its axis and in-depth curation to showcase Taiwan’s cultural essence and serve as a platform for elevating cultural economy.
The 2018 Taiwan Cultural Expo is one of the Ministry of Culture’s most important annual events. The opening ceremony was held this morning (the 18th) at Huashan 1914 Creative Park. The event featured performances by “Three-Sacrifice Artistry” — Cheng Gejun, Huang Kaiyu (Fish The), and Ko Chih-hao — showcasing Taiwan’s distinctive temple culture through a fusion of technology. Their latest creation, “Eight Generals,” premiered at the ceremony, echoing the exhibition theme “Created from the Body.” Through music, technology, and visuals, it leads audiences back to their primal senses and further explores “the possibilities of design creation within cultural thought pathways.”
●“Mountain Museum” reveals our insignificance; “Hip-Hop Pavilion” witnesses Taiwan’s music history
“Culture” is a nation’s soft power, and “design capability” is part of culture — also a key driver of creativity and industrial transformation. Guiding the right policy resources and leveraging “design capability” to spark cross-sector innovation across industries is a crucial direction for the future of cultural and creative industry policies.
At the Huashan Creative Park, which opens first to the general public, you’ll find many new highlights. There’s a real “Mountain Museum” at Huashan. Wide screens display the majestic beauty of Taiwan’s high mountains across the seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the face of these mountains, we feel especially small. The museum displays various hiking gear, books, and profiles of famous figures. There are also tents nearby where you can rest when you’re tired from exploring.
How broad is the realm of culture!! At Huashan, there’s also “Hip-Hop Kid,” which details the history of Taiwanese hip-hop music. Perhaps in the past, hip-hop was seen as an alternative youth subculture, but from today’s perspective, hip-hop — with its profound lyrics, rhythms, and music — may be a new culture on par with “Song Dynasty poetry” or “Tang Dynasty verse.” Here you can also enjoy classic songs by Taiwanese music history’s hip-hop creators on screen. Among them is the late singer-songwriter Song Yueting’s award-winning piece “Life’s a Struggle,” which won Best Lyricist at the 2004 Golden Melody Awards. The song, which sings of life through lived experience, is even more unforgettable and moving.
This Cultural Expo includes food, fashion, architecture, history, design, music, graffiti, and more. At Huashan, there’s also a “Fashion in Daily Life” section where rows of “white shirts” look flawless — they’re timeless essentials that can be professional or casual. But can white stay white forever? When will it get stained? What sparks can the same white shirt create when paired with a skirt or pants? How long can trends last? When taking photos at the fashion pavilion, these may be questions worth pondering.
●Three venues X 10 cultural travel routes: The Cultural Expo has something for everyone
This year’s exhibition includes participation from 23 countries and 559 organizations. The exhibits cover three main themes: cultural concepts, design brands, and image licensing. This is the first time the entire Huashan 1914 Creative Park has been used for curation. It aims to lead the public to reflect through in-depth curation and open up spaces for imagination and cultural discussion through dialogue.
In addition, the 2018 Cultural Expo has, for the first time, invited 10 experts and celebrities from various fields to plan 10 themed cultural routes, along with 13 county and city governments launching deep-experience routes in response. They invite all Taiwanese to explore together and experience Taiwan’s most distinctive cultural tourism.
The Ministry of Culture hopes that through this Cultural Expo curation, participants will open their senses through the experience, engage in the process of “creating from the body,” begin living from new perspectives and viewpoints, and become more thoughtful modern individuals. It also looks forward to the future Taiwan Cultural Expo becoming the “most thought-provoking exhibition in Asia.” Everyone is welcome to visit.
2018 Taiwan Cultural Expo
[Huashan 1914 Creative Park – Cultural Concepts]
April 18–22, 10:00–20:00, open to the general public free of charge ※ East 2 Hall extended to April 29
[Songshan Creative Park – Design Brands & Expo Park Competition Venue – Image Licensing]
4/18~4/21 10:00~18:00
4/22 10:00~17:00
※ April 18–19 open only to professionals; April 20–22 open to the general public free of charge