Text / Compiled and Reported by the Editorial Department of MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network
The Puyuma train officially joined the eastern railway network in July, drastically reducing the travel time between Taitung and Taipei from 5.5 hours to just 3.5 hours, bringing great convenience to the transportation of residents in Hualien and Taitung. This time, the Puyuma also commissioned internationally renowned designer Xiao Qingyang to create a special livery for the train.The Puyuma has eight carriages, each with a unique design, telling eight different stories about the land.
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The electrification of the Hualien-Taitung railway has made traveling to the east much more convenient. (Image source / Taitung County-)
[The Story of Xiao Qingyang x Puyuma]:
Taiwan is an island of stories. Taitung is the most beautiful backyard garden of this story island.
Xiao Qingyang, a four-time Grammy Award nominee and designer of thousands of album covers, brings a global perspective to highlight Taitung’s eight major impressions. Using the paper-cut style of the “Island of Stories,” he designed the eight carriages of the Puyuma’s inaugural voyage to Taitung. Additionally, he incorporated long-term photographs of Taitung taken by veteran local photographer Xu Mingzheng as backgrounds, blending real photos with paper-cut aesthetics. This showcases a clever fusion of two distinct art forms.
Through internationally acclaimed design, the world can see the global vision of Taiwan’s railways. Taitung has long been a paradise desired by international travelers. Xiao Qingyang chose themes for each carriage that have recently gained international recognition: the “hot air balloon ascension,” the “wind of the plains” in the longitudinal valley, the “South Pacific scenery” along the coast, the life-giving “Pacific Ocean,” the internationally renowned “fragrance of rice” in the valleys, the annual “Harvest Festival” on the east coast, the “first ray of sunlight” from the land of the sun, and the most memorable “beauty of the tribes” in eastern Taiwan.Eight themes, eight carriages—each one is a painting, a story; making the Puyuma, speeding alongside mountains and seas, the most important scenery of Taiwan in 2014. It allows both domestic and international travelers to get to know Taiwan and Taitung through their journey on the Puyuma.
The Story of the First Carriage: ‘Hot Air Balloon’
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The first carriage is designed around the theme of Taitung’s hot air balloons, symbolizing Taitung’s journey towards the international stage. (Image provided / Taitung Highlights? International Charm Fan Page)
The front of the Puyuma features recent internationally renowned images of Taitung’s ‘hot air balloons,’ symbolizing how they lead Taitung’s tourism towards the global stage. For the first time, Xiao Qingyang incorporates the imagery of hot air balloons into the paper-cut style of the Island of Stories. There are also paragliders that soar above Luye Plateau alongside the balloons, playful bamboo dragonflies, candied haws, and the shellfish and dolphins that reflect Taitung’s identity as an ocean nation—all brought together in a striking red to tell the story of the train’s front.
Additionally, Xiao Qingyang designed a simple yet culturally rich emblem using the “garland,” a symbol of noble status in the Puyuma people’s Bunun tribe.
The Story of the Second Carriage: ‘Wind of the Plains’
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The second carriage emphasizes the harmony between mountains and wind, showcasing the beautiful coexistence of Taitung and nature. (Image provided / Taitung Highlights? International Charm Fan Page)
The images used in the second carriage highlight Taitung’s varied “mountains” and “wind.”
The paper-cut designs of the Island of Stories depict the indigenous lifestyle of living in harmony with nature amidst the mountains and gentle breezes: scenes of indigenous people pounding millet and carrying hunting spoils.In tune with the feeling of mountains and wind, blue-and-white paper-cuts present the expansive beauty of Taitung’s life in harmony with nature.
The Story of the Third Carriage: ‘Fragrance of Rice’
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The third carriage emphasizes the harmony between mountains and wind, showcasing the beautiful coexistence of Taitung and nature. (Image provided / Taitung Highlights? International Charm Fan Page)
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