A 3-story-tall lost teddy bear sits in the middle of a field — The “Taichung Land Art Festival” has arrived

▲ The teddy bear is lost because the landscape is no longer what it used to be, leaving it wandering in the middle of the field. (Photo / fromthe official Facebook page of the Taichung Land Art Festival)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Recently, a 3-story-tall “lost teddy bear” has appeared sitting in the middle of a field in the outskirts of Taichung, attracting many visitors. The “Taichung Land Art Festival,” initiated by several civic groups, kicked off in Zhenping Village, Nantun District, and aims to draw public attention to the issue of excessive land development through this lost teddy bear.

The large-scale installation art piece “Lost Teddy Bear” was created by the Anti-Forced Relocation Alliance of the Aviation City. It was previously exhibited in November last year at the grassroots “Aviation City Land Art Festival.” Its underlying message is to express the helplessness and loss felt by residents as their land is expropriated, as well as to silently protest against the destruction of the original landscape and local culture.

The reason behind launching the “Taichung Land Art Festival” is also to voice another form of protest against reckless land development and cultural destruction. The Greater Taichung Civic Supervision Alliance stated that Taichung is the city with the most urban land readjustment projects in Taiwan, covering an area of over 3,000 hectares. To build science parks, transportation infrastructure, and more, fields are being bulldozed, trees cut down, canals destroyed, and historic sites demolished. To reawaken citizens’ emotional connection to Taichung’s cultural and natural landscape, the second home of the teddy bear has been chosen in Zhenping Village, Nantun District — the area closest to Taichung’s urban core.

%Faced with continuous urban expansion and the gradual disappearance of rural scenery, once people become familiar with highways and constructions, the once serene rural views may vanish forever. (Source: Strong architectural and interior design commentary)