Taichung’s New Attraction – “Anime Mural Alley,” a Masterpiece That Feels Like It Jumped Off the Comic Pages

By Liu Si Ling

Recently, one of the hottest spots in Taichung has been the National Taichung Theater, and now, another eye-catching new attraction I discovered is Anime Mural Alley in Lane 100, Lin Sen Road. After taking your photos, you can also visit the nearby Prison Martial Arts Field on the same street.

In recent years, various towns across Taiwan have been filled with colorful mural streets. These vibrant and fun murals, amplified through online exposure, have become an effective way to quickly attract tourists.

I believe a successful mural district shouldn’t just be a collection of purely artistic wall paintings. More importantly, it should focus on community development, promoting local culture and specialties, using storytelling to market the area, and creating a unique brand for the community or town.

It shouldn’t be just one street speaking for itself, but rather embodying the value of the whole community. The murals are merely a medium and highlight.

A flood of visitors that only leaves behind spending, traffic jams, and litter comes at too high a cost for tourism development. How to earn more praise and respect, and make people want to return again and again, is a question worth deep consideration.

When I first saw the reports about Lin Sen Road, I wasn’t particularly drawn to it. Perhaps it’s because I’ve visited many mural communities over the years – without strong community landscapes or unique features, it’s hard for me to feel compelled to make a special trip. But no matter what, if I hear about a new attraction, I’ll always go check it out when passing through the area to maintain my sensitivity as a travel blogger.

Taichung’s Anime Mural Alley is a short little lane that gathers anime characters familiar to all, spanning several generations – there’s bound to be a corner that connects with your memories.

Having visited many mural districts, the artworks in Taichung’s Anime Mural Alley are the highest quality anime pieces I’ve seen. The painting is incredibly detailed and lifelike, like masterpieces that jumped straight off the comic pages.

Some friends have pointed out concerns that these works might be unauthorized and possibly infringe on copyrights, though they are not currently being used for commercial purposes. In any case, using them with proper authorization is always the best scenario – no creator wants their work to be used without permission.

I thought long and hard about how to present the visuals for this article. We racked our brains over each painting, spending quite some time capturing scenes of interaction with the art – fully showcasing the boyish side of us guys.

I originally thought of keeping these photos as private treasures and not sharing them. But then I realized, I write about my life, so I should present it with my own personality. There’s no need to hide genuine memories – the internet’s openness shouldn’t bring more constraints or restrict freedom. Just like the energy and performance I showed at the 3D art exhibits before, this piece will be no different.

Right at the entrance, there’s a motorcycle shop featuring a One Piece mural, which leads me to guess the owner might be a big fan of the series.

The largest mural in the entire alley is also One Piece, and it’s the piece all tourists flock to take pictures with – guaranteed to delight any One Piece fans.

Next, let’s take a look at the carefully arranged situational group photos we took.

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Many people at the scene had all sorts of vivid and amusing interactions with this particular painting – this gentleman seems to have had some training...

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Taichung Lin Sen Road Anime Mural Alley 14

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The murals on Animation Street are still being painted, so when you visit next time, you’re bound to see different works. The latest updates are reported on the FB fan page, and it seems most of the painting is done at night.

If you happen to pass by Linsen Road, come relive the comic book memories and take some fun, energetic photos here.

This article is excerpted from 《A Childlike Heart Explores the World》, full report:http://k640640.pixnet.net/blog/post/59605861

Join the fan page now>>>>《Liu Shiming - A Childlike Heart Explores the World》

Travel date: November 22, 2014

Taichung Animation Mural Alley >>

Address: No. 102, Lin Sen Road, West District, Taichung City (next to YAHAHA Xin Tiancheng Motorcycle Shop, in the alley beside it)