Eastern Taiwan’s Largest Art Exhibition: Hualien-Taitung Original Lifestyle Festival Showcases Local Creativity and Beauty

ByMOOKScenic Family Editorial Team

The second edition of the ‘Hualien-Taitung Original Lifestyle Festival,’ organized by the National Taitung Living Arts Museum,15on(Saturday)commenced at the Life Workshop of the National Taitung Living Arts Museum. The “Cultural Corridor” within the workshop showcases over sixty works created by nearly forty Hualien-Taitung artists, while the outdoor plaza hosts a Cultural Broadway, an original market, creation presentations, and hands-onDIYactivities.

Li Jichong, director of the National Taitung Living Arts Museum, stated that last year’s nine-day Original Lifestyle Festival held in the Hualien area received an enthusiastic response. This year, the Hualien-Taitung Original Lifestyle Festival expands on the spirit of “without originality, there would be no cultural creativity,” and is being held on a larger scale, with events in both Hualien and Taitung in relay. The exhibition venue is divided into six lifestyle zones:““Northern Longitudinal Valley,” “East Coast,”“Southern Longitudinal Valley,”“Taitung Plain,”

Large original artworks with unique artistic styles attract visitors to take photos and capture beautiful moments. (Photo source / Hualien-Taitung Original Lifestyle Festival)

In addition to static art exhibits, the festival also invited diverse creative artists—Bahaolan ‘Jilan,’ expert in rush weaving Zheng Meiyu, master axe woodcarver Zhang Maqun, and xiao (Chinese flute) player Zheng Chunxi—to showcase their talents at the opening event. Bahaolan ‘Jilan’ created installation art on the spot using an arc-shaped wire knife; Teacher Zheng Meiyu turned unassuming rush grass into a120-centimeter-long large fish. There was also master axe woodcarver Zhang Maqun, demonstrating his skill in carving with a large axe, and coconut fiber hats that produced wonderful melodies when played by Teacher Zheng Chunxi’s mouth—allowing visitors to witness firsthand how these artisans turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with their ingenious craftsmanship, showcasing a uniquely original spirit.