[Family Travel]Step into 2D Space at the Blueprint Cultural and Creative Park

You must have a deep impression of the “Blueprint” on Hai’an Road in Tainan back then, right? Unfortunately, because the landlord reclaimed the wall, that highly iconic blue wall was simply painted over. Back in the day, we even took our wedding photos there (sighing nostalgically)!

Some might say, “What? I haven’t even seen it yet, and it’s already gone!” No worries, don’t feel disappointed—because at the end of last year (December 12, 2015), the “Blueprint” was reborn with a new look. It’s very easy to find, right across from Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store on Ximen Road.

Honestly, before this park started operating, I had absolutely no impression of what this place used to look like. I’ve walked past Shin Kong Mitsukoshi so many times, but I never paid attention to it.

Originally, this was the site of the “First Judicial New Village,” old judicial staff dormitories that once housed employees of Tainan Prison, Tainan Detention Center, the Tainan Branch of the High Court, and the High Prosecutors Office. There were a total of 15 buildings—some were wooden structures from the Japanese colonial period, and some were old row houses built in 1962. After being abandoned for years and facing demolition, the city government designated the area as a “cultural and creative park,” which helped preserve it.

At the entrance, there’s a huge sculpture called “BLUES,” which is the park’s mascot. How big is it? We asked Xiao Qianqian to serve as a scale reference.

It’s super huge. Xiao Qianqian hid behind the giant foot, and I as her mom couldn’t find her at all. This is the park map. On the day we visited (January 11), the front half was still mostly under renovation, except for the Blueprint section and the operations center. The back half, which houses cultural and creative studios, was almost entirely open to the public.

This cultural and creative park, themed around the “Blueprint,” features a brand-new Blueprint artwork that you definitely won’t miss as you walk by.

It’s an evolved 3D version. In addition to the indoor blueprint drawn with blue background and white lines, it also incorporates white steel frames that extend outward, making the whole structure more three-dimensional.

Just this section alone kept Xiao Qianqian entertained for half an hour. The open rooms resemble a little maze. Although everything is blue, the white lines still effectively depict the interiors of the house.

The mission of exploration was, of course, handed over to Xiao Qianqian.

Miss Xiao Qian really loved the restroom here. Funny enough, the moment I saw her sitting inside, I actually felt an urge to say to her, “Ah, sorry!” (I got caught up in the role-playing too!)

Vintage-style decorations are scattered in different corners, and the kids had a blast exploring. (Mom’s feet were already sore.)

Going a bit further in, there are four rows of houses, most of which are cultural and creative studios (shops). Each one is very thoughtfully decorated in their little courtyard space—it’s really lovely.

Super memory-card-consuming. Even Xiao Qianqian visited each one carefully. (She didn’t even skip the cat-themed shop!)

Although it’s just a casual stroll, you can tell that what you’ll find here isn’t the kind of “chain cultural merchandise” you see everywhere from Tamsui to Kenting (you know what I mean? raised eyebrow). A lot of it is stuff you haven’t seen before, which gives a nice little surprise.

To be honest, most of the time I’d feel too shy to step into the shops—I always feel a bit awkward. But thanks to Xiao Qianqian, I ended up going into quite a few stores with her. (Most shops open after 1 PM, so don’t come too early!)

The shop owners are all very chatty and passionate about their creations. If you’re willing to take the first step, they’re happy to share their stories with you.

(This switch really caught my eye—especially what do “pork” & “soul” represent? If you find it, you can ask the owner about the story behind this switch!)

On the second-floor rooftop, the theme is “Linear Generation House.” I’ve seen this kind of work before on Hai’an Road.

The proportions of these works made Xiao Qianqian look even smaller. She insisted on sitting on them even though she couldn’t reach the ground, and almost fell into the hole of the chair.

“The rest of the photos, look here.”

There’s a little stray cat here.

I feel like it has a similar vibe to “Lane 321” near Zhongshan Park—both integrate existing Japanese-style old buildings and add new artistic elements. Through every brick and tile of the building, as well as the old things that were deliberately preserved, you can almost breathe in the atmosphere of the time and see how people lived. (Uh… why did that sound a bit ghostly?)

But… something feels a bit off. It seems like a bit too much “new” has been added. It’s a renovation of an old house, but it’s been made too new. (That beautiful yellowish exterior looks newer than the place I live in now. Of course, if you look closely, you’ll still find some remnants of the old—though mostly just old doors and low walls.)

From what I’ve seen online, one of the unopened Japanese-era wooden houses was dismantled down to just one low wall due to termite damage (so the most important wooden part was completely razed). How did that happen? Well, I’m still looking forward to seeing how the contractor will present its “original appearance.” Once the renovation is complete, I’ll definitely come visit again.

Leaving that aside, I think this place is great for a relaxing afternoon stroll with kids. There are plenty of nearby attractions, like Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Little Ximen… and the recently popular “Maru Saku” is just nearby. After waiting in line for ages, my takeaway is… “Hmm… hmm…” (What do you want?)

For those interested, I suggest checking out the official website beforehand to learn about the background story and evolution of this place. It’ll make your visit even more meaningful and enjoyable.

■ Official website: http://bcp.culture.tainan.gov.tw/
■ Facebook page: https://goo.gl/PrZxHQ
■ Location: Lane 689, Section 1, Ximen Rd., South District, Tainan City (directly opposite Shin Kong Mitsukoshi)
■ Phone: 06222-7195
■ Opening hours: 13:00–20:00

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