By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported by Chen Guanxin
In recent years, cultural creativity and art performances have become a popular trend. Starting this Sunday, two major cultural events will take place consecutively in Taichung. Among them, the annual music and arts highlight of Taichung, the “Taichung Jazz Festival,” invites 50 jazz groups from 11 countries to perform, while the first-ever “Architecture. Light. Taichung – 3D Light Sculpture Art Exhibition” uses 3D light projection on buildings to present a theater-like illusion of reality, infusing the city’s vibrant artistic energy into daily life through diverse forms of presentation.
The fantastical visual effects in the illustrations have everyone eagerly anticipating the arrival of the “Architecture. Light. Taichung – 3D Light Sculpture Art Exhibition.” (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
Taichung Jazz Festival
With a decade of accumulated experience, the Taichung Jazz Festival has firmly established itself as one of Asia’s flagship international music events. As it steps into its next ten years, in addition to familiar participants from the US, Japan, and France, this year the festival specially features 50 jazz groups from 11 countries including Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Israel, and Malaysia. Themed performances are designed around a timeline, taking audiences on a journey from the “Classic Era” of jazz’s evolution to the present-day “World Stage.”
On the afternoon of October 19, the opening day at 14:00, a creative costume parade will kick off the event. Featuring three school marching bands — Xinmin, Lingdong, and Ciming — as well as Muddy Basin Ramblers, the parade, themed “This is How Jazz Is Played,” will lead the public in a grand celebration reminiscent of Brazil’s Carnival, blending various elements into a highly jazz-inspired procession. The hundred-strong parade will start from Civic Square, passing along Zhongming South Road (Jingming Business District), Section 2 of Taiwan Boulevard (Sogo Department Store), and Zhongxing Street. Music fans are encouraged to don their coolest and most dazzling jazz outfits and join the parade.
The Taichung Jazz Festival has become an iconic international music event in Asia, attracting numerous domestic and international bands and audiences to Taichung every year for performances and listening experiences. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
During the event, four jazz movie screenings and two jazz masterclasses are planned. The jazz movie selection is inspired by the “History of Jazz” from the 1920s to the 1960s, featuring classic films set to four major jazz styles — Swing, Bebop, Cool Jazz, and Fusion — allowing audiences to immerse themselves in the storyline while appreciating the evolution of jazz through sound. The jazz masterclasses will feature the American pianist Richie Beirach Quartet, a classic jazz representative, and the Australian guitarist Albare, a global jazz talent, who will not only perform live but also share their personal journeys in learning and mastering jazz.
Additionally, the event venue will be decorated with exotic flair, featuring two main areas: international cuisine and a cultural and creative market. The international food zone invites well-known hotels and restaurants to participate, offering not only authentic gourmet delights from Germany (like pork knuckle), Italy (such as gelato), and France (including bone-in sausages), but also cool beverages, providing a triple sensory delight of sight, sound, and taste. Furthermore, 16 stalls of unique cultural and creative goods will showcase handcrafted jazz-themed items such as wood carvings, painted art, and DecoPatchwork, adding one-of-a-kind memorable souvenirs to your jazz journey.
【Info】
Date: October 19 to October 27
Time: Weekdays 17:00–22:00, Weekends 14:00–22:00
Venue: Civic Square, Caotun Boulevard
Website: www.taichungjazzfestival.com.tw
This year’s Taichung Jazz Festival will kick off this Sunday (19th). (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
Architecture. Light. Taichung – 3D Light Sculpture Art Exhibition
What is 3D light sculpture? In recent years, internationally renowned light art displays such as those at Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul’s and Tokyo Station have become top-tier applications of 3D projection on architecture, drawing global crowds annually. Through precise calculations and seamless point-to-point projection, modern technology can create theater-like illusions of reality on massive architectural structures, tricking the eye and transforming buildings in an instant — as if Hayao Miyazaki’s moving castle were awakening from slumber to stage a surreal masquerade of transformation.
This year, to celebrate the centennial completion of the Taichung Prefectural Office, the Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau has specially utilized the historic structures of the Taichung Prefectural Office and the former Prison Martial Arts Hall to create a beautiful encounter between heritage architecture and light sculpture — a 3D light show unique to Taichung.
The event will officially launch on three consecutive weekends in November, starting at 18:30 in the evenings. On November 1 and 2, the opening night light sculpture show “Welcome Light Concert” will be held at the Taichung Prefectural Office, featuring a hybrid live and virtual performance by the “MITSO Taiwanese Musicians Symphony Orchestra.” The Prefectural Office will be transformed into a golden rice field, recreating the original blueprints drawn by Japanese designers, with scenes of past glory dramatically presented through the fusion of sound, light, and music. The evening will also include interactive light shows and architectural light painting activities, allowing participants to not only enjoy cutting-edge light art but also experience the fun of “graffiti” with light and color on historical buildings.
The illustrated view of the Taichung Prefectural Office showcases a splendor no less than that of Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul’s or Tokyo Station. (Photo provided by Taichung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
On November 8 and 9, the interlude event at the Taichung Martial Arts Hall will present the interactive light story “Battle of Light,” where students and faculty from the Daohe Six Arts Cultural Center will perform ancient guqin music and kendo, combined with the latest virtual interaction technology. The shadow warrior “Photon” will revive the martial spirit of the hall, traveling through time to defeat darkness and welcome the light.
On November 15 and 16, the closing event returns to the Taichung Prefectural Office. “Time Phonograph” will take audiences on a journey back in time accompanied by nostalgic Taiwanese oldies, while a light sculpture show by the “NTSO Taiwanese Symphony Orchestra” will once again present the century-old local charm of Taichung. The event will conclude with a spectacular heritage light and sound art evening that dazzles the senses.
To promote local awareness of Taichung’s historic sites and architecture among residents, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has planned interactive light shows and architectural light painting activities at every session. An exclusive app can also be downloaded from the official website for online light painting, allowing participants to create their own heritage building light art. Moreover, to celebrate the centennial completion of the Prefectural Office’s main structure, a special “Centennial Prefectural Office Makeover” creative contest is being held on the official website from October 8 to November 8. By downloading the line art template and uploading creative works, participants have a chance to have their submissions displayed on-site during the event. The top 50 selected works will also receive a special “Architecture. Light. Taichung” gift.
【Info】
Date: November 1–2, November 8–9, November 15–16
Time: 18:30–21:00
Venue: Taichung Prefectural Office, Taichung Martial Arts Hall
Website: www.lutc.tw
● Further Reading:
Taipei Nightlife: 20 Popular Nightclubs (Part 1)
http://goo.gl/zeDBNe