Experience the healing magic of "Zentangle" at Hualien Sugar Factory – Send a letter to your future self in one year!

▲ This 70-year-old Japanese-style building in Hualien Sugar Factory has been transformed into a restaurant combined with a cultural and creative workshop. (Photo / Reporter Zhou Chen’geng)

Reported by Lin Yuling / Hualien

At Hualien Sugar Factory, you can not only enjoy ice cream, but also stay in a Japanese-style wooden house for a hot spring soak, bike around the park, and experience...the magic of painting therapy! Located at Hualien Sugar Factory, “The Woodpecker’s Home” offers travelers the opportunity to try the trendy“Zentangle”art form under the guidance of teacher Ati Rong. This new form of art requires no drawing skills — just a pen is enough to get started. Surrounded by beautiful nature, it helps you relax your body and mind. You can even write a letter to “yourself one year from now” on the back of your creation, and the store will help send your “future mail,” which you’ll receive as a lovely surprise one year later!

Zentangle requires no prior drawing skills or techniques — in fact, you can complete it with just a pen.Under the guidance of teacher Ati Rong, participants gradually enter a meditative state, using simple lines, circles, geometric shapes, or even patterns from their clothes as inspiration, quickly creating a unique piece of art.

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▲ Simple lines and geometric shapes are all you need for your artwork — no drawing background is necessary, and your creation can even be turned into a postcard. The shop will help send your “future mail” to your future self. (Photo / Reporter Lin Yuling)

“The Woodpecker’s Home” is located within Hualien Sightseeing Sugar Factory and is a public-interest restaurant that combines culture and creativity.The Japanese-style building has a history of 70 yearsand offers a very beautiful and relaxing environment. It was established by the “Hualien County Woodpecker Holistic Development Association,” which focuses on serving children and teenagers in the Hualien-Taitung area. The association also builds tribal vocational skill centers under fair trade principles, providing initial training and purchasing and marketing products at reasonable prices to promote tribal culture.

In 2012, Woodpecker rented this 70-year-old Japanese-style building in Hualien Sugar Factory. Aside from running an Italian restaurant with local ingredients, in 2016 they also took over a small cultural and creative space next to the restaurant and planned various themed workshops. This not only helps local youth develop their skills, but also allows visitors to enjoy life at a slower pace.

More themed workshops will be launched in the future, mainly focusing on:green food and agriculture education, indigenous tribal experiences, local art and culture experiences, and natural ecology tours— connecting local resources with the world and hoping to let more people discover the beauty, food, and culture of Hualien.

▲ The shop entrance is decorated with flowers and plants, creating a warm atmosphere. (Photo / Reporter Lin Yuling)

▲ There are also many cultural and creative works inside the workshop. (Photo / Reporter Zhou Chen’geng)

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