Art Integrated with the Environment: Two Bridges in Taitung Become More Beautiful!

▲ On the north side of Baxiandong in Changbin Township, Taitung, “Zhangyuan Bridge” uses art integrated with the environment to create a new form of ecological beauty. (Photo / Screenshot fromTaitung Tourism Website)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

To continue fostering the aesthetic tourism atmosphere of the East Coast, the Eastern Coastal National Scenic Area Administration under the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has once again invited local indigenous artists to create on-site installations at Donghe Bridge and Zhangyuan Bridge. By integrating their works with the surrounding environment, these pieces weave together an environmental aesthetic, allowing the public to experience the beauty of ecology. The exhibitions will be displayed from now until May 31, 105 (2016).

Exhibition Locations for This Event“Zhangyuan Bridge”and“Old Donghe Bridge”are both listed as historical buildings in Taitung and are famous scenic spots along the East Coast. Among them, Zhangyuan Bridge, located on the north side of Baxiandong in Changbin Township, features three generations of bridges—old, middle-aged, and young—standing side by side due to the passage of time and transportation needs. The Eastern Coastal Administration has set up recreational facilities here such as parking lots, pavilions, and walking trails. For this event, Amis artist Chen Yongchang (Kaling) was specially invited to create a bamboo-woven installation that forms a channel interwoven with light and shadow, guiding visitors to experience another kind of “crossing the bridge.” His work, titled “Progress,” is inspired by the layered arrangement of sea erosion caves, symbolizing the ever-advancing human civilization.

▲ Old Donghe Bridge — A View Along the Journey. (Photo / Screenshot from【Nga'ayho】Hello, East Coast Fan Page)

Another exhibition site is located on the Old Donghe Bridge in Donghe Township. Spanning the Mawulu River, the Eastern Coastal Administration has also installed public toilets, parking lots, pavilions, and walking trails here. The area invited resident East Coast Rukai artist Elen．luluwan (An Shenghui) to create “A View Along the Journey.” The artist placed chairs in the central area of the bridge deck, with spherical woven pieces interspersed among them. The bridge artwork blends with the gentle flow of the Mawulu River and the vast surface of the Pacific Ocean, creating a poetic and spatial aesthetic. It seeks to foster dialogue between travelers and the environment, while also bringing people closer to history.