Artifacts from a number of Asian civilizations are on display at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum in Chiayi County’s Taibao City. (Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum)
Chiayi in southern Taiwan is fostering sustainable tourism development by highlighting its diverse historical assets and unique intangible heritage.
Located in Chiayi County’s Taibao City, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (NPM) is the most significant recent addition to Taiwan’s cultural landscape. Opening its doors in December 2015 following over a decade of planning and construction, the institution had received more than 2.2 million visitors by the end of August. This influx is invigorating the arts and tourism environments of Chiayi, while expanding awareness of the region’s historic sites and intangible heritage.
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“The Southern Branch was established to balance cultural resources between north and south, as well as stimulate arts, economic, educational, social and tourism development in central and southern Taiwan,” said Lu Ching-rong (盧慶榮), chief curator of NPM’s Department of Southern Branch. “Our aim is to promote the museum’s priceless treasures and local culture on the world stage.”
Founded in 1965, NPM manages a collection of almost 700,000 antiquities ranging from calligraphy, embroidery, jade and lacquer pieces to books, bronzes, ceramics and paintings. These items span some 7,000 years from the Neolithic to modern era. While the museum’s headquarters in Taipei City focuses on displaying Chinese cultural treasures, the Southern Branch was built to showcase artifacts from diverse Asian civilizations.
Of the Taibao facility’s five permanent exhibitions, four explore cultural evolution across the continent. These comprise a multimedia introduction to Asian art as well as collections of artifacts on the art and culture of tea, Buddhist art and textiles. In contrast to these macro-level examinations of Asian cultural development, the fifth permanent exhibition zeroes in on the history of Chiayi. Assembled using a multimedia approach, it spotlights the region’s arts, culture and religious customs through animated films, antique maps, artifacts and historical documents.
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World-Class Resources
According to Hsu Yo-jen (許有仁), director-general of Chiayi County’s Culture and Tourism Bureau, the inauguration of the Southern Branch marked a major milestone in the region’s sustainable tourism development. “It adds a world-class resource that complements existing well-known attractions such as the historic Alishan Forest Railway.”
Prior to the museum’s launch, Chiayi City and County, which are administered separately, were best known to local and international visitors as gateways to the famed scenic area atop Alishan. The mountain region, one of Taiwan’s foremost tourist destinations, is celebrated for its stunning views, towering forests and unique rail line. The latter, constructed to transport lumber in 1912 during Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945), is the highest narrow-gauge railway in Asia. It winds from 30 meters to 2,451 meters above sea level through tropical, temperate and alpine vegetation.
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Whereas once tourists typically made Alishan National Scenic Area the sole stop on their Chiayi itinerary, the addition of the Southern Branch is encouraging more comprehensive explorations of the region. According to Lu, in countries across the globe, constructing world-class museums has proven successful at driving economic transformation and cultural revitalization.
“Chiayi County’s aging population, caused in part by the departure of young people to the cities, is imperiling its agriculture-based economy,” he said. “Through leveraging NPM’s extensive collections and international reputation, we want to bolster Chiayi’s cultural tourism sector and promote its economic rejuvenation.”
The recent tourism boost is benefiting attractions like Puzi Embroidery Cultural Museum as well as Bantaoyao, a studio dedicated to promoting traditional ceramic crafts. Also garnering increasing attention are historic places of worship like Shuixian Temple. Built in 1739, the national monument is decorated with exquisite pottery ornaments and intricate wooden sculptures of birds, flowers and mythical creatures like dragons and phoenixes.
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To capitalize on the growing interest in the region, the Culture and Tourism Bureau last year established a dedicated website called Explore Chiayi detailing the county’s cultural assets. Available in English, Japanese and traditional Chinese, the site lists arts and crafts studios, historic buildings and monuments, museums, scenic spots, a monthly events calendar, recommended itineraries as well as accommodation, dining and transportation information.
“Chiayi is blessed with a variety of museums and workshops that allow visitors to learn about distinctive handicraft traditions in fields like embroidery, incense making, pottery and woodcarving,” Hsu said. “We hope to foster the growth of our cultural and creative sector by helping crafts studios develop hands-on visitor experiences and innovative products.”
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Intangible Heritage
Huang Mei-hsien (黃有賢), director-general of Chiayi City’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, said koji pottery—a ceramics production method originating in mainland China that involves firing pieces at relatively low temperatures of 800-900 C—stands out among the region’s rich intangible cultural assets. Chiayi has been considered Taiwan’s leading hub of the practice since several renowned master craftsmen set up shop there in the 19th and early 20th centuries to work on temple construction and renovation projects.
To celebrate and promote this heritage, the city government established the Koji Pottery Museum in 2000. In addition to highlighting the origins of the craft and the methods used, the facility displays a variety of stunning pieces and hosts annual competitions, festivals and training courses aimed at revitalizing the traditional art form.
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According to Huang, the bureau is also working to promote a craft unique to Chiayi—stone monkey carving. First appearing some five decades ago, the practice grew in popularity partly due to the ready availability of stone from Pachang Creek, which flows through Chiayi and southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. Zhan Long (詹龍), born and bred in Chiayi, pioneered the art by carving images of the Formosan macaques that he regularly spotted around Alishan. High demand for his works, especially in Japan, motivated others to follow suit, leading to the emergence of this signature artistic practice. Today, the bureau works to promote the stone carving tradition at home and abroad by inviting local and foreign artists to participate in regularly organized competitions, exhibitions and workshops.
Architectural Identity
The region’s rich intangible heritage is supplemented by an abundance of historic sites. Chiayi City is home to two national monuments—Chiayi Old Prison and City God Temple—while municipal authorities have granted historic status to 23 buildings and 13 monuments. “The presence of so many classical structures adds to the city’s distinct character, and serves as a testament to its rich architectural heritage,” Huang said.
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Among the unique facets of Chiayi City’s architectural identity is the large number of traditional Japanese-style wooden houses. Kao Chi-jung (ْ高基榮) is a leading advocate for the preservation and adaptive reuse of these structures. The Chiayi native helped establish a template for such efforts when he spent more than NT$600,000 (US$20,000) restoring a house and turning it into a store selling souvenirs and traditional toys. “These homes exude a relaxing ambience owing to their excellent ventilation and pleasant natural aromas,” the 45-year-old said.
Inspired by the success of Kao’s store and other similar efforts, the city government in 2014 launched subsidy and public-private partnership schemes to foster the restoration of the wooden buildings. To date, more than 30 have been renovated and repurposed as cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and workshops.
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Kao now serves as chairman of a Chiayi cultural and educational association that offers walking tours to these structures as well as other places of interest including crafts studios, historic buildings, temples and wet markets. “Our goal is to offer visitors an insight into the city’s development and the current and past lifestyles of its residents,” he said.
High-Profile Events
According to Kao, interest in exploring Chiayi’s heritage has increased in recent years thanks to city government efforts to expand and diversify the cultural events staged locally, including the Chiayi City International Art Documentary Film Festival and Chiayi City International Band Festival. “These measures have strengthened the city’s cultural vibrancy and raised its profile at home and abroad,” he said.
Among these, the band festival has emerged as Chiayi’s premier cultural gathering. Noted for its varied programming, it has grown since its launch in 1993 from a local celebration of music to a highly regarded international event that draws crowds of up to 200,000 people. Last year’s edition, held Dec. 10-25, featured marching band parades, competitions, indoor and outdoor concerts by more than 100 musical groups from home and abroad, master classes, musical instrument exhibitions and street performances.
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“The band festival has proven an ideal platform for cultural expression and exchanges,” Huang said. “Nevertheless, it’s just one of our city’s many unique attractions. We hope our promotional efforts will encourage visitors to come and stay longer in Chiayi so they can experience everything it has to offer.”
