The National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan County is a vibrant setting for art and crafts.
Located in the northeastern county of Yilan, the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA) is dedicated to preserving, revitalizing and promoting Taiwan’s arts and crafts. Since its establishment in 2002, the NCFTA has been a popular destination for those intent on exploring the country’s rich cultural heritage.
A stroll around the 24-hectare facility offers art installations as well as insights into Taiwan’s architectural styles and historical building techniques. Inside the buildings are themed exhibitions and dozens of workshops where artisans of all kinds demonstrate techniques and display their handiwork. Artisans gladly discuss their craft with visitors, and some even offer hands-on experiences.
The center is a feast for all the senses as restaurants and food stalls fill the air with the delicious aromas of traditional foods, and the sounds of street performances can be heard. Actors engage with visitors throughout the park, pulling them into the action, then leading them back to the theater to enjoy the rest of the show.
Not all events require audience participation: the NCFTA’s performance hall also showcases traditional music, dance and theater from various ethnic groups.
—by Jim Hwang
The traditional arts the park seeks to conserve are anchored in a built environment that echoes the old street architecture of Hsinchu, Sanxia, Lukang and Taipei’s Dadaocheng, among other places.
“Saga of the Green Pearl” combines opera and acrobatics in a performance that takes place not only on stage but also throughout outdoor spaces of the NCFTA.
Art installations with cultural elements decorate the park.
Visitors can make props for lion dances at the workshop.
Workers pull hardening sugar into scallion candy, named for its resemblance to the vegetable.