Taiwan Today

The stunning natural environment of northern Taiwan’s Yilan County nurtures a unique and diverse cultural landscape.

“As soon as the train passed [from New Taipei City] into Yilan County, an entirely different scene came into view. Dismal grey buildings were replaced by green hills and clear waters. My mood immediately lightened, particularly at the sight of the sprawling blue ocean on my left, with Turtle Island standing solemnly offshore.”

—from “Duckling Ku Tours Yilan” by Ku Ling

Last October, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (CAB) of Yilan County Government published two books highlighting the diverse landscapes of the northeastern Taiwan region. “Duckling Ku Tours Yilan” and “A Taste of the Sea in Yilan: A Walk Along the 101-kilometer Coast” were authored by natives Wang Yu-ren (王裕仁‬), a celebrated essayist who writes under the pen name Ku Ling (苦苓), and Xu Hui-long (俆惠隆), head of a local literary association, respectively. The former explores six sweeping mountain trails in the west of the county, while the latter documents Xu’s journey along its eastern shoreline through such ports as Dongao, Suao and Wushi.

The books were released under the CAB’s Village Literature Development Project, one of numerous local government initiatives aimed at spotlighting the county’s abundant natural and cultural assets. “Yilan boasts a wide expanse of forested mountains and a lengthy Pacific coast, between which lies the fertile Lanyang Plain,” CAB Director-General Lee Chih-yung (李志勇) said. “These geographic conditions isolated the county somewhat from the rest of Taiwan and led to the creation of a distinct cultural environment.”

Ancient Settlements

Yilan’s lush terrain has attracted and nurtured cultures for millenniums, as evidenced by the vast troves of archaeological artifacts discovered across the county. More than 3 million pieces have been unearthed at historic sites like Dazhuwei, Hanben, Qiwulan and Wanshan. Some of the most valuable items are on display at the CAB-operated Lanyang Museum, among the leading local cultural institutions in Taiwan.

Modeled on the cuesta landforms seen in the surrounding coastal area, the museum in Toucheng Township has earned domestic and international awards for its architectural design. One of the institution’s first special exhibitions after formally opening in October 2010 showcased finds dating back more than 3,000 years from Qiwulan in Jiaoxi Township. A significant number of these were left behind by members of the Kavalan tribe, one of Taiwan’s 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples and among the county’s earliest inhabitants.

In the late 18th century, amid large-scale cross-strait migration, many Kavalan communities moved from the Lanyang Plain to present-day Hualien and Taitung counties in eastern and southeastern Taiwan, respectively. Today, Atayal and Amis peoples make up the majority of Yilan’s aboriginal inhabitants, totaling 3.5 percent of the county’s 450,000 residents.

Given this rich indigenous history, tribal crafts and customs in areas like music and weaving are essential components of Yilan’s intangible cultural heritage, Lee said. These skills are passed down at venues across the county such as Luodong Cultural Working House in the township of the same name.

Cultural Bastion

Yilan’s signature contribution to the cultural landscape is Taiwanese opera. Performed in Holo, also called Taiwanese and the language of the nation’s largest ethnic group, this performing art emerged in the 19th century and grew into a major entertainment genre and key component of religious folk festivals.

The county works to promote and preserve this proud heritage through Lanyang Taiwan Opera Theater, the nation’s only local government-supported troupe specializing in the art form. “Our primary goal is to reinvigorate this tradition through writing new scripts more accessible to younger generations,” said Lee, who doubles as head of the theater company.

Yilan’s status as a bastion of cultural creativity is spotlighted by the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCTA) in Wujie Township. Launched in 2002 under the Ministry of Culture (MOC), the facility is charged with preserving Taiwan’s time-honored handicrafts and performing arts from bamboo weaving and woodcarving to diverse operatic genres and glove puppetry. Some buildings in the center, a major tourist attraction, are constructed in a classical Taiwan architectural style, characterized by wooden frames, brick walls and slanting roofs with upward curving ridges as well as colorful ornamental details. It also features two historic houses relocated from Yilan City dating back to the 1870s and 1920s during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945), respectively.

According to NCTA Director Wu Rung-shun (吳榮順‬), to remain relevant to modern audiences, traditions should stay true to their roots while embracing contemporary ideas and subject matter. “With society and the entertainment industry changing so rapidly, our role is to ensure a prosperous future for learners and practitioners of traditional arts,” he said.

Last year, the institution began cooperating with the MOC’s Bureau of Cultural Heritage to offer positions to talents who have completed four- to six-year apprenticeships under craftspeople or performers recognized by the ministry as national treasures. This apprenticeship project aimed at conserving the nation’s artistic heritage is now overseen by NCTA. “We provide program graduates with a professional platform to build a sustainable career in traditional arts,” Wu said.

The institution regularly stages shows at the three venues it operates nationwide: its headquarters in Yilan, Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center in Taipei City and NCTA Kaohsiung Park in the southern Taiwan metropolis. In March, for example, visitors to NCTA in Yilan could witness performances by Luodong-based Hanyang Beiguan Troupe and Taipei-headquartered Taiwanese Opera Foundation for Culture and Education, founded by master dramatists Zhuang Jin-cai (莊進才) in 1988 and Liao Chiung-chih (廖瓊枝) in 1999, respectively.

History Abounds

The decision to base NCTA in Yilan was taken not simply in view of its rich performing arts heritage, but its dedicated policies to maintain such traditions. In the early 1980s, Yilan was the first in Taiwan to establish an elementary and junior high school course focusing on local geography, history and society. This move predated by more than a decade a nationwide Ministry of Education program introduced in 1997 called Knowing Taiwan that sought to supplement Chinese history and cultural courses. “In the past, we learned little about our local roots and consequently lacked confidence in our heritage,” said Zhuang Wen-sheng (莊文生), an assistant professor in the Department of Cultural Assets and Reinvention at Fo Guang University in Jiaoxi and founder of a cultural and historical research studio in Luodong. “It took time to change that and Yilan was a pioneer in doing so.”

Another groundbreaking move was the establishment in 1992 of the Institute of Yilan County History, the nation’s first county- or city-level body specializing in the collection, research and promotion of local historical materials. Zhuang, a member of the institute’s documents committee, said Yilan City has a rich past with much to be explored in such quarters as the downtown area, which was surrounded by defensive walls in the 19th century during Qing rule of the then Kavalan prefecture.

While the fortifications have disappeared, the area’s ample history is readily apparent owing to a number of centuries-old temples. The district is also home to numerous master craftspeople such as woodcarver Cai Rong-xing (蔡榮興‬) and pastry chef Xue Wen-min (薛文敏), whose family business has been operating for about 130 years. Together with more than 20 other artisans, these talents are included in a craft network promoted by the CAB since 2010 to attract visitors to traditional businesses.

Community Regeneration

Zhuang is helping train tour guides under a MOC program aimed at fostering awareness of local history. Among the topics highlighted in Yilan is the development of the Dongshan River, located nearby NCTA.

According to Zhuang, a management project for the river launched in the 1980s marked a turning point for the county in terms of cultural awareness, environmental protection and tourism promotion. “This initiative resulted from wide-ranging dialogue between the public and private sectors, and featured extensive involvement of neighboring communities,” he said. Results of the regeneration program include Dongshan River Water Park, site of the Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival. Launched in 1996, the event has grown into one of the county’s foremost attractions.

This summer celebration is complemented by Happy Yilan Year, a weeklong event to mark the advent of Lunar New Year. The latest edition took place in February at Chung Hsing Cultural and Creative Park in Wujie. The facility, established in 1935, was formerly one of the largest paper-making factories in East Asia.

Further restoration work, as well as talent cultivation projects, is set to be launched at the park under the urban-rural portion of the central government’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, a comprehensive initiative aiming to address Taiwan’s key infrastructure needs over the next 30 years. The urban-rural component is intended to upgrade quality of life in mid-level cities and townships nationwide.

“We’re cooperating closely with the MOC and Ministry of Economic Affairs on fostering local cultural resources and related business opportunities,” Lee said. “These efforts will not simply focus on organizing events, but strengthening people’s connection with their native land.”

Write to Pat Gao at cjkao@mofa.gov.tw