Little Town Craftsman - Yilan Railway Station Cultural Base Introduction
The location of the base is within the "Goldfish Community" (Lan Cheng Alley Limited) of the local revitalization team. For the past ten years, this place has served as the venue for the Toucheng Old Street Cultural and Arts Festival, the National Development Council's Youth Empowerment Station, and the Ministry of Education's youth learning gathering points. It has long hosted activities such as revitalization sharing, entrepreneurship training, and cultural experience workshops. 1. Returning youth rescue an old house about to be demolished, becoming a hub for local revitalization. In 2015, returning youth Peng Renhong learned that the 60-year-old residence of former town mayor Qiu Jinyu was about to be demolished. He used his first bucket of money saved from military service to rent it and established "Goldfish Community" as a field for old house regeneration and community practice, calling on young people to return home and focus on the issues of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). With the "Good Neighbor" spirit, it links local people, land, and production, exploring the charm and characteristics of local town brands, becoming an important intermediary organization in Toucheng. It discovers local characteristics, builds local networks through curated art festivals, and creatively translates various value co-creation models of the place. 2. Marketing Toucheng through art festival activities, achieving success over nearly a decade. The nine sessions of the "Toucheng Old Street Cultural and Arts Festival" aim to create artistic co-creation exchanges between local artisans and residents. Step by step, it connects the relatively declining communities, industries, and attractions, constructing local community networks, uncovering local issues, creating more opportunities for local interactions, and gradually increasing the visibility of the town. In 2023, based on fieldwork experiences, it published the book "The Daily Life of Craftsmen: Toucheng Craftsmen's Journal" to showcase the results of co-management with local artisans over the years. The old mayor's meeting lounge has now become a gathering place for local artisans to discuss cooperation and the transmission of skills, allowing Toucheng to develop its unique highlights characterized by artisan craftsmanship and folk culture, making it a station for both domestic and foreign artists in residence. Therefore, we hope to establish a multifunctional cultural base called "Craftsmen of the Small Town - Art Station Toucheng" at Goldfish Community during this cultural base selection, making it the first stop for visitors to Toucheng. 3. To understand Toucheng, start with the artisans of various trades. Toucheng is the northernmost town in Yilan County, serving as the gateway to the area and one of the earliest regions settled by Han Chinese in the Lanyang Plain. In 1796, Wu Sha successfully invaded and established a Han settlement called "Toucheng," beginning development; Wushih Harbor was established as an official port, bringing prosperity. Religious temples are bustling with activity; in terms of education and culture, talents in Chinese poetry, painting, and calligraphy are abundant, and local operas are vibrant. All trades are represented, laying the foundation for common people's lives during the Qing Dynasty. Today, Toucheng is gradually experiencing population decline, cultural decay, and the gradual loss of traditional skills. However, it can leverage the foundation left by past craftsmen and the rich mountain and sea street environment to raise more awareness among the people through local artisans, as common people's craftsmanship is an important cultural asset of Toucheng, and artisans are key. To delve deeper into Toucheng's long-buried cultural heritage, one must approach from the perspective of living skills. We hope to explore common people's culture and allow more people to experience "how Toucheng residents live," fostering a deeper love for Toucheng and encouraging them to move there.
Slash Career Exhibition
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Cultural Experience of Mindful Calligraphy Teaching Led by Master Kang Runzhi, the Fourth Generation of the Kang Family Calligraphy in Toucheng.
