Penghu Caijian Oyster Shell Art Community Introduction
Penghu Caiyuan is located southeast of Magong. The environment of Caiyuan is naturally shaped by the inner bay, forming a semi-enclosed sea area that is sheltered from typhoons and unaffected by the northeast monsoon. With no sources of artificial pollution nearby, it is an excellent aquaculture area. In 1920, Japanese people cultivated pearls in the waters from Caiyuan Fishing Port to Shuanggangzi. Oyster farming began in 1970 and initially involved shallow water trials using stakes. After the county government implemented coastal oyster farming promotion plans in 1973, they adopted Japanese shallow-sea farming methods, using bamboo poles to create racks and suspending oyster seedlings. Through technical exchanges and experience accumulation, a deep-sea longline farming method was developed. This method allows oysters to grow rapidly and produce plump meat, leading to great market response and demand. Consequently, many local residents were driven to engage in oyster farming, providing additional family processing jobs and creating a prosperous scene in Caiyuan. In 2015, the Ministry of Culture launched the "Youth Village Culture Action Plan." Local volunteer Huang Shuting participated in the project "Penghu Caiyuan Oyster Shell Art Community," winning an award in the micro-industry category, making her the only award recipient in all of Penghu. Upholding the concept of recycling, she used discarded oyster shells as the main material for creating installation art, solving the problem of accumulated oyster shells that troubled the residents of Caiyuan. Various large-scale animal public art pieces were created from the oyster shells, transforming what was once considered waste into beautiful works of art. These creatively designed large oyster shell installations are located next to the activity center of Caiyuan Community. They are colored and assembled zodiac animals made from cleaned and dried oyster shells. Currently, there are four zodiac animals: Dragon, Tiger, Chicken, and Ox, standing majestically in various corners of Caiyuan Recreational Area. Besides the zodiac animals, there is also an oyster shell wall that produces beautiful sounds as the shells gently collide in the breeze. In addition to large animal art installations like "Golden Rooster at Dawn" and "Tiger Speeds Through the Wind," local mothers in the Caiyuan community classroom also promote the creation of various small art pieces using oyster shells or decorate local walls and pavilions with painted oyster shells. The images pieced together from oyster shells depict the farming life of the villagers in Caiyuan, showing that oysters are not just delicious delicacies but a complete recycling resource, highlighting the unique features of Caiyuan community at every street corner. 【Recommended stay time】 1 hour
Chicken-shaped oyster shell installation art
Oyster shell wall made of hanging oyster shells
