Penghu Caiguan Oyster Shell Art Community Introduction
Penghu Caiyuan is located southeast of Magong. The bay environment in Caiyuan is naturally formed, making it a semi-enclosed sea area that is sheltered from typhoons and unaffected by the northeast monsoon; there are no artificial pollution sources nearby, making it an excellent area for aquaculture. In 1920, Japanese people cultivated pearls in the waters from Caiyuan Fishing Port to Shuanggangzi. Oysters were first cultivated in 1970, initially using shallow-water branch insertion for trial cultivation. After the county government implemented a coastal oyster farming promotion program in 1973, the Japanese shallow-water farming method was adopted, using bamboo frames to hang oyster seedlings. With technical exchanges and experience accumulation, the deep-sea long-line farming method was developed. This method allows oysters to grow quickly and results in plump oyster meat, leading to a great market response and demand exceeding supply. As a result, many local residents became involved in oyster farming, providing home processing side businesses and creating a thriving scene in Caiyuan. In 2015, the Ministry of Culture launched the "Youth Village Cultural Action Program," and community volunteer Huang Shuting participated with the "Penghu Caiyuan Oyster Shell Arts Community" project, winning an award in the micro-industry category, making her the only winner in all of Penghu. Upholding the concept of recycling, she created installation art using discarded oyster shells as the main material, solving the accumulation problem of oyster shells that troubled Caiyuan residents. Various large animal public art pieces were created by piecing together oyster shells, transforming what was once considered trash into beautiful art works. These creative large oyster shell installations are located next to the activity center of the Caiyuan community and consist of zodiac animals made from cleaned, dried, and painted oyster shells, currently featuring the dragon, tiger, chicken, and ox, standing majestically in various corners of the Caiyuan Recreation Area. Besides zodiac animals, there are oyster walls made of strung oyster shells, creating beautiful sounds as the shells clink against each other in the gentle breeze. In addition to large animal art installations like "Golden Rooster at Dawn" and "Tiger Roaring with Wind," local mothers' classes in the Caiyuan community promote the creation of various small art pieces using oyster shells, or decorating and painting walls with oyster shells in local walls and pavilions. The images pieced together from oyster shells reflect the agricultural life of the villagers in Caiyuan. This makes oysters not just a delicious delicacy but also a complete recycling process, allowing oyster shells to embellish the unique characteristics of the Caiyuan community at every street corner. 【Recommended Stay Duration】 1 hour
Chicken-shaped oyster shell installation art
Oyster wall made of hanging oyster shells
