Shimmering Waves, Graceful White Shadows (Geoscape Art Festival - The Egret) Introduction
The ponds are a prominent natural landscape in Fugang, and the irrigation canals are a unique topography of the Taoyuan area. Originally developed for agricultural irrigation needs, the ponds serve not only agricultural functions but also provide a rich food source with fish and shrimp, creating an excellent environment that attracts birds for foraging and nesting. There exists a close symbiotic relationship between agriculture, ponds, and natural ecology. In recent years, due to declining agriculture, fallow land, and land development, the number of ponds has significantly decreased, and habitat destruction has also led to a decline in bird populations, causing the picturesque rural landscape, once a collective memory for residents, to gradually disappear. The work "Shimmering Waves, Fluttering White Shadows" by Professor Xu Zongjie uses the white egret, which coexists with ponds, as a prototype. In early agricultural societies, the white egret was regarded as a guardian of crops and a symbol of good fortune in rural areas, accompanying farmers who worked from sunrise to sunset. During the spring plowing and autumn harvest, the white egret could be seen leisurely walking and foraging behind water buffaloes (iron cattle), resembling a serene and content countryside landscape. Since ancient times, the snow-white figure of the white egret has been a source of inspiration for poets and scholars. For instance, Li Bai from the Tang Dynasty poetically describes the graceful, elegant posture of the white egret in "The White Egret": "The white egret descends into the autumn waters, flying alone as if fallen from the frost. My heart lingers and has not yet left, standing alone by the sandbank." The artwork reaches a height of eight and a half meters, creating a visual focus within the flat pond landscape, attracting the attention of those driving on the outer ring road or taking the TRA train through Fugang. It is located on the slope path connecting the upper and lower ponds, utilizing the unique environmental characteristics of the ponds to create picturesque reflections on the water's surface. This allows the public to leisurely appreciate both the artwork and its reflection from different angles along the lakeside trail. The action of the white egret foraging cleverly links the visuals of the upper and lower ponds through the artwork, enhancing the overall integrity of the scenic area of Sanlian Ponds as the work naturally integrates into the pond landscape. The Fugang region is characterized by a plateau topography, with the installation point adjacent to the ponds. The surrounding terrain is gentle, but strong northeast monsoons prevail, so the open design of the artwork not only reduces weight and wind threat but also maintains visual transparency and lightness. Its towering scale provides good viewing conditions while creating a stark visual contrast with human proportions, highlighting the insignificance of humanity and the need for humility toward nature. Historically, Fugang was a remote farming village until the establishment of the Bugonggang Station after the northward extension of the North-South Railway in the fourth year of the Showa era during Japanese rule, at which point the area gradually developed into a town. Commercial activities began to cluster near the old street. The railway construction not only improved transportation in the Fugang area but also led to more diverse industrial development possibilities due to the establishment of new factories in the future. As with this public art project, local elements from Fugang were chosen as the spirit of the installation, combined with the regional landscape, aiming to bring a sense of memory and fresh cultural vitality to the people of Fugang through the symbiotic white egret. (Source: Cultural Affairs Bureau of this government)
