Taoyuan Mayor Chang Shan-Cheng attended the opening ceremony of the “2023 Taoyuan Land Art Festival” in Longtan District this morning (August 1). Mayor Chang said that the Taoyuan Land Art Festival, now in its 11th year, has gained a prestigious reputation in Taiwan. This year's festival, themed “Taoyuan Liau Liau (Taoyuan Playfully),” has invited numerous artists from home and abroad, as well as local residents, schools, temples, and more, to create a variety of captivating landscape artworks. The festival has organized the “Longtan Exhibition Area” (exhibition dates: 8/4-8/20) around Longtan Lake, the Old Street area and Longtan Sports Park. In addition, a “Qingpu Exhibition Area” (Exhibition dates: 8/11-10/15) will be set up in conjunction with the upcoming “2023 Hakka Expo”. The aim is to attract the participation of people from all over the world to facilitate the successful international expansion of the “Taoyuan Land Art Festival” and make it a source of pride for both Taiwan and Taoyuan.
Mayor Chang noted that the first Taoyuan Land Art Festival was held in 2013 and featured the iconic “Yellow Rubber Duck” artwork, which has since gained widespread recognition. He believes that the festival will continue to improve and attract even more visitors in the future. The theme of this year's festival, “Taoyuan Liau Liau,” is a Hakka word that invites everyone to come and explore Taoyuan. Therefore, in addition to static exhibitions, the Department of Cultural Affairs has planned a series of activities, including large-scale performances and DIY workshops. The public is welcome to visit Taoyuan, have a good time and get to know the local culture.
The Longtan Exhibition Area of this year's festival is centered around Longtan Lake, marking the first entrance into the old town area of Longtan. The Qingpu Exhibition Area is in line with the cultural and scenic area of the Hakka Expo. Renowned artist Steven Harrington has also been invited to create exhibition pieces featuring his signature dog character “Mello”. For more details about the event, please visit the official Taoyuan Land Art Festival website at https://www.taoyuanlandart.com.tw/en/.