Culture is the soul of the people. A people can only truly grow and prosper if they can preserve and pass down their culture. A modern nation must not only offer its citizens a material life free from poverty but also a healthy spiritual life. The Central Government therefore made a cultural center in every county and city one of the twelve national development projects launched in 1978.

Planning and construction commence on the county cultural center in 1978. The chosen site was located in the Meilun district of Hualien City and covered 4.4071 hectares. The completed complex consisting of the cultural museum and library were officially commissioned on December 25, 1983. The opening of the Performance Hall in March 1991 marked the completion of the cultural center's all three facilities. This allowed the center to focus fully on promoting the cultural development and in April 2000 it was elevated to the Cultural Affairs Bureau. The county hopes that the efforts of the Cultural Affairs Bureau together with the active participation of county residents will help create a "Polite, Ethical, Optimistic and Progressive" society.

Background:

Han settlers first began entering the Houshan area in Hualien County around 1812 (4th Year of the Jiacing Era). A road was built through Houshan in 1874 (13th Year of the Tongjhih Era) and an official presence established. Over a century later, Hualien's population has grown from consisting exclusively of indigenous Amis, Atayal, Bunun and Kavalan societies to include the Minnan and Hakka peoples as well as Chinese immigrants that arrived with the Nationalist government. Today, all the different ethnic groups live side by side in balance with each other while preserving their own unique culture and customs. These together with a natural landscape dominated by the mountains and the seas have resulted in rich cultural diversity. The slow pace of development, geographic isolation, poor transportation and long, narrow geography however made Hualien very insular. Long-term government neglect also hampered cultural development and the loss of cultural resources, weakening overall cultural consensus.

Current Status:

Art and cultural accomplishments in stone sculptures, literature and indigenous cultures have achieved widespread acclaim

Stone Sculpture:

Hualien County is rich in high quality quarries and has a well-developed stone processing industry. This has made sculpting in stone a very popular form of art in the county. Well-known local stone sculptors include Lin Cong-Huei, Liao Cing-Yun and Jhan Wun-Kuei. They have won countless awards and are famous both throughout Taiwan and around the world. New artists have followed in their footsteps, making stone sculptures the pride of Hualien County. The "International Stone Sculpture Festival" in particular has been successfully held on three occasions. They have not only won local and international recognition but also led to an unprecedented level of popularity for the art of stone sculpting. The opening of Asia's only Museum of Sculpture in 2001 together with the completion of the Bureau's County Stone Sculpture Scenic Park Program will help realize the objective of transforming Hualien into the stone sculpture capital of the world.

Literature:

Due to the picturesque landscape, rustic people and clean fresh air, many well-known literary figures consider Hualien to be the ideal place for writing. Top authors that have made their home here include Yang-Mu, Chen Li, Lin Yi-Yun, Ciou Rong-Hua, Ye Rih-Song, Yan Kun-Yang, Meng Dong-Li and CI Deng-Sheng. Between 1998 and 2000 the Cultural Affairs Bureau completed the collection "Hualien Literature" resources and hosted the 1st and 2nd "Hualien Literature Symposium". The Hualien Literature Fair and Hualien Literature Awards were held as part of the symposiums, drawing authors and participants from throughout Taiwan and around the world to Hualien.

Indigenous Culture:

The Amis, Atayal, Bunun and Kavalan tribes are an important part of the county's population. Their rich tribal cultures are one of the jewels of the county as well. The Bureau has launched a 5-year development plan to support local community development and strengthen their tribal heritage. These have now been coupled with private enterprise to become an important part of the county's cultural industry. Academics and experts have also been commissioned to publish a wide range of literature on the various ethnic groups. With the active support of the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA), a total and systemic development strategy is now being actively implemented.

Short, medium and long-term projects dedicated to cultural development

Apart from our excellent performance in certain artistic fields, the county's short, medium and long-term developments can generally be divided into the following areas:

We plan to build art performance centers and specialty museums in the northern and southern parts of the county to ensure the equal distribution of cultural resources. Hualien County is quite long and narrow. The only sizeable population centers are Hualien City and Ji-an township. The populations of the other 11 townships are all relatively scattered. Most of the significant cultural resources are clustered in Hualien City. Apart from small local libraries, there are virtually no other resources. This has led to a distinct lack of support for cultural activities in the county's south compared to the north. As a result, it's almost impossible for fine culture to survive in the rural areas. Though the Cultural Affairs Bureau organizes all kinds of touring art and cultural activities in an effort to bridge the cultural divide between the city and the countryside, these had minimal effect. Fortunately, the situation came to the attention of the CCA and grants were provided for building performance centers at Yuli and Fonglin. These have now entered service. A Hualien Hakka Culture Hall for the central district at Fonglin and an East Taiwan Gem Museum for the southern district at Yuli were also built. These developments aim to make the most use of local cultural resources and create new tourism resources as well.

Progressive completion of basic cultural infrastructure

Art and culture developed quite early in Hualien County. Literature in particular has produced many top authors. These included Luo Siang-lin in the early years, followed by Yang Mu and then contemporary authors such as Chen Li, all of whom are now renowned in literary circles. Talented artists have also emerged in other disciplines as well. Unfortunately, the government long neglected to set up a comprehensive and systemic register for basic cultural data such as cultural archives, cultural ecology assessments and medium/long-term cultural development plans. The general public therefore had only a vague appreciation of their vernacular heritage. This led to a lack of cultural self-confidence and weakened their bond with their homeland. To remedy this situation, the Bureau has with the support of annual grants from the CCA recorded and published parts of the county's resources in a systemic manner. This will be an on-going effort to help Hualien County residents understand their own vernacular cultural landscape.

Using social resources to build up consensus on cultural development

The lack of financial resources and interest in cultural development have been long-standing issues in Hualien County, leading to slow progress. To overcome this problem, the county has in recent years actively recruited the tourism industry and hotels to support cultural events and set up comprehensive volunteer schemes for various cultural developments. Our efforts have since been recognized by excellence in volunteering awards from the CCA.

Cultivating cultural self-initiative

Due to a lack of understanding on the importance of cultural development, this means existing local culture and new developments often wither on the vine. We therefore made use of community development projects, returning artist initiatives, the holiday culture plaza and community book clubs to encourage the rural population to become personally involved in cultivating their local cultural resources. These efforts proved quite successful.

Active support for local art groups and artists

Thanks to everyone's support, the arts are now thriving in Hualien County. Nevertheless, traditional heritage and new artistic developments still require support. We therefore provided grants and training to local art groups, assistance for groups with good performance records and set up various annual events. These not only led to the development of affiliated performance troupes and orchestras but also helped with performances and publications as well, allowing art to take root throughout the county.