Introduction
The ceramic industry in Yingge began thanks to the local natural soil, and the ceramics products and the clean environment not only makes this town the hometown of ceramics in Taiwan but also a popular destination. The “Yingge Ceramics Festival” attracts numerous visitors each year and promotes this art to the world through cultural, recreational, and educational activities.
Activities:
1. Mascot Design
Creative workers are invited in this brain-storming session to design a mascot, including the actual model and description that best depicts Yingge and its local industries.
2. Parade in the Opening Ceremony
This fun and exciting parade prepares the visitors for the “2009 0Yingge Ceramics Festival – Ceramic Art.” The parade teams use environmental-friendly banners made of recycled optical disks, cardboard boxes, and water bottles to make this event even more creative.
3. Yingge Old Street Concert
Famous singers and groups will be invited to give live performance in the Old Street where the public would not only get to look at ceramic art pieces but also enjoy a delightful musical party.
4. Outdoor Coffee Fair
Besides ceramic stores, Yingge’s Old Street also has many ceramic studios, workshops, and even outdoor coffee shops are opened during the event so the visitor can enjoy beautiful music and delightful coffee in the relaxing Old Street.
5. Visiting Kilns
Yingge’s kilns have demonstrated extraordinary life and creativity during their transformations. Kilns are now open to tourists in order to complement the development of the ceramic culture, demonstrate the modern ceramic industry, introduce new designs, and satisfy the demand of tourism.
7. Related Performances
During the event there will be related performances such as creative painting, mosaic brick-making, cooking competitions, and
group performances.
8. Closing Ceremony
To encourage participation, the winner of the mascot design and the exceptional group performers will be awarded.
Purpose
Yingge’s Old Street has been the origin of the local ceramic industry for more than 200 years. The “Yingge Ceramics Festival”
encourages local ceramic artists to innovate their works, put new energy in the industry, promote the culture and life-style of
ceramics, and demonstrate everyday ceramic objects. In addition, this event stimulates creativities and promotes related education and research in the wish of making Yingge the leader of ceramic art.
Local Attractions
Yingge Old Street
Yingge’s Old Street is located around Jianshanpu Rd. and is the origin of the local ceramic industry and businesses. Being
restructured in 2000, the Old Street now has a Fujian-styled red brick building and a Yingge Bird made of iron at the entrance. The curvy Jianshanpu Rd. is now a straight and paved trail, which now has a 330 walking area; the old ceramic workshops on the two sides are renovated and turned into retail shops. Other new features include a unified style of streetlamps, brown canopies, red-brick patterns, greeneries, ceramic seats, and ceramic garbage bins.
Yingge Ceramic Museum
The 1.2 hectare Yingge Ceramic Museum is the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to ceramics and mainly designed to exhibit, store, research, and promote Taiwanese ceramics. It engages in international academic exchange, studies, and education, promote industrial upgrades, and take Taiwan’s modern ceramic art to the world stage. In the Ceramic Park are the “Pool” by an American ceramic artist, ceramic seats designed by a famous Taiwanese ceramic artist, educational material regarding the history of Taiwan’s ceramic industry, and the green trees and slopes, making it a great place to visit for the whole family.
Yingge Rock
Legend has it that long ago there was a giant bird preying upon the locals and was finally shot down by General Zheng Cheng-Gong with an arrow. The giant bird turned into a huge rock on the hill, which is the Yingge Rock we see today. The deep cave (now sealed) inside Yingge Rock is deep and mysterious, bringing this quiet town Yingge, a sense of mystery and making the Rock an important landmark in this area.
