Objectives

The Annual Cultural Event - New Taipei City Tamsui International Environmental Art Festival

The natural landscape of Tamsui provides nonstop inspiration for artists, attracting countless artists to live here. The abundant cultural heritage also makes Tamsui a world-famous scenic spot. Since 2008 "Tamsui Art - Dance the Streets Away" has successfully gathered local artists, schools, communities and clubs to demonstrate the unlimited vitalities and features of Tamsui and has officially put Tamsui Art Festival on the map. During the process of interacting among local artists and people in communities, residents are able to experience the unlimited energies when art interacts with the environment; the art festival has continued to be held in 2009 and 2010 with the participation of professional performing groups abroad, brining the multi-national perspectives into Tamsui and allowing for Tamsui to demonstrate its abundant art energies to the world.

After being elevated to New Taipei City, in addition to including the participation of local communities and art as the main focus of Tamsui International Environmental Arts Festival, the performances brought by domestic and foreign professional performing groups are brought in. By using natural sceneries and cultural and artistic aspects as the background, the amazing results like the previous Let's Art and the Legend of the Sino-French War continue, allowing the performances by domestic and foreign performing groups to go deeper into the communities and schools and engage in interaction with residents and students. Through using various Tamsui streets as background, shows are integrated into every corner of Tamsui streets to create an atmosphere that art is everywhere in Tamsui as well as a city image that surprises are everywhere in Tamsui so that every visitor and resident is able to feel the artistic atmosphere in Tamsui.

Introduction

* "Tamsui, Dream, Flying Boat" -Joyful Opening

At 15:30-16:10 on 10/15 (Saturday), No.9 Square of Tamsui MRT Station carrying the joy of harvest with the literature landscapes of Tamsui corresponding to the city's dream is about to set sail again! Lessons are taken from the nature where mountains are calm and rivers tolerate to create art in the natural environment and to demonstrate art and vitalities of Tamsui's friendliness toward the environment with sedentary, multiple shows. On the day of the opening, domestic and foreign groups gather to work with local art groups for embarking this annual event and demonstrating the gentle allures of Tamsui!

* Let's Art Street - The Amazing Cruise of Tamsui Old Street

At 16:00-18:00 on 10/15(Saturday), starting from Tamsui MRT Station to "Image of a Sea Harbor" of Tide Observation Art Square, old habit of parading streets is broken. Instead of different teams, 5 custom-made meaningful ships of creativity are made based on the process of how every idea is created through communications among groups, citizens and artists. They are "Harvest that represents the prosperity of Tamsui's ship business and the allure of the small town", "Life that represents the origin of the riverside crib and symbol of abundant ecology", "Sustainability that features environment conservation and resource reengineering and is full of the implication of rebirth and technologies", "Happiness that represents romanticism and love under the beautiful view of the setting sun", and "Peace that is extended from The Legend of the Sino-French War, remembering our ancestors while telling the history". The parade not only connects in an open, interesting and easy way, but also expands its scale to create and realize a life adventure with residents, creating the climax of this fantasy.

* Tamsui Art Stream - Shows by both domestic and foreign art groups

At 16:00-18:00 on 10/16(Sunday), at No. 9 Square of Tamsui MRT Station, This year, the organizer invites top art groups from Holland, Spain, UK, US, and Thailand to not only fully combine "people" , "art" and "environment" but also make the best use of various space in Tamsui to bring audience diverse performances that include pantomime, creative aesthetics that is environmental friendly, traditional folk art, creative drumming, stilt stunts, flamenco, etc. to care for environment, people and thoughts for life and to demonstrate art interaction that is lively and lucid, creating an art atmosphere with the audience. Art is used as a lead to ignite resplendent sparks among different cultures of various nations.

* The Legend of the Sino-French War - An Environmental Theater

At 19:00-20:30 on 10/22(Saturday) and 23(Sunday),. The innovative big scale acted via the Environmental Theater - the Legend of the Sino-French War is performed in Huwei Fort Park where the real Sino-French War took place, reproducing the history and legend of the War. It not only caught the national attentions, received great responses and recognition but also made to top 10 annual art events. is an epic drama collaborated by governmental departments, professional art groups and local people. It has successfully set the first example that numerous first-time actors participated in art performance. Moreover, landscapes, history and a legend are melted in a pot called theater to create an epic drama especially for Tamsui.

* Art Day Trip - Art Corner Performances

At 16:00-18:00 on 10/21(Friday), 22(Saturday), 23(Sunday), 28(Friday), 29(Saturday) and at 15:30-18:30 on 10/30(Sunday), . At Zhongzheng Tourist Market (the square of Fuyu Temple), different highlight activities in a time span of 6 days are held at Tide Observation Art Square, Tamsui Church (Art Corridor), urban spaces such as lanes and alleys, squares, and street corners, creating new depth of art environment unique to Tamsui. Scouting talents from local people with Tamsui streets as the main stage, an atmosphere is created to lead the audience to take part in the show and to express their charms with the outstanding people of Tamsui.

* The Extension of Dreams - Special Exhibition of Arts Festival

At 9:30-18:00 from 10/8 (Saturday) to 10/30(Sunday) in Tamsui Art Gallery, dreams come from the wonderful imagination of future! For the past 3 years, with the enthusiastic participation and support of Tamsui people, everlasting and glorious memories are created each year. This year, "retrospective exhibition" is done for the first time to demonstrate the unchainted creativity and vitalities of Tamsui fully. The contents of the exhibition include visual-art works, exquisite props, etc. and people in the community are the tour guides of this activity. Through in-depth discussion of multi-aspects, and learning and experiencing on site, dreams sprout and grow in the hearts of more people.

About the Activity

* Trioligy of Light River Reaction - Installation Art Exhibition

10/15(Saturday)-10/30(Sunday) whole day at Tamsui Old Street (Zhongzheng Road): Light along the Tamsui River is the setting sun, symbolizing the unique allure of Tamsui; the river is the one that nurtures the abundant culture and history of the area for this long period of time. This year, art works "Resting in Bamboo Forest - Flowers Everywhere" by Pan Yu-You, "The Beautiful Era" by He Jia-Shin and "The River Joins" by Ruiwen will be exhibited and sustainability of art works is combined with the environment as a start to reinterpret this organic life form of Tamsui. Let's immerse in lanes and alleys and in-between the new and the old, undergo the light river reaction of culture, environment and life.

* Campus Art Tour

10/17(Monday), 18(Tuesday), 25(Tuesday), 27(Thursday): Tuenshan Elementary School, Tiansheng Elementary School, Dunggong Elementary School, Zhuwei Elementary School, and Tamsui Elementary introduce domestic and foreign performing art to schools as an extension of art education. With up close contacts and interaction, kids in Tamsui can further appreciate and experience art and by opening up the door for international art, kids will be inspired for multi-aspect creativity and cultivation.

* "Navigated by Dreams, Hopes Fly"- Reclaim the Power to Dream

10/30(Sunday) 18:30-20:10 Tide Observation Art Square gets rid of the burden of "art" to allow professional performers, people in communities and audience performing together. Live music, human bodies and big puppets integrate with the atmosphere of the site to create a visual perception that is non-single angle and rich. Hopefully, it raises the long-forgotten yearnings for hope in people and embarks a trip of meeting with hopes to allow performers getting close to the audience through the performance, to influence their hearts, to open the new connections and new horizons for each other and to empower them to dream again, leaving new interpretation of "Hopes Fly" for the entire festival. Through the entire activity, artists-in-school and community policy combining with resident participation to achieve the goal of having art and culture atmosphere everywhere, improving citizen participation and inducing visitors to recognize culture of New Taipei city in order to build cultural features of the community. In addition, Tamsui International Arts Festival also attaches great importance on art education promotion and cultural creativity industry nurturing. It not only has successfully shaped the city image but also established itself to be the most representative culture and art festival of the New Taipei City with activities of local characteristics combining with its healthy city policy, creative city development and connecting with Tamsui cultural assets and cultural tourism resources.

Local Highlights

Yu Kuang-Chung once asked : "If there is a war in the distance, should I cover my ears or sit up and listen guiltily?" Huwi Cannon Fort is at the first post of Five Tiger Hill. Climbing up to the fort, the exit of Tamsui River comes to view and Guandu Bridge stands in the distance. Huwei Cannon Fort was built after the Sino-French War. The then provincial governor Liu Ming-Chuan acquired the advantages of western military and hired a German technician to oversee the building of the port. Using western forts as the basis, it was built in 1886. The rectangular fort sits in the north and faces the south with most of its part being hidden from sight. The platform and walls were made of expensive iron cement. The 2 forts in Huwei, "North Gate Key" and "East Protection", no longer exist now; what left now are their bases without cannons as if still exhibiting weakly the glories they once had. Huwei Cannon Fort, after its completion, was never actually used in a war, thus, it has become the only surviving fort built by Liu Ming-Chuan during his time as the provincial governor of Taiwan. It is listed as the 2nd grade historical site by the Ministry of Interior and now is open to the public.

The river of time can not wash away the sedimented memories. The advantages of location of Tamsui River between mountains and a river have prompted the development of the Golden Coast. Recreational functions are featured from Guandu Bridge to small fishing ports providing riverside, tree trails, markets, a water stage, etc along its trail. Visitors can either see the Guanyin Mt. and estuary in the distance or enjoy the beautiful sceneries of the pier or the riverside. When the sun goes down, sunshine on the Tamsui River dissolves in the water, constructing a view of light gold and earns itself a reputation of "Tamusi Sunset". The beautiful riverside located here also earns a romantic reputation of , complementing with the scenery of Hongshulin nearby. The old street on the riverside is designed with dot-like space. In recent years, bike paths have been built along the Hongshulin Ecological Area to the Fishermen's Wharf. While visiting here, you can either ride on a bike to enjoy the breeze caressing your face or stop wherever and whenever you like to experience the cultural characteristics here.

On the river shore between Tamsui and Zhuwei lies the biggest area of "kandelia" in the world. In the reserved area, you can not only get to know the special and interesting "viviparous" process of kandelia, but also observe various fiddler crabs, water birds and mudskippers there. Also in the area, there is a bike path from Tamsui to the Hongshulin MRT Station, and an exhibition hall in the MRT Station by the Forestry Bureau. The Exhibition Hall exhibits many photos and multi-medias. Through the large glass window inside the hall, the biggest kandelia forest hall in the world is showcased. Tamsui Honshulin has become the most easy-accessed classroom of natural ecology.