TFAC 2 0 1 4

Eight thousand oyster shells used for decorating Cigus stunning Christmas Trees

Translated by Ching Chun Lin

To celebrate Christmas and the upcoming New Year, Cigu district office utilized its local junks which were the ubiquitous tossed oyster shells to decorate a white oyster shells Christmas tree erected in the square in front of the Ciqu district headquarter. Taiwans one and only Christmas tree laden with oyster shells lighting up Ciqus night sky has now become a popular tourist attraction. Cigu supervisor Chuang Minghao stated the five meters tall oyster shelled Christmas tree is a masterful design created by the renowned sculpture artist Yangming Jhong, an active member in the local and international sculpture community for twenty years whose work has been included in various landscape architectural design and planning throughout Taiwan. In addition a black-faced spoonbills miniature is placed on top of the Christmas tree as an ornament symbolizing Ciqu advancing towards 2014.

Exhibition Connecting People with Heaven

Translated by Polin Kuo

The Royal Lords () was one of the most commonly worshiped deities in Southwest Taiwan and Taiwanese people believed that the royal lords would prevent epidemic and cure diseases though plague expulsion (). Throughout the year, many local communities would hold festivals or rituals in different parts of Taiwan to summon deities such as the Royal Lords to ward off the evil spirits and expel the plague. Water: Staging the plague expulsion for Royal Lords During the ritual, water is an essential element for people to summon the Royal Lords from the seashores to expel plagues and repel evil for the community. Fire: The plague offering and the ritual of royal boat sending At the end of the ritual, fire is the fundamental power in sending the deities from mortal realm to heaven. The main idea is to invite deities patrol to the mortal realm to expel plagues and dispel evil. Heaven: Hunting tour on behalf of heaven In Taiwan, the Royal Lords express a wide variety of manifestation of deities and their stories. Those beliefs with customary practices were brought to Taiwan by early mainland immigrants and have developed into a range of new practices today responding to the new generation and diverse local characteristics. People: Praying for safety People show their respect towards deities and take part enthusiastically in public events. Those festivals and rituals which build the link between men and deities and strengthen societal cohesion are the important events in keeping those beliefs alive over the years.

Exhibition Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government launched the "Chen's point of view character poster exhibition"
Translated by Jeffery Kao Surging Waves- Chen's hundred and twentieth birthday East Asia Exhibition Tour is organized by fine arts in Taiwan and Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government. Starting from Jan 18th, 2014, its going to be held in Tainan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. The director of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government Yeh Je-Shan said, its Master Chens hundred and twentieth birthday next year. The tour is to celebrate and praise his great achievements. There are going to be 24 scenes of posters in each cities, total of 120 posters. The tour ends on Mar 30th, 2014. Yeh said, the tour includes watercolor, gouache, and calligraphy, total of 500 items, and 200 of them are portraits. Tainan is going to be the first stop, and each city will have its own point of view and angle from its curators.

Soundtrack of Director Wei Te-Shengs New Film to Debut at Countdown Celebration

Translated by Heng-Jui Chang

At the press conference held by Tainan City Government to plug the citys Countdown celebration, director Wei Te-Sheng said he would debut the soundtrack of his new film KANO at the rally. Following the example of last years Countdown Trilogy, this years countdown celebration sees the collaboration between Tainan City Government and the administrative offices of Southwest Coast National Scenic Area and Siraya National Scenic Area. The festivity will open with a farewell to 2013 at the Jingzaijiao salt pan in Beimen at sunset, 4:30 to 6 PM. The countdown rally begins at the High Speed Rail Tainan Station plaza at 6 PM and proceeds through 1 AM. After an intermission of four and a half hours, a ceremony from 5:30 to 7AM at the sun-gazing pavilion in Erliao, Juojhen district, will ring in the dawn of 2014. Mayor Lai Ching-Te said he recommends both the sunset at Jingzaijiao and the sunrise at Erliao, and insisted that the countdown rally be the most environmentally friendly of the country. In step with the lowcarbon green policies the government is pushing, traditional pyrotechnics will be replaced by a light show featuring dancing water, whose water would be recycled after the show. Director Wei Te-Sheng, who was the guest of honor at the press conference, said that many scenes in his new film, KANO, scheduled to be released in February, were taken in Tainan. The crew is working on the soundtrack at present, and would play its theme in full for the first time at the rally along with the trailer of the film.

Tainan Foreigner Assistance Centre

2F, No. 6, Sec. 2, Yonghua Rd., Anping Dist, Tainan City http://foreigner.tainan.gov.tw/en 06-299-1111 #8244 or 0800-024-111