Bamboo installations spotlight historic bridges

2015/11/12

A bamboo installation exhibition is underway at bridges in Taitung County, offering a fresh take on the historic structures and promoting the stunning natural landscapes in the northeastern part of the region.

Organized by the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the seven-month event features bamboo-weaving pieces by artists Kaling and Elen Luluwan from the Amis and Rukai indigenous ethnic groups, respectively.

ECNSAA Director Trust Lin said Nov. 9 that the event will build on the momentum of the first Taiwan Land Art Festival, which wrapped up Oct. 11 and proved popular with visitors and locals alike.

“We hope to sustain people’s interest in the combination of spectacular natural scenes and captivating works of art, as well as further promote these old bridges, which are listed as historic monuments by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture.”

Kaling’s contribution, titled “Progress,” is on display at Zhangyuan Bridge, which was constructed in 1986 near the Baxian Cave tourist spot. Visitors are encouraged to walk under the bamboo lattice artwork, which creates a time-tunnel effect as sunlight passes through it. Inspired by wave-cut caves, the piece also symbolizes the unceasing development of human civilization.

The name Zhangyuan refers to three parallel bridges over the Shuimuding River, with the 1937 original being the best preserved structure of its kind from the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945) in Taiwan. The newest of the three, opened in 1998, serves vehicles while the 1986 addition is now reserved for pedestrians.

Also on display is “Scenes in Travel” by Luluwan at the old Donghe Bridge rebuilt in 1953 near the estuary of Mawucu River. Featuring various colorful bamboo-woven spherical pieces, the artwork blends in perfectly with the surrounding landscape.

Completed in 1926, the forerunner of the bridge was made of Taiwan cypress and, at 127.3 meters, was the longest consturcted during the colonial era. When it was rebuilt, the original high towers at each end were preserved. It is now open only to pedestrians, with vehicles using a nearby structure erected in 1992.

“With this event running through May 31 next year, the administration is working with other local talents in hope of placing further artworks at spectacular natural sites,” Lin said.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=238741&ctNode=2194&mp=9)