Taoyuan Land Art Festival's "Thousand-Person Stone Weir Building" on the 11th lets people experience early fishing

Organized by the Taoyuan City Government and undertaken by the Department of Cultural Affairs, the 2016 Taoyuan Land Art Festival opened lively on September 9 and attracted people from all over to participate. The Land Art Festival integrates artworks with the local landscape, arousing people's concern for the environment and local cultural history. On September 11, the "Thousand-Person Stone Weir Building" was led by the local "Taoyuan City Xinwu District Hometown Love Association," bringing together local residents and students, and on the day of the event the mayor and event participants were invited to jointly complete the final "Thousand-Person Stone Weir Building" feat. It is hoped that through holding this event, the life of the stone weirs can be continued, more people can be attracted to participate in the restoration work of Xinwu's stone weirs, and the local intangible cultural heritage can be passed on.

Mayor Zheng Wencan emphasized that Xinwu is known as a "land of fish and rice" and a "rice granary," and is also an important fishing base. Fishing with stone weirs was the way of life of the ancestors. Today, through the thousand-person stone weir building movement, marine education is conveyed, allowing citizens to get closer to stone weir culture, and enabling this cultural asset to be effectively preserved. This year's Land Art Festival at Xinwu Yong'an Fishing Harbor features a total of 16 works, including Lin Shunlong's "Eternal Sea," Fan Jiang Mingdao's "Stone Weir People," and Xu Minsheng's "Many Thanks, Many Crabs." The "Thousand-Person Stone Weir Building" can also be said to be a piece of performance art, jointly created by the public over the past two months, letting the world see the beauty of Xinwu's stone weirs.

The event allowed the public to personally experience stone weir construction and understand the hardships and life wisdom of the ancestors. In addition to the stone weir building activity, the Land Art Festival also held 7 sessions of "Grandpa Stone Weir Tells Stories" and experience activities on September 16 at the Sea View Pavilion, allowing the public to experience and learn about local stone weir culture while enjoying the artworks.