202411/08
Starting from Taijiang and ending at the main peak of Jade Mountain, the Mountains to Sea National Greenway is a 177-kilometer-long corridor that offers an iconic long-distance walking experience in Taiwan. Starting from 2018, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) joined forces with 14 central government agencies and local governments to set up a platform for implementing the project. This visionary project was completed in 2021. To present the diverse landscapes of the Mountains to Sea National Greenway to people across Taiwan, the FANCA meticulously organized the exhibition Hike and Seek: Mountains to Sea National Greenway, which had its grand opening at the century-old dormitory Conservation Station on November 9, 2024. The FANCA collaborated with 10 groups of artists to present creative renditions of the landscapes along the route.
The Mountains to Sea National Greenway links the history of the Kingdom of Tungning with the founding of present-day Taiwan. It represents the convergence and coexistence of different ethnic groups such as the Tsou, Siraya, and Han Chinese peoples. Spatially, it traverses three national scenic areas, two national parks, two forest areas (Chiayi and National Taiwan University Experimental Forest), as well as the water resource management areas of four major rivers (Yanshui River, Tsengwen River, Gaoping River, and Zhoshui River). Enabling the public to fathom such vast abundance of natural and cultural resources is an important challenge for the platform after the completion of the Greenway integration.
To this end, in collaboration with the CMP PUJEN Foundation for Arts and Culture, the FANCA curated and launched Hike and Seek: Mountains to Sea National Greenway, leveraging participating artists’ expertise and talent. Through the inspiration they gained from their perceptions of the Greenway after visiting in person, the artists transformed vast and complex scientific knowledge, natural observations, and information on culture and local customs into cross-domain creative concepts easily understandable by the general public. The creativity, impact, and appeal of the works can reach a wider base of Taiwanese nature lovers.
Hike and Seek: Mountains to Sea National Greenway will be held from November 9, 2024 to May 11, 2025 at the Conservation Station, a century-old dormitory of the FANCA. The exhibition was produced by 10 groups of artists, who use various creative formats such as embroidering, metalsmithing, and scent-making to deliver an immersive art journey in the 132 m² space of the hundred-year-old Forestry Division dormitory of the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office from the Japanese colonial era. The Mountains to Sea National Greenway, which spans from 0 to 3,952 meters above sea level, is condensed to showcase the natural environments and cultures of Taiwan, creating an exhibition experience that spans different eras and pleases all members of the public.
The exhibition begins in the “National History” area, where the features of the Greenway and the history of Taijiang are conveyed. Visitors can view the whirlpool of Xikou Little Switzerland—an eco-friendly yarn version made of recycled oyster shells which patterns portray the legends of the Tsou people. Visitors can also experience the serenity of the bamboo forests and the atmosphere of the Tefuye Historic Trail; or marvel at the beauty of the light-and-shadow play of animals displayed in paper sculptures and metalsmithing, and the hanging embroidery depicting the peaks of the Jade Mountain Range. Photographic works in the exhibition capture the natural landscapes, while the mountain cabin model invites visitors to pause and imagine the thrill of hiking. Everyone is invited to make a reservation and set out on this artistic journey connecting the mountains and the sea.
Lin Hwa-Ching, Director General of the FANCA, said that he would like to thank the National Development Council’s guidance and promotion of the 14 agencies’ input, as well as the support of civil organizations such as the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association (TMI Trail) and the Taijiang Branch of the Tainan Community University. Thanks to their joint efforts, the Mountains to Sea National Greenway has gone through the process of route alignment, indicator setup, website building, and passport and stamp issuance for promotional activities. In 2022, the Mountains to Sea National Greenway entered into a Friendship Trail partnership with Canada’s Bruce Trail Conservancy. The Greenway is making headway in providing visitors with a friendly experience, fostering local economic development, and broadening international horizons. In the future, there will be collaborations with enterprises to promote ESG programs, as to become a demonstration site for the implementation of natural carbon sinks and biodiversity conservation.
Three lectures will be arranged during the exhibition, inviting embroidery artist phytooo, adventure expert Snowy Ram, and curator Lin Hsin-Tiean to share their embroidery techniques, outdoor travel experiences, and stories of their visits to the Mountains to Sea National Greenway. Everyone is invited to visit the exhibition. Using art as a signpost to play this game of Hike and Seek, embark on a 177-kilometer journey to find, rediscover, and explore your bond with nature.
Exhibition Information
Hike and Seek: Mountains to Sea National Greenway will be running from November 9, 2024 to May 11, 2025 at the FANCA Conservation Station (No. 24, Lane 203, Sec. 2, Jinshan S. Road, Da’an District, Taipei City). The opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 11:00 to 18:00 daily. Admission to the exhibition is free, but in order to protect the exhibition venue’s monument features and the unique value of the works, admission number is limited and on-site registration is required. Visitors can go to the Conservation Station from 11:00 on any day since the exhibition opening to obtain a numbered ticket and enter the exhibition in accordance with the scheduled order of admission (last admission time 17:05). The public is requested to cooperate with the following: children under age 12 must be accompanied by a parent; the venue is small and narrow, so bags larger than A4-size must be put in lockers at the entrance; visitors need to take off their shoes and wear socks to protect the floor. For more information, please refer to the Facebook fanpage and website of the FANCA, 0km and the Mountains to Sea National Greenway.