Chenglong Wetland・A Flowing Feast of Arts

The Chenglong Wetland is located on the coast of Taiwan, where the over-extraction of groundwater has resulted in land subsidence and seawater intrusion on farmlands. The village has lost its vitality due to mas-sive rural flight, aging, and economic recession.

In 2010, the government launched an environmental art project and invited artists from around the world to move in, use the local natural resources, and create environmental installation art pieces jointly with the local residents. A Flowing Feast of Arts, which was held in 2022, moved performance arts out of the theater and into the natural environment, where the vitality of Chenglong Wetland was manifested. The eco-dining table event promoted the local industry with dishes made from seasonal local ingredients.

The two-day event attracted 5,000 participants and generated a tourism economy worth NT$2,500,000 despite the tourism downturn caused by the pandemic. The combination of ecology and art brought public attention to environmental issues, brought new hope to the Chenglong Wetland, created a local economic boost, and became a sustainable art village with “ecological conservation and artistic and cultural roots”.