REFINERY HAS A SWEET CULTURE VIBE

A young voice echoes throughout Taiwan’s arts and culture scene.

Abandoned warehouses fuse with the natural environment, such as the former Rende Sugar Refinery turned Ten Drum Culture Village, Tainan.

The refinery was founded in 1901 and is one of 42 in the country. Only two still operate.

Today in a darkened, intimate room, water laps at the ankles of performers who masterfully combine dance, martial arts, theatre and music to emote stories of battle, love, nature and history. Water buckets down over them as woodwind pierces the beating drums. A light fabric captures a projection of colour and movement, illustrating spring’s arrival.

Among the performers is Stuart Chung who at 25 is a 10-year veteran of the drum, “It is a very positive experience for me,” he explains.

Re-purposed warehouses scatter Taiwan as the government actively encourages the cultural lifelines and tourist attractions.

Similarly, greenery swallows the Songshan Tobacco Plant, Taipei. Open courtyards link buildings packed with libraries, shared spaces, interactive displays, photography, paintings and fashion exhibitions.

Social worker Ice Leng walks me through children’s work curated by the Futon Cultural and Educational Foundation to give young people a “voice” via multimedia and art.

Through her photography, Yung Chin-wei, 17, of central Taiwan, shares local woodworkers’ labour of love – some of their pieces help form her display.