Soulangh Cultural Park:
In the heart of the fertile Jianan Plains between historic Siraya National Scenic Area and ecologically rich Taijiang National Park, Soulangh Cultural Park arose from the former Jiali Sugar Factory. The Soulangh Cultural Park's revitalized Japanese era sugar refinery warehouses successfully merge historic architecture with modern design in an area rich in history, culture and agriculture. The park is a cultural stronghold for traditional performance and folk arts and is emerging as a modern art venue that promotes artistic growth.
Park History:
The Soulangh Sugar Factory, established in 1906, was the Meiji Sugar Corporation's first modern sugar refinery. After the war the Taiwan Provincial Office took control of all Japanese sugar corporations and began operation of the Soulangh Factory as the Taiwan Sugar Corporation's Third District Branch. In 1950 the factory came under the jurisdiction of Tsung-Yeh Sugar Factory and in 1958 the Madou and Jiali factories merged to become the Machia Sugar Factory.
The sugar plant entered its golden era of production in the 1970's and in 1974 was renamed the Jiali Sugar Factory.The Jiali factory ceased operations in 1995. In 2003 the Tainan County government leased the sugar corporation's land to develop a recreational facility. Award winning Taiwan architects were commissioned to redesign and re purpose the old sugar warehouses. The renovations were completed in 2004 and the Soulangh Cultural Park was officially opened to the public in 2005.
Since 2013, Soulangh Artist Village launched an art-in-residence program that aims to foster international exchange with artists from around the world and create a vibrant community of artists; local and international, emerging and established. Artists will be living in close proximity to local craftsmen artisans and are encouraged to take the community and vibrant local culture as inspiration for their art works. Artists have access to wheelchair accessible air-conditioned modern studio spaces, galleries and theatres for exhibitions, workshops and performances.
Inaugurated in 2015, Soulangh Children's Museum of Art has accommodated various exhibitions, such as “Papercut Story House”, “PapercutField: Soulangh Project”, “Household Hardware Cinema”and so on. We are dedicated in creating an art space specifically designed for children to learn and experience art. The permanent exhibitions are incorporated with local cultural elements to allow children to cultivate aesthetics through play and interactive games. The vibrant and interactive displays stimulate children’s five senses, including vision, hearing touch, and etc. Aesthetic experiences for younger generations can thus be formed in daily life.
