“2025 Hengshan Arts Festival” Concludes Successfully — Shu-Te University of Science and Technology Joins Hands with Partners to Showcase Educational Strength
1141013
Kaohsiung News — On October 10, Taiwan’s National Day, the “2025 Hengshan Arts Festival” came to a successful close at the Hengshan Co-Creation Base in Yanchao, Kaohsiung. The event drew strong inter-school participation and large numbers of families, creating a lively atmosphere. Citizens and students alike took part enthusiastically, fully experiencing the integration of art, education, and sustainability.
The festival featured a rich and diverse program with many highlights. The grand opening ceremony brought together representatives from the Kaohsiung City Government’s Urban Development Bureau, various municipal departments, the Yanchao District Office, and Kaohsiung academic institutions. During the ceremony, letters of intent for collaboration within the Yanchao Education Innovation Dream System were presented, along with awards for design competitions, portfolio design and production, and creative carousel design—showcasing the brilliance of youth creativity. Street performers, students from Shu-Te University’s Department of Performing Arts, and students from the “Yanchao 6+1” elementary and junior high schools took turns presenting music and dance performances, lighting up the entire Hengshan Base.
Themed exhibitions included the special exhibition “Tainan 300 Years” and other outstanding works, complemented by craft experience markets, sketching competitions for elementary, junior high, and preschool groups, and photography contests. These activities allowed the public to experience the depth of local culture through play and learning. The Formosa Island Food Truck Tour and picnic area offered food and relaxation spaces, while the Hengshan Carousel Team and fun game zones attracted families to enjoy together—laughter and applause weaving the festival’s most moving melodies.
Over the past eight years, Shu-Te University’s College of Design has implemented the Ministry of Education–funded Hengshan USR Project in close collaboration with the Kaohsiung City Government’s Urban Development Bureau. This year, three major highlights were introduced: the “Hengshan Grand Stage,” “Hengshan Carousel Team,” and “Hengshan Themed Pavilion.” The main performance venue was relocated to the Hengshan Grand Stage, transforming the former military command platform into the focal stage of the festival. Participants of all ages freely expressed themselves, turning passion and creativity into sincere performance energy.
In response to Kaohsiung’s net-zero city development, the eye-catching Hengshan Carousel Team—composed of large and small wooden carousels—was creatively redesigned using recycled wooden trusses from Building 104 and fallen trees from Typhoon Shantuo. The installation reflects Kaohsiung’s urban development and agricultural policies in response to climate change, as well as cultural innovation. Filled with childlike charm, the carousel brought joy to visitors of all ages; even adults could not resist hopping on and swaying along, filling the venue with laughter. The red-cloth unveiling ceremony invited Agriculture Bureau Director Yao Chih-Wang, Deputy Director of the Urban Development Bureau Kuo Chin-Tsung, and Kao Tai-Chun, President of the Kaohsiung City Parents Association Federation (Junior High Division), to ride the carousel together—symbolizing a “journey of dreams” and opening the festival with hope and innovation.
The Hengshan Themed Pavilion, reborn after last year’s typhoon, embodied green fashion and circular aesthetics. By utilizing sunlight filtering through greenery, light and shadow were cast across the base, creating a vibrant festival atmosphere. The suspended pavilion design displayed recycled fabric backdrops from the May “Hengshan • Cultural Creativity” themed exhibition at the Taichung International Exhibition Center. Visitors appreciated the works by “looking up,” experiencing the unique spatial layers of the venue. The unveiling ceremony gathered participants beneath the pavilion to lift the red curtain together, symbolizing the opening of a new chapter for the base.
This year’s festival welcomed many representatives from local communities and the education sector, including Tsai Tsung-Ming, Section Chief of the Kaohsiung City Government Education Bureau; Chin Chun-Fu, Chief Secretary of the Yanchao District Office; Tsai Ying-Hui, Director of the Yanchao Branch of the Kaohsiung Public Library; Shu-Te University’s Vice President for Research and Development Song Hong-Chi; Director of the Industry–Academia Center Chang Yi-Fen; Deputy Director Chiu Yi-Chun; Chair of the Department of Social Work Hsu Kuo-Ching; Chair of the Department of Marketing Chou Cheng-Te; as well as Chen Kuan-Hsun, Associate Professor, and Lai Ting-Hung, Assistant Professor, from the Department of Craft and Creative Design at National University of Kaohsiung.
The Yanchao Education Innovation Dream System was represented by school principals and administrators, including Huang Tsui-Lien, Principal of Yanchao Junior High School; Chiu Shih-Chieh, Principal of Jinshan Elementary School; Fu Chia-Chun, Principal of Shenshui Elementary School; Yang Chin-Chu, Principal of Yanchao Elementary School; Yang Hui-Ju, Principal of Anzhao Elementary School; Chen Wen-Ping, Principal of Fengxiong Elementary School; Lin Ting-Fu, Principal of Hengshan Elementary School; and Kao Tai-Chun, representative of the Kaohsiung City Parents Association Federation (Junior High Division).
Project Director Distinguished Professor Lu Yuan-Hua expressed delight at the complete success of the “2025 Hengshan Arts Festival.” She noted that the event not only highlighted the achievements of collaboration among industry, government, academia, and the community, but also allowed the public to personally experience the charm of local cultural innovation during the National Day holiday. The Hengshan USR project team extended special thanks to all faculty members, students, volunteers, and staff for their full dedication, which ensured the smooth conclusion of the event and presented an annual festival that combined educational significance with local appeal.
