Xiao Rusong Art Park, Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwán
With his importance to the nation’s art scene and his contributions to education, Xiao has earned a status a symbol of national pride and a public role model.
Yet after passing away in 1992, Xiao’s residence went largely unmaintained, reduced to a sad remainder of what it had once been.
Hsinchu County’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, tasked with preserving cultural resources, recognized Xiao Ru-Song’s home as both a preservation of his former abode and an ode to the site that gave birth to his mastery, as well as a cultural relic of Hakka culture. Hsinchu County began developing the former residence into the Xiao Ru-Song Arts Park with permission from Xiao’s family members, consulting with various experts to preserve and restore the vitality of the property.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau formed a preparatory committee of 29 members in 2004 to gather opinions on how best to restore the historic residence. The fruit of their discussions in today’s Xiao Ru-Song Historic Residence, reborn into its former glory with a new life. Made more spacious by moving several peripheral buildings outward, the new art center will undergo renovations to two buildings and the addition of art facilities, including an art exhibition hall, venues for arts events and lectures, and a public space.
Beautification projects have turned the complex into a multi-faceted facility that memorializes a great artist, exhibits artwork, and provides the public with a place to rest their feet.
Epic Taiwan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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