Fishbar Fish Food Experience Center

▌Ocean, Fisheries, and Life in Qixingtan. Qixingtan Bay in Hualien County, due to its proximity to the Kuroshio Current, boasts rich fish resources. Early residents made a living from inshore fishing, shaping a local landscape where "ocean, fisheries, and life" were closely intertwined. With changes in times, population, and industry, Qixingtan has been transformed into a world-renowned tourist destination, with numerous guesthouses, cafes, and bicycle paths. Traditional fisheries have gradually declined, accompanied by the loss of cultural heritage, and the fishing village scenery has significantly diminished. Deeply aware of the urgency of this cultural discontinuity, the Fishbar team has been rooted in Qixingtan since 2016. They combine Qixingtan's unique century-old fishing industry and culture with innovative approaches, integrating "fish food education" and "marine sustainability" concepts. Through cultural experiences, digital technology, and local creative souvenirs, they allow the history of fisheries to reappear before the public in a new light. ▌From "Seeing the Sea" to "Understanding the Sea" ■ Marine Culture: The Kuroshio Current brings diverse and seasonal catches, making Qixingtan an ideal place for fish food education. The Fish Food Experience Center popularizes knowledge about the eastern sea environment, fishery resources, fishing gear, and methods. Through guided tours, interactive experiences, and product packaging, visitors not only consume fish but also understand the importance and impact of the marine environment and fisheries, raising public awareness of marine culture. ■ Culinary Culture: Skipjack tuna is a major catch in Hualien's Qixingtan, and the bonito flake processing technology introduced during the Japanese colonial period is a unique local cultural feature. Based on this, Fishbar combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative processing, applying the concept of "whole fish utilization." This expands the use of skipjack tuna from merely bonito flakes to fish food education experiential activities and innovative processed products such as popcorn, fish floss, and gin. Among these, "Skipjack Tuna Gin" uniquely blends traditional smoked bonito with creative cuisine, demonstrating the fusion of tradition and modernity. ■ Fishing Village Culture: Fixed net fishing, longline fishing, and harpoon fishing methods were introduced during the Japanese colonial period and have a history of over a hundred years, with the highest density of fixed net fishing in this area. During its peak in the 1990s and 2000s, Hualien had over twenty fishing grounds and more than a hundred sets of fishing nets. However, with societal changes and the depletion of fishery resources, Qixingtan now has only three fishing grounds and five fixed net sets still in operation. This "fishing village culture" might be unfamiliar to today's tourists or younger generations, but it encapsulates the life processes of how people historically interacted with and coexisted with the sea here. Through the efforts of Fishbar, these forgotten or overlooked historical memories are brought back into public view through oral records, photo exhibitions, and cultural experiences. ▌Establishing Qixingtan's New Position with Marine Culture and Fish Food Education. Although Qixingtan has gradually lost its traditional fishing village appearance due to tourism development, it still contains rich marine culture and fishery heritage. Facing the decline of tradition, Fishbar Fish Food Experience Center actively interprets local fishery culture, combining the concepts of "fish food education" and "marine sustainability." Through exhibitions, experiential activities, and product design, visitors can fully experience the interwoven aspects of Qixingtan's "ocean, fisheries, and life" from visual, taste, and even cultural perspectives. This transforms Qixingtan from merely a scenic check-in spot into a marine cultural base with significant educational, cultural, and community co-prosperity value.