Yuanli Sea Breeze

I. Practitioners Connecting Culture, Land, and Diverse Communities Since its establishment in 2014, the Yuanli Sea Breeze team, composed of interdisciplinary young people, has deeply rooted itself in Yuanli Township, Miaoli. Combining local cultural resources with an international perspective, they have developed experiential services rich in historical depth and cultural substance. As Yuanli Township's first independent bookstore and a significant cultural hub along Miaoli's coastal line, the team promotes three ways of 'reading': 1. Reading books with sound: Offering diverse author talks and activities, attracting enthusiasts of culture, art, and social issues. 2. Reading the land's texture with your feet: Exploring the music of Kuo Chih-Yuan, traditional rush weaving crafts, and local markets, connecting history with daily life. 3. Reading local terroir with your palate: Focusing on Yuanli's agriculture, understanding environmentally friendly practices and cultural values. II. Cultural Activities and Local Revitalization The team annually organizes large-scale arts and cultural events. The 'Sea Breeze Festival' brand, over three years, has cumulatively gathered 80 stalls and attracted over 10,000 participants, becoming a crucial platform for local revitalization. They have also hosted eco-friendly and sustainable editions of the Yuanli Grand Night Market and the Yuanli Hundred Ghosts Children's Fun Festival, combining innovative formats with sustainable concepts to attract participants of different age groups, promoting the revitalization and inheritance of local culture. III. Protecting Cultural Heritage and Revitalizing Local Characteristics The team actively promotes cultural heritage preservation, assisting in the maintenance and revitalization of the former residence of Mr. Kuo Chih-Yuan, a pioneer of modern music in Taiwanese music history. They developed a curriculum centered on Kuo Chih-Yuan, presented as an immersive theater experience, where drama education guides high school students to introduce local culture to the community; furthermore, they promote traditional rush weaving techniques and the revitalization and reuse of the Yuanli wet market, injecting new vitality into local industries. The team has collaborated with rush weaving artisans to exhibit in the Netherlands and New York and has participated in multiple international conferences, showcasing Yuanli's music, crafts, and landscape on the international stage, allowing more people to experience the charm of local culture. IV. Sustainable Practices Connecting Agriculture and Public Welfare The 'Taro Education Project' connects agriculture with public welfare through non-toxic taro. Through sales, profits are returned to farmers and social programs, improving farmers' income, enhancing consumer food safety, and supporting social welfare volunteers and educational needs. Additionally, the 'Sea Breeze Scholarship', established in 2023, focuses on 'community engagement', 'environmental care', and 'sustainable coastlines', helping high school students explore their hometown and themselves, becoming agents of change for their hometown. V. Diverse Participation and Social Connection The team participates in Yuanli Township's Child Participatory Budgeting Project, designing activities to inspire children's civic awareness and sense of hometown identity. Concurrently, they participate in Miaoli County's 'Rural Terroir Handicrafts and Women's Entrepreneurship' project, successfully assisting middle-aged and elderly women in developing entrepreneurial skills, cumulatively training nearly 50 individuals, empowering them with economic and social participation opportunities. Over the years, the team has received numerous recognitions, including the Ministry of Culture's Youth Action Grand Prize, the Ministry of Culture's Community Development Award, the Ministry of Education's Youth Development Administration Changemaker Gold Award, the National Development Council's Local Revitalization Youth Empowerment Workstation, the Shopping Design Community Contribution Award, and being named one of La Vie's Taiwan Creative 100 Teams.