Tsung-Yeh Arts and Cultural Center in Madou boasts its refreshing greenery and soothing atmosphere. Once you step into the campus, you can see the broad green lawn lined with camphor trees that form a green tunnel. Other than coconut, common paper mulberry, bodhi, and banyan trees, there are also fruit trees such as lychee, longan, star fruit and java apple. Families come here on the weekend for a picnic, enjoying summer breeze or winter sun, depending on the time of the year. Life is art, and art can blend into life. Take a stroll outdoors, visit the exhibitions in the historic buildings, and then enjoy coffee and light meals at the century-old former official residence. The former Tsung-Yeh Sugar Factory now brings people the sweetness that nourishes the body and mind.


Preserved Historical Monuments: Testament to the Golden Age of Sugar Production

In the Qing Dynasty, Nanshi Village, where Mr. Madou is located, still had a port. It was once an important trading center in Tainan. As early as 1904, private sugar mills were established to produce sugar. Later, they were merged by Meiji Sugar Manufacturing Company. In 1911, the Tsung-Yeh Sugar Factory was built, and operations began in January the next year. The Red-brick Office, Wooden Official Residence, Wooden Guest House, and Red-Brick Dining Hall are a testament to the legacy of the history of sugar production. The grand brick and wood buildings combined both Eastern and Western aesthetics. The Japanese style garden gives a glimpse of the life style in the past. After World War II, the sugar factory went through reorganization and merger, was renamed Tsung-Yeh, Majia, Madou Sugar Factory, and later merged into Shanhua Sugar Factory. It was officially closed in 1993. In 1999, the building cluster was designated county historical monuments. The building legacy and the greenery in the park now carry on the memory of the sugar factory that has been closely connected to the life of the people in Madou for centuries.


Artist Village Exhibitions: Linking History and Life with Artistic Creation

Due to the industrial and religious cultural characteristics in Madou, Tsung-Yeh Arts and Cultural Center takes "crafts" as its main positioning. One of the features in the center is repurposing the old health center into Yen Shui-Long Museum. Known as the "Father of Modern Crafts in Taiwan", Yen Shui-Long, one of the most prestigious Taiwanese artists from Xiaying, Tainan, created oil paintings, advertisements, and large mosaic murals, and studied bamboo crafts. Yen devoted plenty of time making art more relevant to everyday life. Today, Tsung-Yeh Artist Village welcomes craft creators from home and abroad to take residence. Here, art and life complement one another. For artists and local residents, new experiences generated from interactions reveal new perspectives, enriching their lives in thought-provoking ways. Finally, the artists-in-residence exhibited what they explored during their residency in the space that carries the historical memory of the place. The sugar factory does not produce sugar anymore. Instead, it recreates different cultural experiences through art performances and participation.

In 2019, the first Madou Sugar Industry Art Triennial took the center as the base, and extended the exhibition area outward. Through artistic creation, it touched upon the history of the sugar industry, created new landscapes and experimented with more artistic possibilities. The second Triennial is to be held in 2022, which is highly anticipated!


Savoring the Aroma of the Season: Pomelo Flowers & Art Festival

Although the sugar factory has ceased operation, the pomelo blossom season that signals the arrival of spring declares the vigor and vitality of Madou year after year. The condition of the blossoms also foretells the output of pomelo and white pomelo this year. The Pomelo Flowers & Art Festival has been held for several years. When the pomelo flowers are in full bloom, guests come and gather under the trees to recite poems, taste tea, and play music, indulging in the sense of hope in the season of spring. This year, a tea banquet will be held on the large lawn of the Tsung-Yeh Arts and Cultural Center, offering a unique experience of the humanistic elegance of Madou.

Writer / Lin Yin Huang Photo/ Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government