Taitung, Nov. 3 (CNA) Taitung County's Tiehua Music Village will close by the end of 2023 because its organizer said it has completed the goal to help the region develop.
The Lovely Taiwan Foundation's Chief Executive Officer Lee Ying-ping (李應平) said on Friday that initially the foundation wanted to present the best of Taiwan through local townships and villages, and while the area around Tiehua Music Village have developed well over the past years, the foundation has decided to close it down on Dec. 31.
The village, set up by the foundation in 2010, was aimed at providing Taitung's Indigenous peoples a stage to perform music.
As Tiehua became more and more popular, a lot of singers from home and abroad have performed in the spot, including Taiwanese singer-songwriter Crowd Lu (盧廣仲) and rock star Wu Bai (伍佰).
The news first came out on Thursday night, when the foundation posted a statement on its Facebook page saying that the village is closing.
The foundation said it appreciates all who have joined the village and worked together during the past 13 years, adding that they have made Tiehua Village blossom.
However, facing the news, many local residents said they were shocked, and many of them wondered if the foundation has faced financial pressure.
In response to the questions, Lee said "the cost of running the village was not what we considered about the most, but whether the project has helped the region grow, as well as opening up more motivation and opportunities."
Lee added that Tiehua Music Village will always be Taitung's best memories, and that the foundation will keep on working in areas such as Pingtung, Miaoli and Chihshang Township of Taitung.
Meanwhile, Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭捷任), music director of the village, said the news came out quite abruptly, but since the foundation is a non-profit organization and has been considering a transformation for a while, it's time for them to make some change.
However, the foundation's goal to help develop Taiwan's local culture and education will remain the same, Cheng said.
