Minister of Culture Li Yuan visited Taitung County on Mar. 15 to celebrate the opening of Paul Chiang Art Center (江賢二藝術園區) and the selection of the Indigenous dance troupe Bulareyaung Dance Company (BDC) as part of the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Brand Project.
The first stop of his visit was the Paul Chiang Art Center, located at the Jinzun (金樽) Recreational Area of Donghe Township (東河鄉). Paul Chiang and Stanley Yen (嚴長壽), Chairman of the Paul Chiang Art and Cultural Foundation, served to guide the Minister around the Center. Yen introduced the Center’s opening exhibition, which showcases works from different periods of the artist’s career. He expressed hope that visitors would experience the spiritual essence of Chiang’s art.
Later on, Minister Li met with BDC’s artistic director Bulareyaung Pagarlava and the troupe members. After gaining international recognition, the choreographer chose to return to his hometown in Taitung to establish his dance troupe. In 2021, the dancer launched a local dance tour and performed in 740 Indigenous communities across Taitung. “No matter where the dance troupe goes, we must stay connected with our ethnic origin, and Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples cannot be absent in the international stage,” he said.
Minister Li emphasized that the Ministry will always provide support for local cultural establishments, aiming to build a supportive environment for artists in Taiwan. He mentioned that the Taiwan Brand Project, launched in 2013, has allocated NT$122 million for art project operations and NT$20.4 million for international exchange, totaling NT$142.4 million this year.
