Art Meets the Tidal Flats! Ocean Affairs Council Partners with Ren Theatre Group to Launch '2026 Chaofangyuan,' Revitalizing Coastal Culture

The Ocean Affairs Council is supporting Ren Theatre Group in hosting the '2026 Chaofangyuan – Tidal Flat Art Festival' from July 25 to August 1 in Fangyuan Township, Changhua County. Centered on marine and tidal flat culture, the event integrates theater performances, village walkthroughs, markets, forums, communal banquets, and film creation, inviting the public to deeply engage with coastal communities and experience the unique interplay between ocean culture and local life.

The Council notes that Fangyuan boasts Taiwan's most expansive tidal flats, nurturing precious marine cultural assets such as oyster harvesting by water buffalo, wetland ecosystems, traditional fisheries, and fishing village communities. This year's art season adopts 'Cultural Memory × Environmental Coexistence' as its curatorial core, linking local stories and environmental issues through artistic creation. By transforming residents' lived experiences into performances, the festival aims to raise awareness of tidal flat cultural value and enhance public attention to marine conservation.

The event is structured around six themes: 'Tide Theater,' 'Tide Village,' 'Tide Forum,' 'Tide Banquet,' 'Tide Market,' and 'Tide Imaging,' offering diverse content including artistic performances, forum exchanges, cultural experiences, village tours, shared dining, and film screenings. The opening day features the 'Tide Forum,' where experts from various fields discuss the preservation and future development of Fangyuan's tidal flat culture. The evening 'Tide Banquet' combines local agricultural and fishery ingredients with artistic performances, showcasing a symbiotic and thriving relationship between the ocean and the community.

On July 26, the 'Tide Village' immersive performance invites participants to walk through the village, experiencing coastal life memories through residents' stories. For the first time, an experience app developed with Ocean Affairs Council support will be introduced, integrating digital technology with artistic creation to offer a new form of cultural engagement. The festival culminates on August 1 with the grand performance 'I Wish,' using Fangyuan's tidal flats as a natural stage. Blending immersive theater, Nanguan music, and community participation, the performance artistically expresses the profound emotional connection between people, the ocean, and the land.

The Council has been continuously advancing the 'Marine Culture Leadership Program,' supporting museums, schools, and civil groups in uncovering local marine cultural characteristics. Through artistic performances, cultural research, educational outreach, and community involvement, it deepens public understanding of marine culture and fosters place-based cultural initiatives.

The Council emphasizes that coastal villages are vital spaces for sustaining marine culture and local memory. '2026 Chaofangyuan' leverages joint participation from artists, youth teams, and local residents, positioning art as a platform for dialogue between the ocean and the community, demonstrating achievements in cultural sustainability and local innovation. The public is warmly invited to visit Fangyuan, Changhua, from July 25 to August 1, step into the tidal flats, and personally experience Taiwan's rich marine culture and coastal village stories.