Chinese Name: 雲林故事人協會
Established: 2005
Founder: Tang Li-fang (唐麗芳)
Official Website: https://ylstoryhouse.org.tw/index.php
Did You Know That…?
The founder of the Yunlin Storyteller Association Tang Li-fang was awarded the “Cultural Association Medal” in 2023 to commend her contributions to community building and empowerment.
The Yunlin Storyteller Association is an organization formed by a group of parents and teachers who are concerned with children’s education and Taiwan’s future. Established in June 2005, it is committed to promoting reading culture and cultivating talents in the cultural field. The association took charge of revitalizing the Yunlin Storyhouse (雲林故事館) starting in 2007 to become a public platform for education and a stage for storytelling. Formerly the residence of the Huwei County Magistrate of the Japanese government, the Yunlin Storyhouse building is the first restored historical architecture in Yunlin County (雲林縣). The building now serves as a venue for local cultural, art, and educational gatherings.
Tang Li-fang, the founder of the association, followed her husband to Yunlin County in the late 1990s. In the process of planning her child’s education, she noticed that Yunlin does not have an adequate reading culture. She led the local community to form the Yunlin Storyteller Association and began organizing storytelling activities, emphasizing that the best way to promote reading is through storytelling. However, due to the difficulties in funding in the early phase, she decided to fly to the U.S. to work as a nurse for three months every year and use the salary to support the operations of the association. After nearly two decades, the association now has brought the reading culture in Yunlin to a new level and fostered storytellers and audiences throughout the country. Furthermore, they also managed to create the first story house in Taiwan – the Yunlin Storyhouse.
Over the years, the association has been encouraging the public, especially amateurs, to create their own stories by running story-writing workshops. They have published more than a hundred picture books based on original stories in Yunlin as a result. The promotional team that regularly tours Yunlin County is formed by the members of the association, writers, and volunteers. They cover not only Yunlin Storyhouse and Erlun Storyhouse (二崙故事屋), but also schools and communities in rural areas that lack resources. They also visit various spots around the island, aiming to promote cultural equity and create collective memories based on folk cultures.