With merchant vessels, a military harbor and an industrialized background, the coastline along Kaohsiung used to be heavily regulated by the government. But now that a new landmark devoted to the performing arts is finally established, a new cultural hub in southern Taiwan is finally taking shape.
The Ministry of Culture has invested NT$5.45 billion (US$181 million) in the Maritime Cultural and Pop Music Center, which will be built between the Kaohsiung Harbor’s Pier 11 and Pier 15. Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai made a special visit to the construction site on June 24, explaining that she hopes the facility will help boost cultural development in the region south of Yunlin County.
The world-class performance center will comprise of 11.5 hectares and provide indoor concert seating for over 5,000 people, while the outdoor performance venue will be able to accommodate up to 12,000 people. Upon its completion in 2014, the Maritime Cultural Center will help bring Taiwan’s pop music industry to new heights.
In other related news, the Ministry has helped to refurnish an abandoned warehouse into an art studio. Known as the Pier-2 Art Center, the previously deserted depot has now been transformed into a major venue for the arts in the Greater Kaohsiung region. The Ministry will continue to collaborate with regional agencies to complete similar projects and to bring more cultural resources to southern Taiwan.