Dear Believers of the Future,

I felt that 2021 passed by strangely quickly and slowly, as if not much was accomplished before it came to an end. I wasn't sure if the lockdown would change how we care for and embrace one another. Over the past 12 years, the Alliance Cultural Foundation has made gradual progress, but as they say, good things take time.

Covid-19 continues to be a crisis, impacting society, the economy, and culture, affecting various aspects of life and events. This includes the shift to remote work, which has reduced peer interactions and resulted in a doubling of cases of depression and anxiety. To address these challenges, we've launched "The Listener" YouTube channel, starting with discussions on depression. Our hope is to provide tools that can help teachers and parents become better supporters for children. As I mentioned in my book, "Be the Angel to Self and Others," in a world of constant change, we should all develop the skill of self-healing.

As we enter the next stage, we've shifted our focus to promoting the artist Paul Chiang. With the administrative support from the foundation, the Paul Chiang Retrospective Exhibition in 2022 at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum reached an all-time high in terms of visitors, including a younger population. Currently, we are deeply engaged in preparing for the Paul Chiang Art Center.

We draw inspiration from the Setouchi Triennale in Japan, which connects scattered islands, invites architects and artists to build museums, and successfully revitalizes the area. During our visit to the Setouchi Triennale in 2019, Paul and I discovered that it not only curated exhibitions but also hosted world-class events, including the "Vocal Asia Festival," founded by our dear partner, Chairman Claire Chen. With a rich tapestry of indigenous culture in art, music, dance, craft, and design, I am confident that Taitung has the cultural potential to become the "Taiwanese version" of the Setouchi Triennale. Furthermore, considering that the Austronesian language family originated in Taiwan, the island is uniquely positioned as a cultural attraction. 

To strategically introduce Huatung artists, I initiated the “Stanley Yen Talk Show.” Over the next two years, we will invite several artists to share their works and visions. The Talk Show was inspired by friends who wished to stay connected with Huatung during the Covid-19 lockdown. 

Taitung serves as a crucial gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island. I believe that Taitung has the potential to become a small regional transit hub, starting with connections to Japan, Hong Kong, and other places. From Taitung, one can travel north along the coastline to Hualien, enjoying scenic coastal views along the way. This route includes the Paul Chiang Art Center and multiple townships, such as Changbin and Fungbin Townships. Given the abundant resources in Huatung, I am confident that, with the collective effort of many and the support of the Alliance Cultural Foundation, Huatung will soon become a symbol of slow living and slow travel, representing sustainable living in Taiwan.

The pandemic has been a crisis but has also presented an opportunity. I believe that Taiwan is currently undergoing a turning point towards maturity. In the past, most tourists came from Mainland China, but now, we aim to cultivate international talent to attract new visitors to Taiwan. For the transformation of Taitung, we have made Junyi School of Innovation our base and are striving to make a difference in rural education. Over the past few years, with the support of The Alliance Cultural Foundation International (ACFI), 14 children have had the opportunity to study abroad. Some of them have even continued on to four-year universities after completing two years at community colleges. These students mostly came from under-resourced backgrounds, and their lives are about to be transformed.

While our efforts in Taitung may have seemed slow and gradual in the past, the vision of Hualien-Taitung sustainability is becoming increasingly clear. We believe that in the next three to five years, these efforts will yield tangible results. At the end of 2021, Junyi School welcomed 21 senior staff, all of whom expressed great affirmation of the school's education principles and vision blueprint. We believe that after the pandemic, our plans for Hualien-Taitung sustainability will be one step closer to realization. 
 

Chairman

Stanley Yen