Located at the south of Dapeng Bay in Pingtung, Nanping Neighborhood faces the sea on the left and a lagoon on its right. Throughout generations, people made a living on fishing. Since the national scenic area was established, however the fish farming industry dwindled and youngsters started to move out. Thus, last year, the area’s administration invited “Fish Forest” to draw something useful from the locals’ way of life to develop tourism.
Earlier this year, the Administration even invited Canadian artist Justin Tyler Tate to make five works of open-air art with drift materials which manifest Nanping’s culture. The artistic installations have since then been popular as check-in spots.
In conjunction with the “year of bicycle tourism” promoted by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Administration now advertises slow travel in Nanping. Visitors are free to appreciate artistic installations while riding bicycles on countryside paths. Oyster farm tours are worth taking part, too, which take visitors to explore oyster farms on traditional bamboo boats, enjoy afternoon tea by the farms, and savor fresh raw oysters. Local elders are also invited to demonstrate how to make chairs with fishing lines and fish-shaped cloth wallets, as a way to share their everyday wisdom.
With creativity contributed by Fish Forest, the Administration turns a once deserted village into a lively place again. Nanping’s revived fishing industry has made traveling at Dapeng Bay more fun, diverse, and “of a local taste.”