Every year, tons of debris wash up along Taiwan’s eastern coastline. In Taitung, Indigenous creators are finding a way to turn that problem into purpose — transforming ocean waste into art, education and hands-on experiences for visitors.
In part four of our five-part series “Where’s the Taitung County Chief Taking Us?” Andrew Ryan travels through Taitung, where Indigenous traditions remain strong — and where a new wave of community-led projects is tackling modern challenges along the shore.
In the seaside town of Chenggong, discarded fishing nets — some of the toughest marine waste to process — are cleaned, shredded and reborn as fiber. In local hands, they become crafts and large-scale works, including a whale sculpture made from used nets that’s now a landmark.
Up the coast, visitors join a beach cleanup that doubles as a creative workshop. The debris they collect is washed, sorted and used in a fabric-dyeing process that produces deep-blue textiles locals call “Taitung Blue.” It’s a souvenir with a story — and a reminder that protecting the ocean starts with seeing what’s been thrown away.
WATCH other episodes of Andrew Ryan’s journey through Taitung County in our series playlist for "Where’s the County Chief Taking Us?” https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu5MSnfNvpMb3ZFYxt5_eJfl9tPzPRywj&si=sNf234QSf4h5C1QN
[Taiwan’s Mayors and County Chiefs] Taiwan is home to 13 county chiefs, six mayors of special municipalities (New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung) and three mayors of provincial cities. These elected officials serve a maximum four-year term, and can be re-elected for one additional term. The first episodes of the series aired prior to the local elections in 2022.
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