First, in promoting wood carving art and culture, from April 2023 to September 2023, we organized four exhibitions, including an invitation exhibition of renowned woodcarvers, thematic exhibitions, women’s art exhibitions, and a total of 84 residency sessions for woodcarvers. We also conducted a series of activities, such as the “Sanyi Wood Carving Traditional Artistic Roots Project,” the “Taiwan International Exchange Exhibition of Wood Sculpture,” the “Taiwan International Competition Exhibition of Wood Sculpture,” and the “Asia Youth Wood Carving Training Camp,” with a total of approximately 30,000 visitors. On April 22, we held the “2023 Miaoli Tung Blossom Festival” with a participation of 12,000 people. There were also 100 participants in the “Hospitality and Enjoyment Half-Day Tour.”

　Next, in our efforts to promote performing arts activities, we organized the highly-acclaimed “2023 Miaobei Arts Festival” in 2023. This festival features four major themes that have become iconic in northern Miaoli counties: “Masters’ Splendor,” “Classic Symphonies,” “International Leading Artists,” and “Theatrical Masterpieces.” It showcases high-quality programs that blend international perspectives with local culture. Additionally, we hosted the second year of the “Miaoli Coastal Land Art Festival,” the sixth year of the “Miaoli Performing Arts Festival,” and the third year of the “Miaoli Diam e’ Fringe Festival,” all of which have enriched our local culture.

　In our endeavors to promote Hakka affairs, the county government has achieved outstanding results in implementing the Hakka language program from 2017 to 2022. Not only have we maintained the top position in the country for five consecutive years, but this year, including township offices, we have also received the highest number of awards nationwide. We organized events such as the “Hakka Folk Songs, Octagonal Musical Ensemble, and Tea-Picking Opera Showcase,” “Hakka Singers’ Concert,” and the “2023 National Hakka Stir-fry Culinary Competition,” and participated in the “2023 Hakka Expo Taiwan Pavilion.” Additionally, we collaborated on the “2nd Romantic Route 3 Art Festival” and assisted township offices, including Miaoli City, Tongluo Township, Sanyi Township, and Nanzhuang Township, in obtaining subsidies from the Hakka Affairs Council. This has contributed to the creation of a vibrant Miaoli where “Hakka is life, and life is Hakka.”

　In our efforts to promote the cultural and creative industry, we have consistently implemented the “Community Development and Village Cultural Development Program” and the “Miaoli Pottery Art Festival.” To revitalize the Miaoli Cultural Park, we organized events such as the “Beng Beng Pottery Market,” the “2023 Quality Public Restrooms and Beautiful Environment Promotion Project for Miaoli Cultural Park,” and the “2023 - 2024 Quality Public Restrooms and Beautiful Environment Promotion Project for Miaoli Cultural Park and Miaoli Pottery Museum.” Furthermore, we successfully attracted 9 businesses to lease 11 spaces, including the Miaoli County Farmers Association, Gongguan Township Farmers Association, Miaoli County Ceramic Association, local ceramic artists, Mao Shiang Tan Fang, and the Golden Town Promotion Association. These businesses have been operational five days a week since January 1, 2023.

　Regarding the preservation of cultural assets, our county has 17 designated historical sites, 60 historical buildings, 4 cultural landscapes, 11 general antiques, and 1 historic site among tangible cultural assets. In addition, we have 6 items in the folk category, 8 items and 14 people related to traditional performing arts, 7 items and 16 people connected to traditional craftsmanship, 1 item and 4 people in the oral tradition category, and 1 cultural asset preservation technology and 1 keeper among intangible cultural assets. These include 23 items involving 41 preservers or groups, which encompass indigenous heritage.

　In our efforts to promote tourism marketing, we utilized the Miaoli-themed mascot, “Miaoli Meow,” to manage the “Explore Miaoli” Facebook fan page, which now has a following of 250,000. We also promoted the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Service’s Nanzhuang Shuttle Bus, which provided services to 16,738 individuals between April 1, 2023, and August 22, 2023. To attract the attention of domestic and international travelers to Taiwan’s tourism, the Tourism Administration, MOTC, organized the “Tourism Spotlight Award” selection activity, where Miaoli County had 5 highlighted attractions: Old Mountain Line Rail Bike, Xuejian Visitor Center, Chu Huang Keng Oil Field Mining History Site, Fun with Formosan Salamander in Guanwu, and Tung Blossom at Taiwan Hakka Museum. The Tourism Administration, MOTC, organized the “2022-2023 Taiwan’s Great Hot Springs - Golden Spring Award” voting event. Our county’s “Tai’an Hot Spring” was honored with the “Top Ten Springs and Most Beautiful Award” Bronze Award and the “Best Value for Money Award” Gold Award. Additionally, during recent consecutive holidays such as Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day, New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year, and February 28, Miaoli County’s lodging occupancy rates have consistently ranked among the top in Taiwan.

　In turns of cultural and tourist facility construction, we are actively working on the “Minghu Waterfront Recreation Corridor Highlight Project,” which has secured NTD244 million in central government funding. With a development focus on “One Lake, Two Islands, Three Rings, Four Regenerations, and Five Main Themes,” our goal is to rebrand the Mingde Reservoir Scenic Area and position Miaoli as a prime tourist destination. Furthermore, we are planning and designing the third phase of the “Hakka Literature Garden Project” and the renovation of the “Hakka Literature Garden Visitor Center.” Private companies are poised to invest NTD600 million to transform the area into a jungle-themed resort. We are in the process of creating Miaoli County’s pioneering versatile cinema and cultural creative park, with a scheduled trial operation commencement in the latter half of 2024. Since its official launch on July 1, 2019, the Old Mountain Line Rail Bike has attracted over 2 million visitors to date. In the future, we plan to actively align with the MOTC’s tourism railway policy. Our goal is to extend the Old Mountain Line Rail Bike to the north, reaching Sanyi Station, and to the south, including the old Taian Station and Houli Station. This extension will adopt a multi-modal coexistence approach, connecting seamlessly with the mainline railway at Sanyi Station and Houli Station, forming a comprehensive railway loop for tourism.