The last time TC Lin (林道明) tried to organize a photography walk around Zhongzheng District’s (中正) dilapidated Nanjichang (南機場) neighborhood, it snowed in Taipei.
A street and documentary photography instructor at Zhongzheng Community College, Lin is hoping for better weather tomorrow as he attempts to gather photographers — amateurs and professionals alike — to capture everyday life in this 52-year-old community of about 2,000 households before it disappears to the city’s urban renewal plan.
Once a “model community,” the neighborhood has deteriorated over the years and is now largely occupied by elderly living alone or low-income families. The renewal project has been in talks for many years, but progress has stalled due to a number of problems including resident eligibility and the debate on whether to keep the community’s elementary school.
Photo courtesy of TC Lin
“I talked to the borough warden and he wants to leave a recording of the people, objects and life in the community,” Lin says. “He invited photography students before, but they only took pretty pictures such as flowers and sunsets.”
That’s where Lin’s expertise comes in. He named the event “international photo walk” because he wants to encourage foreign photographers to join in.
“I think it would be interesting to include their point of view in this documentation of the community,” he says. “Their angle and style are often different from Taiwanese.”
The borough warden will give a presentation on the community and take the photographers on a tour — including places that are not usually accessible to the public. Lin says he will provide translation and answer questions for those who don’t understand Chinese, though he hopes that there are more bilingual people on the scene to assist him.
Participants don’t need to be too self-conscious about intruding, as the borough warden has notified residents of the photography tour.
However, Lin says the number one key to documentary photography is respecting the subjects.
“You want to record the people and place because you like them and you respect them,” he says. “What mentality you use to photograph your subject is important because he or she will feel it too.”
Lin hopes to turn the results into an exhibition, set tentatively for late March or early April. He also wants to host a forum with exchanges between local and foreign photographers.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
On March 13 President William Lai (賴清德) gave a national security speech noting the 20th year since the passing of China’s Anti-Secession Law (反分裂國家法) in March 2005 that laid the legal groundwork for an invasion of Taiwan. That law, and other subsequent ones, are merely political theater created by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have something to point to so they can claim “we have to do it, it is the law.” The president’s speech was somber and said: “By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a ‘foreign hostile force’ as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act, which unlike
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern