top of page

Yoshino station vintage photo exhibition (2009)

I was trying to save the last few buildings left by the Japanese since 1930, including a house built by my grandfather. Those buildings were built for the service of the first train station in Eastern Taiwan, but the government doesn't believe there is a reason to preserve those old buildings, and still want to execute an urban plan which is set in 1980, to widen the road in order to connect the train station better with the high way, but ironically, the train station is demolished in 1980 but the urban plan is not changed, and the government wants to execute it in 2009.  During the process of protesting, I realized that the hundreds of vintage pictures left by my grandfather could actually be used for good.

By using these pictures, and choose the date of the moon festival, which traditionally means the day of the reunion, I organized a week of series of events including a free to entry exhibition, tours, and a street banquet (a very common way of celebration at a wedding or funeral in the rural areas of Taiwan in the past. ), volunteer workers were recruited from my family including my 85 years old grandma. This act inspired many of the villagers and people who decide to join the preserving movement, those buildings are preserved and the government lost the lawsuit. In the end, this event becomes a famous landscape law-related case study in Taiwan.  Related project: Yoshino Eki 

花蓮家2.jpg

Yoshino eki's service station/my grandpa's house in 1945.

花蓮老家拆 269.JPG

The other house which was demolished prior to the protest.

入口.jpg

The poster of the exhibition, the background picture is an aerial photo took by a US Army surveillance airplane, showing the early geographical relationship of Yoshino village in the Hualien county.

444.jpg

Flyer of the vintage picture exhibition, the kids in

the picture are my father and uncles.

exhibition layout.jpeg

Exhibition layout, which has a circulation for the audience to enter private living space of our home.

327359_10150291876283440_1777032179_o.jp
exhibition1 206.JPG

Audiences participate in the exhibition after off from work.

exhibition1 131.JPG

View from the street.

exhibition1 203.JPG

View from the garden.

exhibition1 060.JPG

My 85 years old grandmom helped to host the guiding tour of the exhibition in the garden.

exhibition1 120.JPG
exhibition1 129.JPG
exhibition1 133.JPG
exhibition1 153.JPG

The exhibition.

296085_10150295245928440_557319560_n.jpg
302364_10150295256653440_1292975679_n.jp

We also do collaborate with local primary school for historical lecture, the tour in this picture was lead by my uncle.

exhibition1 188.JPG

Street banquet.

244287_10150192095853440_5241410_o.jpg

The camera left by my grandfather's Japanese friend 85 years ago, and it captured all the pictures in this exhibition.

exhibition1 070.JPG

Helper for the vintage photo exhibition in front of Yoshino eki's service station in 2009.

240890_10150186609453440_2954803_o.jpg

A picture taken the old service station is saved.

bottom of page