✨【Nantou Youth: The Midas Touch 2.0】✨
👩 Proposer: Chang Kai-hui
🎥 Project: Wandering Through Nantou’s Century-Old Market
🧺 "Using film to capture the breathing sounds of the market." This project takes the "Nantou Century-Old Traditional Market" as its theme. Through visual documentation and story gathering, we aim to retell the deep connection between this ancient market and urban life. From the life stories of vendors and their daily labor to the spatial evolution of the market itself, we ensure that fading market memories are seen, understood, and preserved.
The Nantou Century-Old Market was once a 24-hour hub famous for its vibrant "vocal auctions" (Han-Chai-Chi). It was more than a place for trade; it was where many people lived and built their lives. However, after the 921 Earthquake, the market faced a collapse crisis. The auction center moved to the "Lower Market," and vendors were forced to relocate for survival, leading to a decline in foot traffic and the gradual fading of traditional stalls in the old market.
🏙️ Why document the traditional market? The market is the most authentic scene of a city's daily life, yet it is often the most easily overlooked and forgotten place. While Nantou’s old town district boasts over 300 years of history, the exodus of the population, insufficient documentation, and a generational gap have caused local memories to vanish. After curating the "Century-Old Market Old Photo Exhibition" in 2020, the proposer felt even more deeply that:
👉 "The market is the most important gateway to understanding urban life and human connections."
✨ Storytelling through Film: Nantou’s Century-Old Market It is not about mere nostalgia, but about capturing stories that are still happening. It is not a farewell, but a way to find continuity for local memory.
