Finally, let’s take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey. These profiles showcase the partners who have joined us in local initiatives—their stories, their lives… We hope these experiences will inspire readers who resonate with our journey, offering new directions and fresh perspectives.
By Chang Ching-Yeh
It was late autumn of 2012 when I wrapped up my work in Kaohsiung and returned to my hometown of Lukang. It felt as if I had just boarded the bus to Changhua, and in the blink of an eye, a decade had passed.
The Lukang Arts Festival has brought many new visions for the local area. The growth and expansion required more space to realize and sustain both local and business development. Gradually, our current structure fell into place—starting from the Bystreet, extending eastward to the first ring of Fuxing Road, where we have Our Shokudo and Tang-ko Hioh-mî Homestay. Moving westward, towards the city center, we came across an old house on Lukang Main Street, Zhongshan Road, which we officially began managing for “Lukang Collective” in 2023. Thanks to the expertise of our partners and various forms of government support, the extensive vision we drew ten years ago has been fortunate enough to take shape and is now ready to be shared with everyone.
A. No.318, Fuxing Road
1F Our Shokudo
“Our partners all live on the same street, which makes things interesting.” — Manager Chia-Chun
After the closure of the first-generation store on Wanshou Road, in 2021 we moved the restaurant to Fuxing Road, taking on the most competitive area of Lukang’s dining market. With almost double the dining space, we went back to the drawing board, optimizing our menu for a more spacious and comfortable environment and improving the quality of the dining experience. Additionally, during the peak of the pandemic, we developed a “takeaway meal box” and chose to use plastic-free “plant fiber boxes” to reduce plastic use. Although the cost was significantly higher, it aligned with our brand values, and the meal boxes became a popular choice for Lukang meeting lunches.
2F Tang-ko Hioh-mî Homestay
“A little encouragement can motivate us to do better.” — Housekeeper Yan-Fei
Following Our Shokudo’s relocation, we began to consider the possibility of turning the second and third floors of the new site into a guesthouse, but the key was to find a capable partner to manage it. When we were considering candidates for the housekeeper role, Yan-Fei was the top choice in everyone’s mind. Yan-Fei was among the first batch of volunteers for the Lukang Arts Festival and was also a project partner for the Bystreet Film Festival. When we presented her with the job offer, she happened to be at a crossroads in her life, so it felt like perfect timing. Her experience working at a guesthouse in Ireland and backpacking across Europe allowed her to quickly establish comprehensive processes and systems. She has also been an important driving force in connecting our guesthouse operations to local activities.
Mr.3 Design Studio
“Finding partners has always been key to our development.” — Director Chun-Yu
Chun-Yu, the founder of Mr.3 Design Studio took over the space on the second floor of our site on Main Street to handle administrative matters and visual projects commissioned by the team. With a degree in fashion, Chun-Yu showcased her professional design talents as she always does through the “Fabric Remnant Project” of the Lukang Arts Festival. With the rise of SDGs trends recently, she found new markets for recycled products like promotional banners and koinobori flags. She also identified production partners and contract factories for large-scale production, ensuring that local partners are engaged throughout the process, including brand management, production, and collaboration mechanisms.
B. No.131, Minzu Road
1F Home Bar Lukang
“Dating, marriage, and welcoming the newborn—all of these happened during this period.” — Owner Ju-Hui
Ju-Hui took over the family business, Sheng Feng, and in 2017, opened the first old house craft beer bar in Lukang on Lukang Bystreet, introducing a new chapter to Lukang’s nightlife. In addition to running the local bar, he also became actively involved in various local affairs, including becoming the host of ceremonial rites for Jinling Temple in Niuxutou, participating in the Hexing Police Station Taizi Association, local voluntary patrols, and the Hsu Family Clan Association. Naturally, he was always present on the scene, showing unwavering dedication. He met Yi-Wen at a lecture about old houses, eventually marrying her and embarking on a new chapter at Home Bar Lukang. Now that Ju-Hui runs the bar with his own family, they bring more warmth to the place.
2F The Lukang Renaissance Association
“It feels like our momentum to act has shifted from physical labor to mental and verbal labor.”— Member Ching-Yeh
As partners gradually started building their families and careers, the local participation-focused group we initially founded began taking on different missions. The most notable transformation during recent gatherings has been in “language.” Having sensed the significant decline of the Taiwanese (Hokkien) dialect in daily life, we have decided to use it as the primary language for our monthly meet-ups and community discussions. Furthermore, we are planning to encourage more local businesses during community business district events to create a friendly environment for the development of the Taiwanese language.
2F The Kids From Lukang Cultural Enterprise Ltd.
“We chose to return to Lukang and have a life here, so we created the work we do today.”— Manager An-Nong
The Kids From Lukang has now become the brain of the entire creative revitalization system. Starting in 2018, we planned to expand the team. After two generations of member changes, we established our focus on being a local project planning company, prioritizing the development of “creative talent” in collaboration with local industries. By undertaking government-funded projects and corporate commissions, we also enhanced the team’s professional skills in marketing, design, and project planning. This made local life and industry development richer and more diverse, enabling a vibrant and unique lifestyle that attracts talent to stay.
C. No.163, Zhongshan Road
1F Skinny Café x Lukang Main Street
“Through setting up a store-in-a-store in an old building in Lukang, we look forward to creating various new experiences.”— Owner Chris
For the front building’s ground floor designated for a small-scale commercial operation, we invited Skinny Café from Changhua to set up shop. Back then, when in Changhua City, we often stopped by Skinny Café to chat with Chris. Our relationship started as customers enjoying a cup of coffee, which later led to our collaboration on a new space in Lukang. The different stages of our partnership brought about various opportunities for learning as well. With our respective wealth of social experience, we quickly found a shared language and launched professional divisions of labor. Additionally, our previous experience in running storefronts offered a fresh perspective for this collaboration. For both sides, it has been a fantastic opportunity for growth.
The Spirit of the Arts Festival Shapes the Local Community!
This is the culmination of ten years of growth, development, and transformation. Initially, I used The Kids From Lukang as a foundation to explore the process of building a local team through an analogy of a tree ecosystem. As the plan was implemented, I realized over time that forming a mutually supportive ecosystem requires the establishment of various creative revitalization businesses. By helping one another, everyone can not only survive but “live well.” A thriving local community is what truly attracts more people willing to invest their efforts, creating opportunities to shape the ideal place we envision!
