Congratulations! Alishan National Scenic Area Administration of Tourism Bureau, MOTC (hereinafter the Alishan Administration) entered Chukou Visitor Center in the “2021 Muse Design Awards” competition and it has won the silver award. Among 4,876 entries worldwide, Chukou Visitor Center truly stood out and won the Silver award in the Interior Design category. Taiwan’s “soft power” in design has once again been seen by the world.

Hong Weixin, director of Alishan Administration, stated that, in order for Chukou Visitor Center to better serve visitors, renovation is in plan this year to feature the six main themes of railways, ecology, indigenous culture, romance, tea, and coffee of Alishan to make it more approachable to visitors. Industry promotion sections, rest space, and visitor inquiry sections will be added with displays of original illustrations, multimedia installations, and real-size models. In addition, existing exhibits will be upgraded. New ecological window boxes containing unique ecological features of Alishan, including Taiwan salamanders, owls, collared bush robins, white-faced flying squirrels, and Taiwan blue pheasants will be set up. The animals are partially hidden behind the glass. When people want to take a closer look, they will not see them clearly because of the unique structure of the glass. Only when they step back to allow more distance from the exhibits that they can see more clearly. This is to echo the relationship between man and the environment. Humans must respect the nature in order to preserve the integrity and richness of it in a sustainable manner.

Another highlight of the visitor center is the interactive forest section, inspired by artist René Magritte’s 1965 work “Le Blanc Seing.” Adopting the form of surrealism, elements of reality such as the body, shadow, mountains, and forests are dissected, displaced, and reconstructed so that Alishan's image can transcend reality and new sensory interpretations can be created in the interaction with reality. People, light, and shadow are reshaped through space, transforming the originally dark and claustrophobic Visitor Center into a bright and comfortable space for families, children, and visitors. The recognition given by the 2021 Muse Design Awards is appreciated. It relays the beauty of Taiwan to the world, allowing the world to see Taiwan.