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By Stanley Yen, Chairman of the Alliance Cultural Foundation
With the release of Paul Chiang: Art Can Purify the Soul, the Paul Chiang Art Center will open in spring 2025. As a co-initiator of the project, I’m filled with deep gratitude and emotion as this day arrives.
People often call the artist Paul Chiang “Teacher Chiang”—not only out of respect and closeness, but because we’ve learned so much from him. I first met Teacher Chiang when we were both still living in Taipei. At first, I was amazed by his Hundred Year Temple series, and later, his Silver Lake series moved me even more deeply. It was the first time I truly experienced how art could calm the soul and transform a space.
At the end of 2009, the Alliance Cultural Foundation (ACF) was officially established. A year earlier, I had already begun developing projects in Hualien and Taitung. At the time, the region was still reeling from the devastation of Typhoon Morakot—streets were quiet, and business was slow. We threw ourselves into the work, urgently seeking ways to spark renewal through the foundation’s influence. I was frequently traveling to Taitung and eventually decided to rent a place and settle there. Around that time, I heard from a friend that Teacher Chiang—whom I had long admired—had already made Taitung his home and begun a new chapter of life.
Finally, one day, we met in Jinzun. Watching him tirelessly create inside a metal shed filled with the scent of oil paint, we saw his work radiating a brightness and color we had never seen before. We could faintly sense the force of his breakthrough and his attempt to step into a new artistic realm.
What’s even more incredible is that the closer people got to him, the more they were drawn to him—yet he remained ever humble. He carried the quiet grace of a practitioner, with a spark in his eyes. Whenever I was promoting non-profit initiatives, I couldn’t help but bring friends and guests to visit his studio again and again—to witness how a great artist lived in seclusion in this remote place by the sea and mountains.
Perfect Dream-Chasing Partners
As we shared a wide range of ideas, we soon became like family. There were many things left unsaid, as we understood each other without words.
Having spent enough time together, I learned that his lifelong dream was to build a park dedicated to art. In fact, he had pursued this idea during his youth on Long Island. Upon arriving in Taitung, surrounded by the poetic beauty of this heavenly place, his dream was rekindled. As someone who has always viewed myself as a cultural tourism planner, I immediately saw this as a golden opportunity to reshape the future of Taitung’s rural areas and bring them onto the global stage.
Thus, the two of us, both in our sixties at the time, embarked on a journey fueled by dreams. This vision had been brewing for at least 12 or 13 years, possibly dating back to 2011, when the idea first took root.
The difficulties and pressures—both visible and invisible—in realizing the dream were beyond words. Fortunately, I quickly realized that administration, finance, public relations, and fundraising were not an artist’s domain. We became the perfect match: he focused on artistic creation and pushing the boundaries of expression, while my team handled everything else. The partners within the ACF nonprofit platform naturally became the key drivers behind the scenes. The project application alone went through over a dozen revisions—and that was just the paperwork. Once construction began, the challenges quickly multiplied.
In 2020, Paul Chiang: A Retrospective was both an artistic feast and a pivotal catalyst. The exhibition allowed the people of Taiwan to rediscover Teacher Chiang, resulting in a steady stream of subsequent exhibition invitations. While it deeply moved many, it also resonated on a broader aesthetic level. Perhaps its most significant contribution to the art park was the heartfelt support it inspired from various angel patrons who stepped forward to help.
Now, standing at a corner of the park, gazing at the five artistic buildings, the Tranquil Pond, the long horizontal Pacific-view window, and the lush greenery, everything feels almost surreal.
With the publication of Teacher Chiang’s complete biography, Paul Chiang: Art Can Purify the Soul, we express our heartfelt thanks to all the angel patrons. Each building in the park is named after the individual or organization that sponsored it, as a gesture of our sincere gratitude.
From Paul Chiang to Taitung to the Blossoming of Taiwan
Our deepest gratitude goes to Teacher Chiang and his wife, Claire Fan. Through the sale of paintings and personal property, they gradually acquired the land for both the first and second phases of the park’s construction. They also donated the home they built and the land they purchased upon arriving in Taitung—acts that truly embody the spirit of “giving everything.” Without their initial sacrifice and generosity, none of this would have been possible.
Despite the challenges over the past five or six years since construction began, we have successfully completed the five iconic buildings, the park, and the surrounding landscape without major setbacks. While much work still lies ahead, a dream that began with just two people has grown into a shared vision embraced by many.
Our wishes may be grand, but they are not mere wishful thinking—we recognize the true value of the entire endeavor. Wealth follows its own currents and causes, but when transformed into a work of art or an art park, it gains the potential to endure, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy.
In fact, from the very beginning of the planning process, my intuition told me clearly: the Paul Chiang Art Park would not center on Paul Chiang himself, but would instead highlight exceptional artists, cultural workers, and the captivating beauty of Hualien and Taitung's landscapes.
I look forward to the day when the art park becomes a vital international hub for a sustainable future in Hualien and Taitung. I firmly believe that Paul Chiang is just the beginning—and that, in time, the entire Hualien-Taitung region will step onto the world stage.
Many people ask whether we’ve faced setbacks or ever considered giving up. The truth is, we remain hopelessly optimistic.
Looking at Teacher Chiang, the construction over the past few years has already encroached upon his original studio. Yet, during those hot summer months, when no proper space was available, he would simply set up a canopy and continue creating. His dedication has never wavered—from the past to the present. Now that we are both in our seventies, we deeply resonate with the words of contemporary poet Zang Kejia on aging: "The old ox knows the dusk is nigh; still, he strides on, no whip required." These words truly capture how we feel.
Throughout this journey, I’ve come to feel—more than ever—that in this moment, as time and circumstance align, we’ve met heart to heart, one quiet devotion stirring another. With gratitude and resolve, we offer our efforts to this beloved land.
Master Sheng-Yen once said, "The void is finite, but my vow is infinite." The boundless power of that vow has made me realize just how fortunate my life has been—how lucky we are to have taken part in this once-in-a-century artistic endeavor, walking alongside Teacher Chiang on such a meaningful journey.
Perhaps one day our names will be forgotten, but through our collective efforts, we will have left behind a lasting, sustainable legacy of beauty for generations to come.
As I close this preface, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Wu Chin-Hsun for writing this book and for his steadfast companionship throughout the journey. I am also deeply grateful to former Taitung County Magistrate Huang Chien-Ting, former Deputy Magistrate Chang Chi-Yi, Magistrate April Yao, Deputy Magistrate Wang Chih-Hui, and all the members of the county government team for their recognition and support of the Paul Chiang Art Center project. Special thanks also go to Chairman Liao Ming-Bin of Fuguach Architecture, architects Yu-Han Michael Lin and Huang Wen-Jung, and the entire construction team. Together, we weathered the challenges of the pandemic and rising construction costs, and ultimately brought this beautiful dream to life.
Thus ends my preface.
Text excerpted from Paul Chiang: Art Can Purify the Soul, published by Global Views – Commonwealth Publishing Group. Photos courtesy of the Paul Chiang Arts & Culture Foundation. All rights reserved.