The 8th "2025 Yan Xia Never Sleeps" night art exhibition hosted by National Sun Yat-sen University will be held in Fubei Park, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City from May 10th to 17th. This year's event is themed "Salt for a Good Taste" and features carefully planned installation art, interactive performances, markets and guided tours. Through a sensory experience that interweaves taste, vision, hearing and memory, the event invites citizens to rediscover the meaning of "eating" and experience the historical and cultural charm of Yancheng."Zha Hao Jia" means "so delicious" in Taiwanese. It is not only a compliment to the food, but also carries the eating habits passed down from generation to generation, immigrant memories and cultural evolution. The curatorial team said: "Delicious food is not only a taste enjoyment, but also a review of life and an emotional connection with the land." This year's theme of the event is "people", "gods" and "drinking", leading the public to rethink the deep meaning of "delicious food" from temple culture, family tables to the flavors of the streets.

The exhibition area covers Fubei Park and its surrounding blocks, with a total of 13 installation art works on display, jointly created by Sun Yat-sen University students and local communities. Student works such as "Faith 404" and "Yancheng. Continued" are presented in the form of technological art, leading the public to explore spaces such as Qifu Shopping Center and Dagouding, reflecting on the cultural significance of religious offerings and local delicacies. In addition, "Food Pot Kids" created by local children interprets the homely taste in memory from a childlike perspective; "Seasonal Seasons on the Plate" co-produced with Yangfan Housewives Club records the solar terms and emotions that flow through women in the kitchen. “These works are not only visual presentations, but also a process of learning from the community, so that art can truly be integrated into daily life.”

In order to allow more people to have a deeper understanding of the exhibition, this year's special role-playing street tour is launched, and for the first time, a QR code scanning audio guide is set up to detail the creation process and behind-the-scenes stories of the installation art, hoping to make the art exhibition a bridge connecting the community and culture.In terms of interactive performances, six teams were invited to perform at Fubei Park on May 10, 11 and 17. Combining tradition and innovation, the Sun Yat-sen University Nanyan Chinese Orchestra will present the "Wild Goose Comes to Cover the Beautiful Scene" concert on the opening night; followed by "Classic English Song Night" by Vic Music, which will perform classic hits that were popular in Yancheng during the American military presence in the 1940s with saxophone and female voices. Xiangzuo Theater created "This is the Taste of Salt", which strings together the taste memories of Yancheng from the perspective of a returning wanderer. The finale was the Guangrong Taiko Troupe and Guangrong Elementary School flash mob performance, which was based on the traditional "drum dancing" culture, showing the children's energy in practicing and their respect for the gods, and conveying local history and spirit of unity through rhythm and body movements.

Market activities are also a highlight this year. The organizer uses the concept of "sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty" to connect the Yancheng Street District, Qifu Shopping Center and Hong Kong Shopping Center into a taste map, bringing together local specialties and personal memories. Local stores including Hanpin Hotel, Nachikouli and Bingdi Manufacturing will participate in the "Three Cups Competition", using tea cups, wine glasses and coffee cups as inspiration to serve creative dishes and drinks, hoping to drive the revitalization of the local business district. In addition to the main market, a second-hand sustainable market is also held to continue the spirit of material reuse and local mutual assistance.

Song Shixiang, assistant professor of the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Program in Humanities and Technology at National Sun Yat-sen University, who directed the curation and creation of the exhibition, said, "Yanxia Never-Sleeping City has been in operation for eight years since 2018, and has been deeply rooted in the Fubei community for four years after the fire in City Center. I am very happy to see that the business district around Fubei Park here is recovering, and many young people are starting to start businesses. I believe that the students' wonderful activities will lead more young people into the Fubei community and make it more vibrant." The event was co-organized by the National Sun Yat-sen University USR Co-creation of the Yancheng Creative District Project, the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Program in Humanities and Technology, and the Fubei Village Chief's Office in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City; co-organized by local organizations such as the Kaohsiung Fubei Community Development Association, Kaohsiung Xiahai City God Temple, and Yancheng Shaduo Temple; guided by the Social Practice and Development Research Center of National Sun Yat-sen University and the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Deepening Project; corporate sponsors include the Radiant Education Foundation, Kaohsiung Hanpin Hotel, Taiwan Fuxing Culture and Education Foundation, and Jieying International Business Co., Ltd.

NEWS source：https://focus.586.com.tw/2025/05/13/p346589/