A FEW months ago I took a trip to Taiwan and it was there I discovered the wonders of being a child again through art installations and sculptures based on the work of Taiwanese illustrator and picture book writer Jimmy Liao.
Chateau de Chine, at first glance, is already a pop of whimsy in the middle of the city of Hualien. A big white building, with splotches of color, that corners a metal skeleton of the globe filled with colorful gifts and a statue of a cartoon lion hugging a child—all on top of a huge gift labelled “Chateau de Chine”—is what greets guests who first round the entrance of the hotel. But what is outside the hotel is only a pale foreshadowing of what lies within.
Within the walls of the hotel are floors of themed rooms that evoke the comforting feeling of bliss only a child’s nursery can give. Scattered around the vicinity are sculptures of children hugging animals and objects as the whole hotel circulates around the theme of “Embrace.” One of the facilities includes a room with the theme of “Alice in Wonderland” where children can borrow costumes and play on a musical floor.
A few train stops away from Hualien is Yilan Station. The moment one steps out of the platform, it feels like the beginning of a walk to the theme park—with splotches and blotches of whimsical imagery on the walls around. Somewhere down the street are ruins of old buildings that were aesthetically rehabilitated into a picturesque creative placement square. The art was made by Jimmy Liao, who made it specially for Yilan (because it is his hometown), and used the themes of destination, travel and imagination.
The area is called “Jimmy Park,” also known as “Jimmy Square,” because all of the special works made by Jimmy can be toured in a square. The biggest attraction in the park is called “Starry Starry Night,” where the image of a boy and a train fly into the sky imagining a journey of wonder.
For those who plan on dropping by Taiwan and want to visit places outside of Taipei that bring out their inner child, a stay at Chateau de Chine in Hualien and visit to Jimmy Park through the Yilan Station are good stops to add to the itinerary.