Yunlin Storyhouse

"Yunlin Story Map: Desert, Oasis, Kingdom of Wisdom" centers on the years of efforts by Yunlin Storytellers in promoting the Hope Culture Project, reading promotion, geographical walking tours, community picture books, story houses, and Stories Without Borders. It organizes how stories act like invisible threads, connecting people, communities, nature, and the past, present, and future of a place. Using "Desert, Oasis, and Kingdom of Wisdom" as metaphors, the book presents how resource-poor areas can grow into an oasis of sharing, creation, and cultural participation through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and performing stories.

“Yunlin Story Movement: Traveling with Stories” begins with the Yunlin Storyteller Association's encouragement of amateur creations in the "My Cloth Book" project, demonstrating how local picture books serve as landmarks for exploring Yunlin. Using hand-drawn maps and the concept of story-based travel, the book connects Mailiao, Lunbei, Erlun, Xiluo, Citong, Linnei, Taixi, Dongshi, Baozhong, Tuku, Huwei, Douliu, Dounan, Dapi, Gukeng, Shuilin, Beigang, Yuanchang, Sihu, Kouhu, and other areas. It invites readers to follow these stories to the memory sites of communities, the land, and the people.

In the town of Huwei, there stands a Japanese-style wooden house that once served as the Residence of the Huwei District Magistrate, estimated to have been built between 1920 and 1923. Over time, due to weathering and a long-term lack of proper maintenance and management, its fate hung in the balance. Fortunately, through the dedicated efforts of passionate individuals, the Yunlin Story House was established.

Over the past 16 years, starting from scratch and flourishing through hard work, it has become the local cultural center with the highest number of visitors in Taiwan, hailed as the "cultural living room" with the most authentic Taiwanese flavor. This book interviews Ms. Tang Li-fang, winner of the 2023 Ministry of Culture's Cultural Association Award, discussing the original intentions and implementation methods of collecting stories through walking tours since its founding, the influence of stories, and the gradual construction of local studies, happiness studies, and futurology. This is a true case study of Taiwan's most local yet international small museum, featuring a full two-year record of step-by-step practical implementation.