TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City will premiere a ten-episode docuseries Friday (Aug. 14) profiling artisans from Nepal, Germany and across Taiwan. The municipality seeks to highlight its identity as an "immigrant city" through craftspeople who have made it their home.
"Unboxing New Taipei Life" (新北生活開箱中) will air at noon every Friday on the city's public access channel CH3 and online platforms. Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) announced the series at a press conference Monday (Aug. 11).
"New Taipei can be called an 'immigrant city,'" Hou told reporters. "People from different places have chosen to put down roots here, bringing diverse lifestyles and experiences."
The series features 10 groups of artisans spanning education, traditional crafts, cultural heritage, marine culture and lifestyle aesthetics. The first episode profiles Tsai Lung-chin (蔡龍進), a traditional temple painter who has devoted years to preserving the art form.
The series also features Sister Maryta Laumann (羅麥瑞), a German professor who founded Fu Jen Catholic University's (輔仁大學) Textiles and Clothing Department; Wu Tien-shou (吳天壽), a harbor pilot at Taipei Port; the Mao'ao Community Development Association (卯澳社區發展協會), which promotes the sea women culture of Gongliao (貢寮); and Chen Chun-tien (陳俊天), a handmade ink craftsman.
Lee Li-chen (李利貞), director-general of the New Taipei City Information Department, said each episode will document the artisans' daily work routines and professional dedication. "We want viewers to understand the expertise and stories behind these professions," Lee said.
Hou emphasized the broader significance of the initiative. "Many artisans quietly guard their craft for a lifetime," he said. "When they are seen and discovered, we witness their resilience, and the greatness of this city."
The series will simulcast on all 13 cable TV operators' CH3 public access channels in New Taipei. It will also stream on the "My New Taipei City" (我的新北市) Facebook page and YouTube channel, TVBS News YouTube and the TVBS website. Reruns will air on Saturdays and alternate Wednesdays at noon on CH3.
The 13 cable TV operators in New Taipei formed the "New Taipei City Public Access Channel Revitalization Committee" (新北市公用頻道活化運用委員會) to jointly develop content for CH3. The Information Department said it continues to guide operators in improving the quality and reach of public access programming.
"These ten artisans are just a start," Hou said. "I believe New Taipei has many more waiting to be found, one by one." ◼