To convey the warmth and hospitality of Yilan’s people as well as the natural beauty of the county’s mountains and forests, the Yilan County Government has harnessed the power of creative design to connect local nature with everyday life. This effort aligns with Yilan’s long-standing vision of cultivating “Children’s Dreamlands” and becoming a “Creative City.” Out of this vision, the Yilan Chair International Design Award was born, serving as a key initiative for developing Yilan’s cultural and creative industries in children’s products, including furniture, stationery, and toys.
The Yilan Chair International Design Award positions the city itself as a design competition brand. Over the past five years, it has accumulated nearly 4,000 submissions, and in 2017, it attracted participants from as many as 35 countries. Through competitions, invitations to professional designers, design study tours, and exhibition promotions, the award collaborates closely with Taiwan’s diverse local timber industries and finely honed traditional crafts. This partnership has elevated the competition into a major platform for international design talent exchange, establishing it as one of Taiwan’s premier international design awards in the furniture and cultural creative sectors.
Yilan County has developed its identity around culture, environmental sustainability, and tourism. By integrating cultural heritage, ecological sustainability, and smoke-free tourism, Yilan has cultivated a unique “Yilan Experience.” Now entering its sixth year, the Yilan Chair Design Award continues to uphold its core value of “Green Cultural Creation & Forest Aesthetics.” The competition embraces the belief that design is a source of warmth capable of bringing joy and positive change to diverse audiences. It has expanded its focus to address themes of respect for diverse communities and environmentally friendly sustainable living, aiming to create a truly sustainable and livable environment—what can be called a “dreamland for life.”
Designers are invited to draw inspiration from Yilan’s local natural landscapes, lifestyle, folk festivals, traditional crafts, natural materials, and production techniques. Through creative design, they are encouraged to translate these core values and themes into seating design and children’s seating design. The use of natural and recycled materials is emphasized to reflect Yilan’s local characteristics and foster harmonious, sustainable interactions between people and the natural environment.
Date: 2018/10/27-2018/12/04
Location: Yilan Chung Hsing Cultural and Creative Park
