New Taipei Sanying MRT to transform daily commute into cultural corridor

新北三鶯線將日常通勤轉變為文化走廊

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Sanying Mass Rapid Transit line in New Taipei is on track to open next year, bringing with it a celebration of art and local culture woven into the daily commute.

Each of the line’s 12 stations will feature site-specific public artworks, a concept New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) on Thursday described as turning the new MRT into a “mobile art museum.” The initiative is designed to reflect the city’s identity while offering commuters a gallery-like experience as they move through their day.

At Yingge Old Street Station, the city’s ceramics heritage takes center stage. Japanese artist Otsuka Asako’s installation will be joined by a collaborative work from Taiwanese artist Liou Chen-chou (劉鎮洲).

Liou invited nearly 70 ceramic artists from across Taiwan to create a series of ceramic panels. These wrap around the station’s columns and extend onto the ceiling in cloud-like forms, evoking the vitality of Yingge’s craft.

Yingge, long known as Taiwan’s ceramics capital, has a history that dates back to 1805, when its soil was found to be ideal for clay work. Abundant coal reserves, access to water, and convenient railway transport later fueled the rise of kilns, according to the Tourism Administration.

At its peak, nearly 1,000 factories operated in the town. Today, Yingge remains a ceramics hub, with more than 800 factories and countless artisan shops clustered along Yingge Old Street and Ceramics Street.

Beyond the MRT stations, public spaces such as the Nanying Activity Center and Gongsan Park will be connected with the new artworks to create a network of recreational areas. With Yingge Old Street just a three-minute walk from the station, the city hopes the line will draw more visitors and establish a cultural corridor blending transport, leisure, and art.

Construction of the line is 93% complete, with all 29 train sets delivered and testing progressing on schedule, according to the New Taipei City Mass Rapid Transit Engineering Bureau.