Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

This study focuses on the Daxi Daxi Festival procession culture and explores how traditional religious processions can be reinterpreted through creative design and new perspectives to achieve contemporary cultural expression. Procession culture is an important folk belief practice in Taiwan, carrying local historical memory, religious faith, and collective identity. However, under modern social changes, how to keep traditional culture visible and encourage participation from younger generations has become an important issue. This research adopts qualitative analysis to examine the visual design, Guan Sheng Dijun imagery, amulets, costumes, souvenirs, and event curation of the Daxi Daxi Festival from 2018 to 2024, and summarizes the creative strategies and cultural symbolism involved. The results show that through design transformation, reconstruction of local culture, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, the festival successfully revitalizes traditional belief culture and presents it in a contemporary form, increasing public participation. The study suggests that traditional culture should not only be preserved but also treated as a resource for innovation. Through cooperation with local elementary schools, cultural education can take root at a younger age and promote intergenerational participation, providing a practical example for the sustainable development of local culture.

Results/Contributions

This study takes the Daxi Daxi Festival pilgrimage culture as the research subject to explore the cultural significance and contemporary value of local cultural festivals in Taiwan. The results indicate that local festivals are not only expressions of religious belief, but also carry local historical memory, community identity, and collective cultural values, playing an important role in strengthening social cohesion and sustaining cultural traditions. Through the analysis of festival activities and visual design in the Daxi Daxi Festival, it is found that while preserving the traditional spirit of pilgrimage rituals, the festival also incorporates contemporary design concepts and cultural creativity, enabling the tradition to be understood and participated in by different generations.

In addition, the Daxi Daxi Festival reinterprets traditional cultural symbols through annual themes, poster design, visual transformation of Guan Sheng Dijun, and the development of related merchandise. This process demonstrates the ability of local festivals to transform and adapt within modern society. The integration of cultural preservation and creative design not only enhances the visibility of the festival but also strengthens local residents’ sense of cultural identity and participation.

In conclusion, Taiwanese local cultural festivals embody multiple meanings, including religious inheritance, local identity, cultural education, and creative transformation. By introducing creative design and innovative thinking, the Daxi Daxi Festival successfully enables traditional pilgrimage culture to continue developing in contemporary society, becoming a representative example of a local festival that combines cultural heritage with modern relevance.

Keywords

Daxi Daxi, procession culture, cultural elements, Holy Emperor Guan, creative design

References

1. https://www.facebook.com/DaxiCulFes/?locale=zh_TW

Daxi Daxi Official Facebook Page.

2. https://www.daxidaxi.tw/overview

Daxi Daxi Official Website.

3. https://daxiculture.tycg.gov.tw/

Daxi Culture Resource Website, Taoyuan City Government.