Cross-cultural visual communication at the Wanchin Church in Taiwan

Abstract

This visual essay presents seven photos taken at the Wanchin Church and a nearby place during my fieldwork in Wanchin Village in southern Taiwan. While Wanchin Church serves as a working Catholic church, it does not propagate its faith in conventional ways. To facilitate cross-cultural exchange with local communities, it has integrated Taiwanese folk traditions into its missionary work. Rather than comment on Catholic doctrine and its religious values, this visual essay focuses on diverse visual elements of religion and their connection to different communities and cultures in Wanchin Village. These photos tell stories about how a foreign religion has transformed its visual language to fit in with local customs and lifestyles.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to thank all the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments that helped strengthen my narratives. I am also grateful to Specialist Editor Professor John Grady for his kind guidance during my paper submission. Additionally, I must thank my family for taking me to Wanchin Village and providing the necessary support during my fieldwork.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chong-Wen Chen

Chong-Wen Chen is Associate Professor of Information Communication at Yuan Ze University. He is also a graphic designer and 3D animator who has received several awards and holds patents for his creations. His research currently focuses on cross-cultural design, product innovation, and sustainable development. He has conducted interdisciplinary studies for over ten years. His papers have been published in Design and Culture, The Design Journal, Sustainable Cities and Society, Journal of Cleaner Production, Sustainability, and the Johnson Matthey Technology Review. Chen received his PhD in Industrial Design from National Cheng Kung University and MS and BS in Visual Design and Fine Art from National Kaohsiung Normal University.