The carriages of a Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train decorated to resemble the interiors of the National Theater and National Concert Hall (NTCH) and the Performing Arts Library were unveiled yesterday and are to run for four months on the Red Line.
The six-carriage train, named “Art, Imagination and Virtuality NTCH x Metro,” is a cooperative project between the National Theater and Concert Hall and Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), to mark the 30th anniversary of the nation’s premier performing arts center.
NTCH artistic director Lee Huey-mei (李惠美), TRTC chairman Ray Dawn (董瑞斌) and reporters were among the first passengers to see the new carriages.
Photo: courtesy of the National Theater and National Concert Hall
Photographs of the interiors of the theater, concert hall and library are wallpapered on the inside of the carriages, while some seats have been replaced with red-cushioned chairs, similar to those found in the theater and concert hall.
The train’s first two carriages showcase the theater, the middle two the library, and the last two the concert hall.
Featured in the photographs are the concert hall’s organ and spiral staircase, as well as the theater’s crystal chandeliers.
The two library cars have text about the films, posters, records and videos in the library’s collection, with QR codes linking passengers to digital files.
“About 2 million people use the Taipei MRT. By making information available through this virtual experience, we hope people will be interested in finding out more about Taipei’s arts venues,” Lee said.
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