The Directorate-General of Highways is to release a short film highlighting popular spots and cultural activities along Provincial Highway No. 61, the agency announced on Wednesday.
The film was produced in collaboration with Taiwan AI Labs and the Chi Po-li Foundation.
Highway No. 61, also known as the West Coast Highway, which runs from New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) to Qigu District (七股) in Tainan, has been under construction since 1991. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
The Ministry of Communications and Transportation hopes to remake the image of the highway, which has been called the “poor man’s highway” due to the absence of toll stations, into one in which travelers would be able to admire the beauty of Taiwan’s coastline, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
“The ministry hopes travelers will be encouraged to stop at sites along the highway to learn about the history and culture of local areas,” Lin said.
Half of the footage in the new film is from documentary maker Chi Po-lin’s (齊柏林) acclaimed 2013 Beyond Beauty — Taiwan From Above (看見台灣), which showcased the diversity of Taiwan through aerial photography, but also highlighted environmental damage from urbanization and pollution.
The agency said that it filmed a 37km stretch of the highway and its surroundings, including the Gaomei Wetlands (高美濕地), Wuci Harbor (梧棲漁港) and 12 other sites.
Taiwan AI Labs founder Tu Yi-chin (杜奕瑾) said his company used artificial intelligence (AI) to create the rest of the footage in Chi’s style.
Chi’s documentary helped turn public attention to ecological and environmental conservation, and his efforts should serve as a model for civil servants, the agency said.
Chi worked for the ministry for many years, documenting major construction projects from the air, before quitting his job in 2009 to pursue his dream of making a film about the importance of environmental protection.
Chi was killed in a helicopter crash in Hualien County in June 2017 while filming a sequel to Beyond Beauty.
Additional reporting by Diane Baker
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