Yunlin Puppet Theater Center Construction Begins After Years of Delays, Budget Increase

After numerous setbacks, the Yunlin County Puppet Theater Center is finally under construction, with work commencing last week. The project, initially budgeted at NT$960 million, faced significant delays and a contract termination due to contractor progress issues. It subsequently endured five failed bids before the county government raised the budget to NT$1.268 billion.

The center, located in Huwei Township's Agricultural Expo Park, received NT$500 million in subsidies from the Ministry of Culture. However, fluctuating material prices and subsequent bids failing to attract contractors, even after an additional NT$500 million donation from the Formosa Plastics Group, led to repeated delays. The original completion date was May 2023, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war caused labor shortages and price hikes.

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The Yunlin County Puppet Theater Center is an important cultural landmark for Yunlin and a national-level base for puppet theater heritage.

The county's Department of Transportation and Public Works terminated the contract with the original contractor in July last year. After four more failed bids with the initial budget, the project's cost was re-evaluated and increased in May. The fifth bid also failed due to only one bidder. Finally, on June 24, the project was awarded to a consortium including Yi Li Construction, Jia Qun Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and Zhi Bang Air Conditioning.

The new team began construction on July 8, with a target completion date of October next year. The center is envisioned as a significant cultural landmark for Yunlin and a national heritage base for Taiwanese puppetry. It will feature a 405-seat performance hall, a black box theater, a training academy, a museum, exhibition spaces, and administrative facilities. The surrounding park will include an outdoor theater, a lake, and parking.

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We will strictly supervise the construction quality and progress to ensure the long-delayed construction is completed and put into use as soon as possible.