People are reinventing the image of Changhua County’s iconic Baguashan Great Buddha landmark in different styles ahead of the Taiwan Design Expo.
Taiwan’s Design Expo will be held in Changhua this October, prompting the county government to launch a creative design contest featuring the famous Baguashan Great Buddha as its centerpiece. The competition encouraged the public to reinterpret the iconic landmark, resulting in over 400 submissions that dramatically challenged traditional perceptions of the sacred statue.
The winning entry, titled "Buddha Wanders Night Market," depicts the Great Buddha in cute cartoon form watching over a bustling night market. The design incorporates local delicacies like kimchi wraps and QQ balls. This creative fusion of street food culture with religious imagery captured voters' attention through its playful yet respectful approach to local traditions.
The second-place design presents the Buddha overlooking a futuristic cityscape with floating vehicles shuttling through the night sky, creating a sci-fi aesthetic. The third-place winner focused on "Love and Peace," dressing the Buddha in rainbow colors to symbolize diversity, inclusion, and equality—a message of universal harmony and acceptance.
While some residents appreciated the creativity and potential to attract younger visitors, others questioned whether such avant-garde interpretations maintained appropriate reverence for the sacred figure. Changhua County official Lai Ru-ya (賴如雅) praised the imaginative submissions, noting how creative design could inject fresh vitality into local landmarks while generating public discussion ahead of October's major design exhibition.