Solo jaunt.
So as you know I have a map of derelict sites I have to do while I'm here in Taiwan, and it so happens to be that there is a cluster of cinemas located in Yunlin, central Taiwan. As one of Taiwan's ex-industrial areas, and now mostly vast farming land, back in the 1940s and up to the 1980s this was quite a busy area with lots of workers moving to live in this area. Nowadays however, as is the case the world over, people are moving into cities at alarming rates, leaving very few people behind in the rural, farming counties. As such, the vast majority of the entertainment venues and once-vibrant streets of the towns that are situated around Yunlin county are desolate and crumbling. Located within a very close range, here are four cinemas and theaters, all of which were built and closed at roughly the same time. Not particularly worthy of their own reports, here they are together in one concise report.
西螺大戲院/Xiluo Theater
Along with Dianji which is covered in my last report, this is one of Taiwan's most popular exploring sites; a rite of passage if you will. Because I didn't have a scooter licence until recently, and because I focused on bigger targets, I didn't actually do this until now, and to be honest it feels like I'm too late to the party. It's like being a veteran explorer (as in terms of 28's lifespan, I am), but never doing somewhere like Denbigh or Talgarth asylum in the UK until you're years and years into your exploring tenure. But then, as I guess I do feel with some sites, if you do miss the chance to do something and its gone forever you'll regret missing it, even if only mildly (which is what you can say of me refusing to do West Park or Whittingham asylum, both of which I had chances to do). But before it disappears or is repaired, here it is.
To give you a concise history, it was built in 1937, replacing a wooden theater that was from the 1920s. During Taiwan's cinema boom, it was a top level cinema that rivalled those in the capital city, Taibei hence the name Xiluo's Ximending. In its golden age, you'd find the chance to see puppet shows, opera, concerts alongside films. Perhaps you'd even find private events. But as is the case with all cinemas mentioned here, consumer habits, the VHS and home TV revolution, alongside the obvious exodus of residents to larger cities, the theater closed in 1988.
In recent years the seats have been removed, so it does feel like I'm too late to visit this
Rusted scaffolding holds up a collapsing roof beam
Local people don't care if you go inside, and the place is absolutely wide open, but unfortunately it‘s becoming progressively more dangerous to navigate. I'd have loved to have seen the projection room even if the last projector was removed in 2015, but the wooden balcony looks seriously dangerous. With no concrete underfoot to support it, stepping on here was out of the question.
There was a ladder to the projection room at the back, but again this had completely rotted away over time.
Inside the entrance foyer and outside are old pictures of how the cinema once looked in its full grandeur
昇平大戲院/Shengping Theater
Whilst not completely ignored, this cinema has gone mostly ignored by the exploring and historic community and very few pictures have been seen from the inside. Located in a small town called Lunbei (崙背), it was built down a back alley in November 1943, opening in January 1944 with a capacity of 1,000 people. It was a popular place with locals and kids, a place to watch movies as well as opera and puppet shows. However as is the case with the other three, the aforementioned factors meant that locals moved away and so the cinema closed at an unspecified time, but presumably in the 1980s as is the case with the other three.
As things stand today, the entrance and the right of the auditorium are used to store junk and recycling, which takes away much of the appeal. Nevertheless, because so few people chose to explore this place and share their photos, I had to see it for myself.
Making my way to the projection room up a rotting ladder, I climb across the floor on all fours so as to avoid it collapsing under my feet. Inside, the projection room had had its projectors removed, but vintage posters from old films were still glued to the wall, which was a pleasure to see.
Peeping into the auditorium through the projection hole
No film reels, but old film tape is scattered on the floor
The left of the auditorium from here is cordoned off and filled with long-disused junk
One highly unusual feature of this cinema which I have never seen before is a fenced off stage.
The austere-looking front
So as you know I have a map of derelict sites I have to do while I'm here in Taiwan, and it so happens to be that there is a cluster of cinemas located in Yunlin, central Taiwan. As one of Taiwan's ex-industrial areas, and now mostly vast farming land, back in the 1940s and up to the 1980s this was quite a busy area with lots of workers moving to live in this area. Nowadays however, as is the case the world over, people are moving into cities at alarming rates, leaving very few people behind in the rural, farming counties. As such, the vast majority of the entertainment venues and once-vibrant streets of the towns that are situated around Yunlin county are desolate and crumbling. Located within a very close range, here are four cinemas and theaters, all of which were built and closed at roughly the same time. Not particularly worthy of their own reports, here they are together in one concise report.
西螺大戲院/Xiluo Theater
Along with Dianji which is covered in my last report, this is one of Taiwan's most popular exploring sites; a rite of passage if you will. Because I didn't have a scooter licence until recently, and because I focused on bigger targets, I didn't actually do this until now, and to be honest it feels like I'm too late to the party. It's like being a veteran explorer (as in terms of 28's lifespan, I am), but never doing somewhere like Denbigh or Talgarth asylum in the UK until you're years and years into your exploring tenure. But then, as I guess I do feel with some sites, if you do miss the chance to do something and its gone forever you'll regret missing it, even if only mildly (which is what you can say of me refusing to do West Park or Whittingham asylum, both of which I had chances to do). But before it disappears or is repaired, here it is.
To give you a concise history, it was built in 1937, replacing a wooden theater that was from the 1920s. During Taiwan's cinema boom, it was a top level cinema that rivalled those in the capital city, Taibei hence the name Xiluo's Ximending. In its golden age, you'd find the chance to see puppet shows, opera, concerts alongside films. Perhaps you'd even find private events. But as is the case with all cinemas mentioned here, consumer habits, the VHS and home TV revolution, alongside the obvious exodus of residents to larger cities, the theater closed in 1988.
In recent years the seats have been removed, so it does feel like I'm too late to visit this
Rusted scaffolding holds up a collapsing roof beam
Local people don't care if you go inside, and the place is absolutely wide open, but unfortunately it‘s becoming progressively more dangerous to navigate. I'd have loved to have seen the projection room even if the last projector was removed in 2015, but the wooden balcony looks seriously dangerous. With no concrete underfoot to support it, stepping on here was out of the question.
There was a ladder to the projection room at the back, but again this had completely rotted away over time.
Inside the entrance foyer and outside are old pictures of how the cinema once looked in its full grandeur
昇平大戲院/Shengping Theater
Whilst not completely ignored, this cinema has gone mostly ignored by the exploring and historic community and very few pictures have been seen from the inside. Located in a small town called Lunbei (崙背), it was built down a back alley in November 1943, opening in January 1944 with a capacity of 1,000 people. It was a popular place with locals and kids, a place to watch movies as well as opera and puppet shows. However as is the case with the other three, the aforementioned factors meant that locals moved away and so the cinema closed at an unspecified time, but presumably in the 1980s as is the case with the other three.
As things stand today, the entrance and the right of the auditorium are used to store junk and recycling, which takes away much of the appeal. Nevertheless, because so few people chose to explore this place and share their photos, I had to see it for myself.
Making my way to the projection room up a rotting ladder, I climb across the floor on all fours so as to avoid it collapsing under my feet. Inside, the projection room had had its projectors removed, but vintage posters from old films were still glued to the wall, which was a pleasure to see.
Peeping into the auditorium through the projection hole
No film reels, but old film tape is scattered on the floor
The left of the auditorium from here is cordoned off and filled with long-disused junk
One highly unusual feature of this cinema which I have never seen before is a fenced off stage.
The austere-looking front
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