2026 Taiwan Design Exhibition debuts in Taoyuan, international forum discusses urban transformation

Group photo at the opening of the 2026 Taiwan Design Exhibition in Taoyuan and the International Design Forum. (provided by the city)

[Reporter Xie Wuxiong/Taoyuan Report] The 2026 Taiwan Design Exhibition debuted in Taoyuan yesterday (24th). This year, Zhongli and Qingpu are the two core exhibition areas, reinterpreting different aspects from youth, industry, agriculture, culture to urban governance and other aspects. Taoyuan; among them, the "Looking at the Future·Taoyuan International Design Forum" was held in Zhongli today, inviting design experts from Japan, South Korea and Singapore to conduct cross-disciplinary exchanges based on Asian urban experience and explore how design responds to urban transformation and future life.

"Looking at the Future - Taoyuan International Design Forum" featured Eriko Esaka from Japan and Kangxi Cha from South Korea in the morning, sharing their experience in creative cities, cultural development, and urban design and governance. In the afternoon, Kunihiro Uchida from Japan and Dai Lixiang from Singapore discussed topics such as design practice, transportation design, artificial intelligence, and urban regeneration, showing that design is not only about beauty, but also closely related to public space, urban functions, and lifestyle.

Another feature of this year’s design exhibition is that the design extends from a single exhibition venue to the entire city. The two major exhibition areas, Zhongli and Qingpu, respectively present the existing urban texture and the development of emerging cities. Through different venues, themed exhibitions and public space design, the public can see Taoyuan’s diverse aspects of industry, population, transportation and culture during the movement and visit.

Taoyuan's population has grown rapidly in recent years, and urban space has continued to change. Therefore, this design exhibition not only focuses on the display of works, but also attempts to respond to the public needs in the process of urban growth from the perspective of "design thinking."

The 2026 Taiwan Design Exhibition runs until October 11. Through international forums and diverse exhibition areas, design is no longer just a visual presentation in the exhibition hall, but has further penetrated into neighborhoods, public spaces and urban life, allowing the public to re-understand Taoyuan from different perspectives, and opening up more possibilities for the future development of the city through design.