Abstract
This paper examines the cultural techniques that have mediated place-making in Taiwan since the 1990s. Cultural techniques are defined here as practices that generate both knowledge production and representation. Drawing on policy discourses, journalism, and participatory observation, the paper traces shifts in cultural techniques over the past three decades and identifies three key dimensions: fieldwork, compilation, and curating. From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, fieldwork and compilation such as collecting documents, photographs, and historical maps dominated, yielding ‘realist’ narratives. Since the mid-2000s, however, fieldwork has increasingly emphasized embodied experiences, while compilation has moved toward stylized narratives that highlight aesthetics. In this context, design and curating have emerged as a prominent mode of practice, producing representations that engage sensibilities through festivals and exhibitions. I argue that the discursive frame of cultural techniques has thus shifted from that of naïve historical positivism to one of aesthetic pragmatism, reflecting the changing role of place-making amid localized nationalism, the cultural economy, and efforts to rebalance urban–rural disparities. A case study of Changhua City is presented to substantiate this argument. The paper concludes by raising concerns that under the current trend, place-making may become overly preoccupied with professionalized aesthetics at the expense of meaningful knowledge production.