Hualien becomes colorful canvas for Meeting of Styles street art event

Taipei/Hualien, Oct. 20 (CNA) More than 50 walls in Hualien County were transformed into eye-catching artworks as part of an international graffiti festival held this weekend.

The Meeting of Styles, a graffiti event that originated in Germany, concluded on Sunday in the eastern Taiwanese county that is still feeling the economic after-effects of a devastating earthquake on April 3 that was centered just 15 kilometers south of Hualien City.

The three-day graffiti project brought together artists from across Taiwan and overseas to revitalize areas in the city with bright and lively murals.

Artworks with a hip-hop vibe were sprayed in multiple locations, invigorating urban landscapes such as a wall behind a site on No. 52 Bo-ai Street (博愛街) that was condemned for demolition after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck.

Several vacant buildings near the intersection of Chenggong Street and Guangfu Street were also transformed into cheerful and diverse visual displays featuring cartoonish animals, stylized calligraphy and realistic human representations.

Hualien City Mayor Wei Chia-yen (魏嘉彥) described his city's Meeting of Styles as "lively" on Facebook on Sunday, adding that the murals could bring "new life" to the structures hit by natural disasters this year.

He hoped the attractive artworks will lead to "a wave of tourism" to his city, which is still struggling to bring visitors back after the earthquake, which killed 18, caused major landslides, and damaged traffic and rail arteries to the area.

Manuel Gurullis, founder of the internationally roving event from Wiesbaden in Germany, also attended the event in Hualien, bringing his more-than-40-years of graffiti experience with him.

On what is his first trip to Taiwan, Gurullis joined freestyle rapper "BR" (曾柏儒) and illustrator Duncan, both of whom have roots in the county, for hip-hop inspired festivities including outdoor DJ performances.

This year marked the second Meeting of Styles in Taiwan, following an event in New Taipei City in 2022.