Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je attended a presentation by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) about the “Metro Soundscape” program on March 23.
The program will see a variety of sounds characteristic of Taipei to be introduced at MRT stations—be it sounds from natural environment, folk songs, or combinations of musical notes--a creative move to make a strong impression on metro riders.
According to Ko, the initiative is part of his administration’s vision to build Taipei ‘a City of Culture.” Pointing out that people tend to focus more on visual experience and less on sense of sound perception, Ko noted he hopes the program will prompts people to ‘hear’ what Taipei sounds like.
Ko also emphasized the power of music in shaping the image of a city. Inspired by Midosuji of Osaka, a place name which appears on the title of a famous Japanese song, the mayor reckoned that he wishes to promote Taipei to the world through the creation of a pop song that depicts the city.
The idea, though not to be implemented soon, can be realized starting with the metro soundscape program. He hopes that each MRT station will boast its own background music--incorporating local landscapes--created by local residents as an embodiment of community empowerment.