Art Staircase at Bairro Horta da Mitra Enriches the Streetscape

Taipa Village Cultural Association collaborated with The Cultural Affairs Bureau and local young artists to create a new artwork to beautify a historic staircase at Bairro Horta da Mitra, under the theme of “The Time Circle of Bairro Horta da Mitra”.   The art staircase tells the story of Bairro Horta da Mitra, hacking back to over a century ago.  It enriches the entire streetscape, bringing vitality and vibrancy to the historic district.

Interpreting the unique theme of time circle, the vivid mural on the staircase narrates the historical changes of Bairro Horta da Mitra over the past century. It depicts various iconic cultural symbols and regional features, including the bygone banana groves and birds in the area, the origin of the district name, the market, as well as the distinctive folk festival elements like lion dances at the Foc Tac Temple. The height of the stairs creates a three-dimensional visual impact, injected with vibrant flowers and illustrations adorning each step, showcasing the vitality and warmth of the neighbourhood.

The Time Circle of Bairro Horta da Mitra

The Time Circle of Bairro Horta da Mitra (known as the “Bird Garden”) is a creative project that combines art and history. Through the integration of paintings and the actual environment, it guides citizens step by step up the stairs, entering the time circle phase by phase.  The work centers around the significant year 1939, linking nine steps to narrate a historical transformation story spanning over 100 years.

The Story of the Time Stairs

1. The Beginning: The Forest by the City Wall
   The first and second steps symbolize the early form of Bird Garden—before it was named “Bird Garden,” this area was a vibrant forest by the city wall, home to countless small birds. This part of the history illustrates the origin of the Bird Garden name and its natural foundation.
2. Urban Development and Changes in Livelihood
   As the city developed, Bird Garden gradually became an important gathering place for residents. Steps three to nine focus on significant turning points in Bird Garden’s history, centered around the establishment of the Bird Garden Market in 1939, while incorporating the historical background of the Fude Temple and other elements of daily life.

The Fusion of Painting and History

The overall creation uses stairs as a stage, combining paintings with text and illustrations to give each step a theme of historical significance. Specific expressions include:

• Historical Markers and Folklore: Illustrating the establishment of the Bird Garden Market, annual lion dance celebrations at Fude Temple, and scenes of urban road improvements and community construction, showcasing the gradual changes in residents’ lives.
• Integration of Art and Environment: Utilizing floral paintings and illustrations to adorn each step, blending the overall visual experience with the environment, providing citizens with a pleasing aesthetic encounter.
• Education through Beauty: Beyond merely beautifying the stairs, the work conveys the historical stories of Bird Garden, offering passersby a small window into local culture and enhancing residents’ sense of belonging and identity.

The Time Circle of Bird Garden: Every Step Tells a Story

Through this artwork, citizens can “ascend” the steps, gradually entering the Time Circle of Bird Garden, reliving the history and memories of this land. Each step represents a mark of an era, and every detail tells a story belonging to Bird Garden. From nature to culture, from history to the future, this is a journey through time in Bird Garden.