Department of Cultural Affairs

By Yali Chen
STAFF WRITER

The Taipei City Archives Committee is holding a special exhibition of more than 200 valuable and historical items about Taiwan, privately collected by 73-year-old historian and Taipei resident Chuang Yung-ming. This exhibition has kicked off at the plaza in front of the old Nishi Hongan temple in Wanhua District and will run through September 30.

At the opening ceremony this past July 31, several special guests were in attendance to announce the kickoff of the two-month event, including Ni Chung-hwa, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA); private collector Chuang Yung-ming; Lu Li-cheng, Director of the National Museum of Taiwan History; Chang Hung-ming, Director of Taiwan Historica; Chang Lin-sheng, Director of the Aurora Art Museum, Li Jing-yang, Director of the Li Mei-Shu Memorial Gallery; Dai Dong-yuan, Head of the Ren Ji Hospital in Taipei; and Zhan Su-zhen, Executive Secretary of the Taipei City Archives Committee.

The exhibits, such as bus tickets, postcards and travel brochures during the period of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, as well as a 1933 bird’s-eye-view map of Taiwan, offer a few glimpses of Taiwan’s past development and recent rapid transformation.

“Participating in the historical and cultural tours led by Chuang in the past had helped me to get a better understanding of Taipei,” the DCA commissioner Ni said, hoping that Taipei residents can keep the history of Taiwan in mind through Chuang’s collection.

Serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the Taipei City Archives Committee, Chuang is a hugely prolific author on Taiwanese history and culture. For him, the rapid development and transformation of the island country and the capital city throughout the years is best observed in train and bus tickets.

The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, for example, has become convenient means of transportation in recent years for Taipei residents. Among Chuang’s collection, a commemorative transit pass for the opening of the MRT Tamsui line in 1997 is also showcased during the two-month event.

For more information on this special exhibition, please go to http://www.chr.gov.taipei (in Chinese version).