Special exhibition pays tribute to Dr. Lai He
Chen Yu-hsin (third from right), Deputy Commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, and Lai Yueh-yen (fourth from right), the founder of the Lai He Museum announce the kickoff of the “Lan Yun Clinic” exhibition on July 12.
By Yali Chen
Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Hall in Taipei is holding a special exhibition from July 12 through September 29. The exhibition pays tribute to Dr. Lai He’s contributions to Taiwanese literature.
Born in 1894 in Changhua, Lai graduated from Taipei Medical College (now the National Taiwan University College of Medicine) in 1914. Three years later, he returned to his hometown, setting up the Lai He Clinic to practice medicine.
Lai also wrote under the pseudonym “Lan Yun” (懶雲) and steered Taiwanese literature to a new direction. He depicted the exploitation and oppression of Taiwanese under Japanese rule. Full of national pride, his poetry and prose gave voice to disadvantaged groups. Lai was later honored as the “Father of the New Taiwanese Literature.”
One corner of the “Lan Yun Clinic” exhibition depicts Taiwanese writer Lai He’s life.
The words on the wall come from Lai He’s poem “Flowers of Freedom.”
Titled the “Lan Yun Clinic” (懶雲診療室), the exhibition aims to showcase Lai’s literary achievements and explore the debate about “old” vs. “new” literature between 1920 and 1930, said Chen Yu-hsin, Deputy Commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA).
She said that Dr. Lai had always treated poor patients for free. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, he burned a stack of unpaid medical bills while others were burning spirit money.
Exhibition visitors could don these white coats as they listen to explanations of how Dr. Lai He felt when he treated patients during a time of unequal policies under the Japanese rule.
“My grandfather was a doctor and writer. He also actively participated in the new cultural movement at that time,” said Lai Yueh-yen (賴悅顏), the author’s eldest grandson and founder of the Lai He Museum.
Under colonial rule, Taiwanese faced unequal social, political and legal policies. Taiwan’s democratic trailblazer Chiang Wei-shui and other intellectuals launched the Taiwan Culture Association.
An exhibition label in the Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Hall.
“My grandfather and Chiang played an important role in Taiwan’s cultural enlightenment and promotion of human rights,” said Lai, who also founded the Lai He Cultural Foundation. He expressed hope that more Taiwanese people could better understand the new cultural movement through this special exhibition of Lai He’s life and literary legacy.
The exhibition is divided into four parts. In the first area, viewers can wear a stethoscope and listen to Lai’s audiobooks recorded by the organizers. In the second area, the organizers used Line group chats to present the ongoing debate on “old” vs. “new” literature.
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