New Taipei City museums go virtual

2016/05/30

Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology in New Taipei City, northern Taiwan, launched trial operations May 24 of a virtual reality experience that will soon allow visitors to explore the underwater environment of the historically significant Tamsui River estuary near the museum, highlighting the growing adoption of state-of-the-art technologies among Taiwan’s cultural institutions.

The museum is located at the Shihsanhang Archaeological Site in the city’s Bali District. In 1989, archaeologists commenced large-scale excavation projects in the area, uncovering large numbers of artifacts dating back 500 to 1,800 years. The institution was launched in 2003 to conserve and display items recovered from the site.

Scheduled to open to the public in October, the VR project is part of comprehensive city government efforts to enhance museum-goers experiences through the use of modern technologies. All four of the museums administered by the New Taipei City Government—the Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Tamsui Historical Museum and Gold Museum—are actively developing virtual programs, according to Lin Kuan-yuh, commissioner of NTCG’s Cultural Affairs Department.

In spring this year, the Yingge Ceramics Museum signed an agreement with U.S. tech giant Google Inc. to include 150 items from its collection in the Google Cultural Institute’s Art Project, an online platform displaying artworks from around the world in 2-D and 3-D formats. All of the selected pieces are due to be uploaded to the platform by the end of this year. The Taipei-based National Palace Museum is currently the only public institution in Taiwan participating in the project.

“NTCG’s commitment to promoting virtual programs is in line with the spirit of the Museum Act, which aims to boost public access to cultural resources,” said Chou Ming-yi, head of the Cultural Affairs Department’s Cultural Development Division.

NTCG is currently in the process of installing cutting-edge wireless sensors called beacons in its four museums. When patrons approach an exhibit, the beacons deliver digital content directly to their mobile devices, which retain the information so visitors can review it even after they leave the institution.

NTCG’s extensive virtual programs reflect a nationwide trend. The Technology Development Project for Museums, proposed and administered by the Ministry of Culture and funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, was launched earlier this year and will run until 2019. Under this initiative, six national-level museums will adopt advanced technologies such as beacons, VR and augmented reality as well as upgrade their websites, develop mobile apps and enhance their social media presence with the goals of inspiring other local institutions to employ similar modern solutions and fostering international awareness of the nation’s cultural resources.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245090&ctNode=2194&mp=9)