NMTH stages exhibition on Taiwan immigrants

2014-08-29

An exhibition spotlighting the storied lives of Taiwan’s immigrants kicked off Aug. 27 at National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan City.

“It is our honor to host this event and share the fascinating stories behind new arrivals to Taiwan,” an NMTH official said. “We expect the exhibition to broaden the horizons of visitors and show our homeland in a new light.”

Featuring around 200 cultural items, the event documents such landmark events as the Dachen Retreat and efforts of foreign missionaries to spread Christianity and assist local communities. The former involved the evacuation in February 1955 of 14,000 civilians and ROC military personnel with the help of the U.S. 7th Fleet from Dachen Islands off Zhejiang province, mainland China.

In addition, the exhibition marks the first time the lives of Southeast Asian immigrants have been highlighted by NMTH. A variety of items reflecting the region’s diverse assortment of people and culture is on display.

The exhibition also showcases the efforts of Taiwan’s aborigines in preserving their cultural heritage while working in urban areas during the 1960s.

According to NMTH, the majority of items were contributed by individuals and organizations such as Dachen Village in Kaohsiung City, the Presbyterian Church, 4-Way Voice, a newspaper targeting Southeast Asian nationals in Taiwan, and TransAsia Sisters Association.

Running until March 29, 2015, the exhibition includes a comprehensive lineup of events such as movie screenings and self-guided arts-related activities on the cultures of Indonesia.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=221110&CtNode=413)