Literature atlas documents Tainan’s heritage

2015-02-11

A book on Tainan’s literary heritage was recently published in Taiwan, underscoring the importance of the southern city for authors from different generations and backgrounds.

Featuring 11 writers across four centuries who had deep connections with the city, the publication is a yearlong collaboration among 30 students from a science class at Tainan First High School. It comprises more than 250,000 words complemented with photographs and hand-drawn maps.

Some of the authors include Shen Guang-wen during the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Yeh Shih-tao and Yang Kui of the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), and locally born and bred Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee.

“Writers are the best yardsticks for a city as their lives and works reflect changes through time, especially in the development of the literary landscape,” TFHS teacher and project advisor Lin Huang-de said.

“The book runs with this theme by allowing readers to learn more about the writers and their favorite locations, many of which served as sources of inspiration for their works. It also functions as an alternative travel guide to Taiwan’s city of culture.”

Lin said Tainan has long been hailed as a great tourism destination on the strength of its cuisine and history. “I believe the book will give visitors a chance to appreciate the city from another perspective,” he added, urging others to follow suit and create literary atlases for local communities.

According to Lin, the fact that the book was put together by future science majors from Tainan’s top high school makes the endeavor even more significant. “This was a challenging project for the students as it involved a great deal of research, field trips and writing,” he said.

“The project has given these budding authors the opportunity to learn from the publishing experience and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the city’s cultural and historical heritage.”

Su Yi-ta, one of three TFHS students tasked with covering Yeh, said he learned more about life under Japanese colonial rule and gained a fresh perspective of the city’s most popular attractions.

Fellow team member Huang Ting-chun said like the majority of Taiwan’s youth, he was not familiar with Yeh before taking part in the project. “I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to learn more about Taiwan literature.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=227310&CtNode=413)