NTM centennial celebrations get underway in Taipei

2015/08/19

A special ceremony commemorating National Taiwan Museum’s 100th anniversary and the launch of a series of celebratory activities took place Aug. 16 in Taipei City.

Attended by Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya, Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi, former NTM curators and other dignitaries, the ceremony spotlighted the invaluable contributions of the facility to documenting Taiwan’s biodiversity and indigenous history. The museum was established in 1908 during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) and is the oldest in Taiwan.

“NTM is a hub of citizen communities and place for the storage of collective memories,” Hung said. “The dedication and hard work of the curators have helped preserve the historic building and ensure the museum retains its cultural relevance for future generations.”

Highlights of the celebratory activities include short film and photograph competitions. The former shares stories about the museum and reveals its important role in public life, while the latter features pictures taken at the facility from 1895 to 1960.

In the photo competition, gold went to Chi Lu for his group snap of classmates from Banqiao Senior High School in front of NTM’s gates while cycling home. Silver was picked up by Li Mei-chun for her shot of students from Taipei Mandarin Experimental Elementary School.

Li, one of the first TMEES graduates in 1947, received the photo from a schoolmate who moved to mainland China in 1949.

Equally impressive was merit award winner Huang Hui-ling’s mother-and-daughter shot. The photo of Huang aged two is particularly emotive as her mother recently passed away.

NTM curator Chen Chi-min said the pictures are vivid testament to the lives led by people in Taiwan during a 65-year period. “Looking forward, we are committed to preserving the classical-styled building while expanding the exhibition halls to deliver even more memorable experiences for visitors.”

Other events marking centennial celebrations include the exhibition “Images of Monuments Designated in 1998” and limited-edition admission tickets in three designs.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=233932&ctNode=413)