The National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan is on Friday to reopen following a year-long renovation with four special exhibitions.
The museum, which is in the city’s Annan District (安南), first opened to the public in 2011, but in November 2019, it began a 14-month project to completely transform its children’s hall, update some of the displays in its permanent gallery and upgrade other facilities, it said in a statement on Monday.
The permanent exhibition, titled “Our Land, Our People: The Story of Taiwan,” aims to tell the histories of the land and people in different periods, it said.
Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
The museum said that it is devoted to showcasing the diverse ethnic groups and cultures of Taiwan, and promoting cultural equity.
The updated permanent exhibition presents a dialogue of diverse values, enhances its depiction of ethnic groups and shows the perspectives of regular local people, museum acting director Yang Hsien-fei (楊仙妃) said.
The museum commissioned contemporary artist Ruby Swana, an Amis, to complete an installation of an Aboriginal legend at the entrance of the permanent exhibition, Yang said.
Discussions of Taiwan’s history should not only be about the past, but should also confront changes in society and reality, she said, adding that in recent years, the museum has added art work on social issues, such as gender equality, new immigrants and social movements.
These works, along with interview data it has collected, are to be on display at the museum following its reopening, she said.
The museum seeks to present contemporary trends in the society and local communities of Taiwan, she added.
The renovation project included creating a space where visitors could use virtual reality to take in stories about history, the museum said.
New facilities with interactive multimedia technology have also been installed to offer visitors a new sensory experience, the museum added.
“Islands in Between: Thousand Faces of Taiwan,” one of the special exhibitions to open on Friday and run through June 6, broaches the question of how Taiwan should be imagined and defined, a description on the museum’s Web site said.
“Contemporary Housing and Society in Taiwan,” a special exhibition to open on Friday and run through April 6, focuses on local housing issues.
General admission to the museum is NT$100. More information about the museum can be found at www.nmth.gov.tw.
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