To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China, the Institute of Taiwan History is hosting a seven-month exhibition entitled "Her History in Taiwan" showcasing the history of women in Taiwan. The event started on March 29, 2011, and is being held on the second floor of the Joint Library of Humanities and Social Sciences. The displays center around themes such as "traditional women," "turns of fate," and "self-expression," and present a fascinating and unique record of women in Taiwan over the past 100 years.
The exhibits are selected from the Institute of Taiwan History archives, one of the most important national repositories for acquired historical sources in Taiwan. More than sixty exhibits are chosen from the digital collections of the Institute, including marriage documents, contracts, photographs, diaries, and personal documents. Many of these documents are non-governmental records that were originally held by private owners in different regions throughout Taiwan. Precious and rare materials to be displayed include: the diaries of Yang Shui-xin (the wife of Lin Xiang-tang, a leader of democratic and cultural movements and representative in the first National Assembly during the Japanese period); photos of a splendid wedding ceremony that connected two wealthy clans—the Lin family of Banqiao and the Cai family of Qingshui; pictures of female athlete Lin Yue-yun who was selected as a trainee for the Olympics in the 1930s; and various wedding photos that illustrate the elegance and beauty of different eras. The exhibition provides the public with access to the history of Taiwan, and offers a glimpse of how women lived through two very different eras, recreating the transformative history of women throughout the past century.
Along with textual panels and collection displays, several on-site interactive activities are also provided, giving visitors a wide range of sightseeing experiences. All of the designs in this special exhibition present the achievements and different digital archives at the Academia Sinica, and, more importantly, the historical memories and heritage of Taiwan that have been passed down through the generations.
The exhibition is sponsored by the "Taiwan E-Learning and Digital Archives – Institutional Project of the Academia Sinica," organized by the Institute of Taiwan History and co-organized by the Academia Sinica Computing Center.
