The National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL) is hosting the exhibition “Taiwan, My Heartfelt Concern - Ong Iok-tek Cultural Artifacts Donation Exhibition (心繫臺灣：王育德文物捐贈展)” from Aug. 24, 2024, to Apr. 6, 2025 in Tainan City, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ong Iok-tek (王育德)’s birth. Ong was the first scholar to earn a doctorate in Taiwanese studies.
Born in Tainan in 1924, Ong received his higher education at Taihoku High School (臺北高等學校) and Tokyo Imperial University (東京帝國大學). After the February 28 Incident in 1947, he fled to Japan in 1949, where he was blacklisted by the Nationalist government in Taiwan. As a political dissident, Ong was not permitted to return to his homeland from Japan before his death in 1985.
Deeply concerned about Taiwan’s situation, Ong Iok-tek dedicated himself to the study of Taiwanese literature, language, and history, as well as promoting Taiwan’s democracy and human rights. His achievements include becoming the first person to earn a doctorate in Taiwanese, the first professor to teach Taiwanese language courses in Japan, and the first author to publish academic research on Taiwanese literature.
For more information, visit the NMTL’s website.