Ministry of Culture-Performance Venues & Architectural Heritage

As the government lowered the nationwide pandemic alert from Level 3 to 2, the Yilan Park of the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCTA) has reopened since July 27 and launched the "The National Treasure－Coiled Dragon Candlesticks" exhibition.

This exhibition was first tailor-made by NCTA for the collection of the national treasure - the Coiled Dragon Candlesticks, with interdisciplinary innovative technology, to inject new potential into the traditional art exhibition and unveil the mystery of the national treasure.

The masterpiece "Coiled Dragon Candlesticks," created by the late koji pottery master Ye Wang (葉王), was designated as a national treasure by the Ministry of Culture in 2016, which has practical functions in addition to artistic and collectable value.

The work's superb craftmanship, including the three-dimensional shape that can be viewed in 360 degrees, the lifelike dragons on the candlesticks, and the rich glaze color that is saturated and slightly transparent, shows exquisite realistic style, reflecting the history and the characteristics of traditional and local craftsmanship in Taiwan.

This exhibition combines animation, multimedia, and digital technology, to create diverse storylines around the culture, history, design, aesthetics, and craftsmanship underlying the national treasure.

The exhibition has been divided into five sections, including "Unveiling the Secrets of the National Treasure," which utilizes animation and AR augmented reality to present the digital coiled dragon candlesticks while the physical one will be flash displayed from time to time. "Birth of a Koji Pottery Masterpiece," shows the process of making Koji pottery through the point of view of a master craftsman. "Theater of Coiled Dragons," presents a giant projection screen wall built for projecting the details of cultural relics and the mystery of production through 3D scanning modeling technology. "Color Laboratory," provides the interactive installation for visitors for producing their own creation (This has been suspended during the pandemic.), and "Workshop of a Master Craftsman," creates a simulated situation for the public who can learn the profound story of the national treasure in a simple way.

Audiences should visit during their scheduled time slot in line with the current epidemic prevention curbs. There have been four daily sessions every Tuesday to Sunday, while there have been two sessions on Monday, with each lasting 90 minutes and a limit of 20 people.

For more information, please visit National Center for Traditional Arts' webpage or Academia Sinica Center for Digital Cultures' online website.