The National Museum of Taiwan Literature’s (NMTL) latest exhibition "Turbulent Tenderness: Exhibition of Taiwanese Romans-Fleuves," which will run through April 10, 2022, showcases significant works and manuscripts of Taiwanese river novelists including Yeh Shih-tao (葉石濤), Chung Chao-cheng’s (鍾肇政), and Lee Chiao (李喬), among others.
To introduce the history of Taiwan’s river novel, the exhibition is separated into four sections, including "Budding: Exploring the source of the river (萌芽：探勘大河源頭)," to reflect the inability of Taiwanese people to utter "Taiwan" out loud when telling their own stories between 1940 to 1980; "Inheritance: the tears flowing on the ground (承繼：流淌在土地的淚痕)," reveals the way in which writers use words to make up for the lost history under authoritarian rule between 1980 to 2000; “New sound: A meandering and galloping ribbon (新聲：一條蜿蜒奔騰的緞帶)” displays the river novels published in the 21st century; "Beyond a thousand mountains, the river is still gurgling (千山之外，河水依舊潺潺)” provides film and television works adapted from river novels in addition to fun quiz games.
The precious items displayed this time also include original manuscripts, interview tapes, notes, and newspaper clippings, among others. Additionally, the exhibition shows movies and TV dramas adapted from river novels to highlight Taiwan’s literary scenery again.
Director of NMTL Su Shuo-bin (蘇碩斌) stated that river novel is an eye-catching genre in Taiwanese literature, especially through the long-term sentimental interplay between people and land, possessing a courage that is firm yet gentle in resisting the invasion of foreign forces.