Venue:National Museum of Taiwan Literature
An exhibition on Taiwanese classical poems will be held at the National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL) from Aug. 6 through Dec. 22. The Special Exhibition on Post-War Taiwanese Classical Poetry will help introduce to the public the development of classical poetry in Taiwan between 1945 and 2012.
Taiwan's classical literature, especially after the decline of World War II, is centered on poetry. The NMTL exhibition will cover topics ranging from the rise and fall of poetry societies, Taiwanese poets and their works, poetry magazines and poetry education to poetry in the digital era.
Classic poets can be divided into two groups — Taiwan-born scholars and those who had relocated from mainland China. Many of those born in Taiwan, including scholars Wei Chingde (魏清德) and Kao Wen-yuan (高文淵), as well as female poets Chang Lee Teh-ho (張李德和) and Wang Li Ru-yue (汪李如月), preferred Jiboyin (擊缽吟), a type of highly formulated literary form that placed tough restrictions upon the poem's topic, rhyme, body and time.
After the Chinese Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, many poets, mainly government officials and soldiers from mainland China, began writing classic poems in Taiwan. They were keen on publishing their literary efforts in newspapers and magazines as well as publishing their own poetry collections. Among the well-known officials and poets were Yu You-ren (于右任) and Chia Ching-teh (賈景德).
Of the more than 70 poets introduced at the exhibition, Huang Jin-chuan (黃金川), one of "Taiwan's Three Talented Women,” is of particular significance to the Tainan-based National Taiwan Museum of Literature because she was born in the southern Tainan township of Yenshui.
Her poem collection published in 1930, which contains 237 poems she wrote when she was 18 to 23 years old, set the record for female Taiwanese writers.
Inspired by the studio of classic poets, the design of the venue's entrance is decorated with the Four Treasures of the Study - i.e. the brush, ink, paper and ink stone required for calligraphic activities.
Visitors can also scan the QR codes provided at the exhibition to download poems and video clips of poem recitals on their smartphones.