If the National Taiwan Museum can't take good care of its Aboriginal relics, then the prized objects should be put into better hands -- those of the Aborigines' themselves -- two lawmakers said yesterday.
"Noting the museum's dismal record of care for the relics, we, the Aborigines, wish to care for these treasures ourselves," said DPP legislator Chen Tao-ming (陳道明), a descendant of the Taroko tribe.
"Since there is yet to be a public museum dedicated exclusively to Aborigines," he added, "we strongly recommend that one be built to display the arts and cultures of the land's earliest settlers."
Chen made the comments yesterday after a tour of the museum's storage rooms with independent lawmaker Kao-Chin Su-mei (高金素梅), a descendant of the Atayal tribe.
Both lawmakers voiced their dissatisfaction over the way the museum managed its collection in the storage rooms.
"While some storage rooms are in good condition," Chen said, "the condition of some others is simply quite ridiculous."
Kao echoed Chen's remarks, noting that the museum's Hsintien storage room lacks decent care and "that dust and spider webs can be seen everywhere."
"If tribal elders came and saw the way our ancestral relics are being kept here, they would definitely feel heartache," Kao said.
Kao added that it was regrettable to see these relics, left behind by their ancestors decades ago, kept in such miserable condition and under such dismal inventory-monitoring practices.
Kao was referring to the fact, disclosed by DPP legislator Chen Chin-jun (
"If the museum can't take adequate care of its Aboriginal collection, then they should let us Aborigines care for them ourselves in our own museum," said Kao.
In response to the dissatisfaction both Chen and Kao expressed over the way the museum has managed its collection, James An (安奎), director of the National Taiwan Museum, said that the museum currently has a task force taking inventory of the relics.
"Aside from improving the condition of the storage rooms, we hope to have preliminary inventory results within the next three months," said An, adding that any irregularities found during the inventory process would be reported to experts for further investigation.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
Three tropical depressions yesterday intensified into tropical storms, with one likely to affect Taiwan as a typhoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The three storms, named Mitag, Ragasa and Neoguri, were designated as storms No. 17 to 19 for this year, the CWA said. Projected routes indicate that Ragasa is most likely to affect Taiwan, it said. As of 2am today, Ragasa was 1,370km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southernmost tip of Taiwan. It was moving west-northwest before turning northwest, slowing from 11kph to 6kph, the agency said. A sea warning for Ragasa is unlikely before Sunday afternoon, but its outer rim
RSS