A virtual museum documenting the life and creations of Taiwanese singer-songwriter Hung Yi-feng (洪一峰) — at www.musicgis.tw — provides visitors a glimpse into the world of one of Taiwan’s most famous musicians.
Dubbed “the king of Formosan song,” Hung, born in 1927, had a deep, resonant voice and was a prolific musician.
His debut song, Butterfly Infatuated with Flower, which he wrote at the age of 19, catapulted him to fame. Other classics, such as Memories of an Old Love and The One I’m Missing, are still KTV favorites.
Hung died of pancreatic cancer last year.
However, thanks to the Hung Yi-feng Virtual Music Museum launched by Soochow University professor Stone Shih (石計生) and sponsored by the National Science Council, some of his most familiar tunes can be heard online.
“One of the special features of the online museum is that viewers can stroll virtually through each of eight sections in a 3D, sphere-like environment, something that has never been seen before in Taiwanese museums,” Shih said.
The museum allows viewers to listen to 40 classic songs composed by Hung, view 50 pictures of him and see an short animated film.
Shih, who works in the field of geographic information system (GIS) technology, said he first met Hung in 2008 and was touched by the spirit of the artist. In 2009, one of Hung’s sons, Hung Jung-liang (洪榮良), approached Shih about helping establish a digital museum featuring his father’s work.
The virtual museum will be given an English interface if the project receives more funding from the council, Shih said.
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