An installation featuring 10 oversized models of Taiwan Church News publications have been placed in front of the Tai Oan Kau Hoe Kong Po Sia (Taiwan Church News Press) as part of a special exhibit.
Taiwan Church News, which began publishing in 1885 as a monthly gazette, was the first printed newspaper in Taiwan, multimedia division director Huang Yi-le (黃以勒) said.
The press hopes that the installation, titled the Power of Books, would encourage non-churchgoers to enter the building and experience the written word’s influence, he added.
Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
As part of a renovation project, the press has installed glass walls on the entrance floor to provide not only better lighting, but to also allow passers-by to see inside the building, Huang said.
The renovation is expected to be completed next month, he added.
As classes have started teaching the history of the press as the nation’s first printing press and Tainan’s first news agency, Huang said it plans to hold tours so Taiwanese could better understand the organization.
The press said it will also collaborate with the Tainan Theological College and Seminary, Barclay Memorial Park, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and the National Museum of Taiwan History to set up a tour that would give visitors a better understanding of the history and culture of Tainan and the nation.
The newspaper was established by Thomas Barclay, a missionary who arrived in Taiwan in June 1875 and lived in southern Taiwan until his death 60 years later. He established the Tainan Seminary in 1876.
The newspaper, one of the first of its kind, used romanized Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), a form of writing that was introduced by Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century, but later also spread to non-religious circles.
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