People in Taiwan seem to have a fascination with maps, which is odd considering that a vast majority of those published in Taiwan, be they tourist or transport maps, are incorrect and impossible to comprehend.
The population might be cartographically challenged, but this doesn't stop books focusing on old maps of Taiwan from becoming bestsellers, copies of the Council for Cultural Affairs' (CCA,
And the current Taiwan in Maps (
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATIONAL TAIWAN MUSEUMN
Taiwan in Maps is one of the largest exhibitions to be hosted by the museum in recent years, and the extensive and fascinating displays are located in exhibition halls on all three floors of the museum.
Jointly organized by the CCA and the museum, the exhibition features dozens of original maps and an equal number of reproductions and copies, along with photographs and other artifacts related to cartography in Taiwan.
While those with a whim for cartography and/or Taiwan history will have already seen some of the better-known maps on display and in various publications, there are still plenty of maps in the exhibition that will stoke the interests of anyone with an eye for geography or history.
The exhibition is well-organized and covers every conceivable topic and theme, from the earliest maps of Taiwan hand drawn by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the 15th century to explanations of cutting-edge satellite imagery used by cartographers now.
Along with the multitude of geographic and topographic maps, there are also plenty of demographic maps on display. These include maps that plot Taiwan's indigenous peoples, the nation's economic growth, Taiwan's farming production and its transportation networks.
Although the maps are far too numerous to give a detailed account of all those on display, a couple of the most eye-catching charts include a simplified military map from 1958 showing the possible flight paths of military aircraft in the event of war with China, and a highly detailed map of Taiwan drawn by members of the Royal Geographic Society in 1864.
Taiwan in Maps is comprehensive and gives visitors insight into the history of cartography in Taiwan, but it is not without its flaws. As is all too often the case with exhibitions in Taiwan, be they at national or regional level, the lack of English-language information is big disappointment. Considering President Chen Shui-bian (
language material is in this instance best described as deplorable.
In addition to the exhibition, the museum has also published a comprehensive guidebook, which features a myriad of glossy photographs and explanations of many of the maps on display. Like the explanations that accompany the exhibits, the Taiwan in Maps guidebook is only available in Chinese.
Event Information:
What: Taiwan in Maps (
Where: National Taiwan Museum (
When: Through Sept. 18
Many people noticed the flood of pro-China propaganda across a number of venues in recent weeks that looks like a coordinated assault on US Taiwan policy. It does look like an effort intended to influence the US before the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping (習近平) over the weekend. Jennifer Kavanagh’s piece in the New York Times in September appears to be the opening strike of the current campaign. She followed up last week in the Lowy Interpreter, blaming the US for causing the PRC to escalate in the Philippines and Taiwan, saying that as
Taiwan can often feel woefully behind on global trends, from fashion to food, and influences can sometimes feel like the last on the metaphorical bandwagon. In the West, suddenly every burger is being smashed and honey has become “hot” and we’re all drinking orange wine. But it took a good while for a smash burger in Taipei to come across my radar. For the uninitiated, a smash burger is, well, a normal burger patty but smashed flat. Originally, I didn’t understand. Surely the best part of a burger is the thick patty with all the juiciness of the beef, the
This year’s Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen’s intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host. More than 120 women from across the world have gathered in Thailand, vying to be crowned Miss Universe in a contest considered one of the “big four” of global beauty pageants. But the runup has been dominated by the off-stage antics of the coiffed contestants and their Thai hosts, escalating into a feminist firestorm drawing the attention of Mexico’s president. On Tuesday, Mexican delegate Fatima Bosch staged a
Would you eat lab-grown chocolate? I requested a sample from California Cultured, a Sacramento-based company. Its chocolate, not yet commercially available, is made with techniques that have previously been used to synthesize other bioactive products like certain plant-derived pharmaceuticals for commercial sale. A few days later, it arrives. The morsel, barely bigger than a coffee bean, is supposed to be the flavor equivalent of a 70 percent to 80 percent dark chocolate. I tear open its sealed packet and a chocolatey aroma escapes — so far, so good. I pop it in my mouth. Slightly waxy and distinctly bitter, it boasts those bright,
RSS