The National Policy Foundation has launched a petition to urge the National Palace Museum to keep the Lanqian Shanguan art collection in Taiwan.
The collection was entrusted to the museum by Lin Po-shou (林柏壽) and the descendants of the Lin Pen-yuan (林本源) family, which was one of the five most important families in Taiwan with history dating back to the Qing Dynasty.
The lan and qian in the collection’s name refer to two great calligraphy works by Chu Sui-liang (褚遂良) and Huai Su (懷素) respectively. Lanqian Shanguan is the name of Lin Po-shou’s study room.
Photo: Screen grab from the National Palace Museum Web site
Lin Po-shou signed an agreement with the museum in 1969 to entrust the collection, which has increased to 349 items, including 133 paintings and 107 works of calligraphy.
However, the family was given only two weeks notice by the museum that the agreement would be terminated on Oct. 31.
The foundation on Tuesday announced that it would launch a petition on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Online Participation Platform.
The petition called for the museum to renew the agreement to entrust the collection, the Ministry of Culture to designate the collection a national treasure according to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法) and for legislators to fulfill their responsibility of supervising the preservation of national treasures.
Apollo Chen (陳學聖), convener of the National Policy Foundation’s Education and Sports Division, said the short notice left the family overwhelmed, as the collection had been in the museum during eight directors’ terms.
The collection only occupies four cabinets so there is no lack of space, he said, adding that the law stipulated that the government should periodically conduct general surveys of, conserve and preserve national treasures.
Board chairwoman of the Taiwan Art Revitalization Culture Foundation Lee Yong-ping (李永萍) said that a nation famous for its culture and soft power should legally protect its national treasures and continue to enlarge the collection.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
Rallies supporting recall efforts targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place in Taipei today. Traffic controls were in place on Taipei City Hall Road starting from 10pm last night, and would be in place on Jinan Road Sec 1 from 8am today, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei City advocating the recall of KMT legislators, along with the “Safeguard Taiwan Anti-Communist Alliance” have announced plans for motorcycle parades and public rallies in both cities today. Permission has been granted for campaigners to hold
M1A2T ABRAMS TANKS: Thirty-eight of the 108 armored vehicles were delivered in December last year, with the rest to be delivered between later this year and next year The military is to live stream a round of live-fire training sessions on Thursday featuring its newly delivered M1A2T Abrams tanks, allowing the public to witness the training results firsthand, the Ministry of National Defense said. Based on the ministry’s plan, the live-fire training session, scheduled to take place at an army tank training ground in the Kengzihkou (坑子口) area of Hsinchu County, is to feature the US-made armored vehicles firing their 120mm smoothbore guns at moving and stationary targets, while stationary or in motion. At least one senior government official is expected to preside over the round of training sessions, per