Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) yesterday announced plans to open an architecture and culture center in 2026, while museums nationwide prepared to celebrate International Museum Day with special events.
“Museums are the most important foundation of a country’s cultural power,” Shih told a news conference in Taipei.
While the Ministry of Culture is in charge of setting culture-related policies, museums come into direct contact with the public, he said, adding that museums can perpetuate the finite human existence when people are willing to entrust precious creations and stories to them.
Photo: CNA
The architecture and culture center is the result of the long-term advocacy and efforts of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), he said.
After consulting with experts, the ministry has chosen a building in the Railway Department Park in Taipei as the site of the center, he said.
The ministry is to allocate a budget of NT$160 million (US$4.94 million) to the project, including for renovating the building into exhibition spaces and curating exhibitions, he said.
Architecture represents the aesthetics of Taiwan’s social space, Shih said, adding that he hopes the center could facilitate studies of Taiwan’s architecture and bring the nation’s architectural aesthetics to the world.
He said that launching the project was meaningful to him before he on Monday next week hands over his position to incoming minister of culture Li Yuan (李遠), better known by his pen name Hsiao Yeh (小野).
Leaving the post is not a graduation ceremony, but the curtain call of a concert, Shih said.
“If we perform well and the audience feels it, I think we should continue to do this,” he said.
Wu said that museums should be close to society and people’s lives, adding that she has visited museums during legislative elections to calm her mind.
In 1977, the International Council of Museums designated May 18 as International Museum Day, and it organizes events on and around the date to “highlight the importance of the role of museums as institutions that serve society and its development,” the council said.
To mark the occasion this year, the National Taiwan Museum has collaborated with Taipei Garden Hotel to open museum-themed rooms and launch cultural sightseeing bus routes to encourage tourists to explore Taiwan’s culture, the ministry said.
The National Palace Museum, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Natural Science, the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology and other facilities around Taiwan are also to hold special events over the weekend to celebrate International Museum Day.
Details can be found on the Facebook page “518 International Museum Day” (518國際博物館日).
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS