Early-childhood education expert Shen Ming-hsien (沈銘賢) has collected thousands of historical artifacts over the past 60 years, providing them as a resource for students at his kindergarten.
Before opening a private kindergarten, Shen studied mechanical engineering at university and studied in the US, eventually earning his doctorate.
Shen later worked at his family’s electrical appliance business and taught classes at university part-time.
Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times
With the support of fellow educators, Shen transformed one of his family’s unused factories in eastern Tainan into the Muchun Kindergarten in 1980.
Shen, 78, said his passion for collecting historical items was inspired by his parents, who were educated in Japan.
They meticulously kept all manner of objects from Shen’s childhood — from his umbilical cord to report cards, awards and graduation certificates.
Growing up in that environment, Shen said he developed a keen interest in collecting and history.
He began collecting historical items like farm tools, cutlery, clothes and embroidery from book and antique stores during his time off from school and work, he said.
In 1973, Shen participated in multiple activities organized by Junior Chamber International Taiwan — a nonprofit organization for young people to make positive contributions to their communities — meeting collectors Liu Wen-san (劉文三), Pan Yuan-shih (潘元石) and Chen Ming-liang (陳明亮).
Inspired by them, Shen said he began collecting even more historical artifacts, including two iron-wheeled ox carts, water jars, washbasin stands and bellows, alongside larger items such as a red canopy bed, brick stove and cypress wood bathtub.
He also frequented antique shops, where he acquired Cochin pottery, clay sculptures, guardian lion figurines, floral wood carvings and various plaques, in addition to numerous other pieces salvaged from historical sites, he said.
When an obstetric clinic from the Japanese colonial era was being renovated about 30 years ago, its original baroque-style carvings of pregnant women were slated for disposal.
However, determined not to let this happen, Shen and Pan rushed to the site to rescue the sculptures.
Later, when Shen’s family factory was transformed into a kindergarten, he found a new way to breathe life into history — incorporating intricately carved wooden doors and window frames from his collection into the building’s design, allowing the historical artifacts to become part of everyday life.
His entire collection is stored within his estate, including at the Muchun Kindergarten and Muchun Cultural Museum.
Shen said he organizes his collection thematically, categorizing items under food, clothing, housing, transportation, education and entertainment.
The food category includes everyday items such as bowls, plates and pots, while the clothing category includes traditional garments such as phoenix robes and dudou (肚兜, a traditional Chinese undergarment), he said.
Housing includes traditional floral-patterned doors and windows, canopy beds and stoves, he added.
The transportation category includes items such as ox carts, as well as antique motorcycles and bicycles, he said.
Under education, he includes chamber pots and baby bathtubs, while entertainment includes traditional and modern toys along with coins, stamps and souvenirs from more than 80 countries Shen has visited.
Shen said he intends to gradually donate the artifacts to museums or institutions capable of preserving and publicly displaying them, ensuring their educational value.
Shared enjoyment is more meaningful than solitary appreciation and these objects could inspire others, he said.
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