The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature.
The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said.
Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature via CNA
Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the “Folktales and Magical Realism in Taiwan Literature” exhibition, where visitors would be welcomed by an image of a plaque reading “Er Lai Le” (爾來了, “You have come”).
It is an iconic inscription from the 350-year-old Taiwanfu Chenghuang Temple (台灣府城隍廟) in Tainan, one of Taiwan’s oldest and most sacred sites, and serves as a reminder of the authority of the City God, whose judgement cannot be escaped.
Chen said the exhibition also has a special meaning as it is being held in conjunction with Japan’s Obon festival, a Buddhist tradition typically observed in mid-August when ancestral spirits are believed to return home to the living.
The timing enables Japanese audiences to connect with Taiwanese perspectives on ancestors, spirits, deities and the unseen world, creating a cultural resonance that bridges both traditions, she said.
Taiwanfu Chenghuang Temple chairman Kuo Jung-che (郭榮哲) praised the temple’s collaboration with the museum, saying that the cultural initiative exemplified how local religious heritage can be shared with global audiences.
Wu Ming-hsi (吳明熙), deputy commissioner of the Tainan Bureau of Civil Affairs, hailed the temple’s involvement in the exhibition as an excellent example of cross-sector collaboration and expected more such tie-ins in the future.
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