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AUG 5 1500 Word Report

AUG 5 Presentation

JULY 24 Progress report

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What have you completed so far? What readings have you done, what findings have you made, what insights have you gained?

What do you plan to do next? What further readings or interview questions do you have planned? Are there any specific challenges you are facing or areas where you need additional support?

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Two article sources :

The National Palace Museum and its controversies

New BloomLinks to an external site.,

Global Taiwan Institute

Two people we talk to At the NPM:

Record 1

Record 2

Two more people outside of NPM :

Andrew : his hubby

Josh : his cousin

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https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/06/05/china-is-waging-a-restitution-campaign-against-taiwans-forbidden-city-treasures

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115954/why-taiwans-national-palace-museum-controversy-more-storm-teacup

https://newbloommag.net/2020/09/12/national-palace-museum-kmt/

https://globaltaiwan.org/2023/05/making-taiwans-history-visible-through-museum-diplomacy/

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語言:hoto Credit: Latinboy/WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 3.0
English P

A POLITICAL CONTROVERSY late last month centered around the breaking of three priceless artifacts displayed at the National Palace Museum. Some estimates place the value of the three artifacts at 77 million USD, though they have never been displayed, seeing as the National Palace Museum rotates its collection and does not display all of its artifacts at once.

The National Palace Museum contains the treasures of the Forbidden City in China. The KMT brought these artifacts to Taiwan following its defeat to the CCP in the course of the Chinese Civil War. The three artifacts that broke were two bowls and a plate.

In particular, attacks by the pan-Blue camp have centered on National Palace Museum director Wu Mi-cha, who has held the post since 2019. Allegations by the pan-Blue camp are that Wu should step down for having allowed the breaking of the artifacts to occur under his watch, as well as that Wu attempted to cover up the incident. Namely, of the three artifacts that broke, this was discovered on February 3, 2021, April 7, 2022, and May 19th, 2022, but this did not come to light until recently.

The National Palace Museum. Photo credit: Peter Bronski/Public Domain

Other allegations against Wu claim cronyism on his part. The pan-Blue camp begrudges Wu because, despite serving as the director of the National Palace Museum, as head of Academia Historica, director of the National Museum of Taiwan History, and a number of high-profile posts, he has a clear pan-Green political leaning. Wu served as vice minister of culture under Chen Shui-bian and took political stances supportive of the Sunflower Movement and high school students that occupied the Ministry of Culture in summer 2015 to protest textbook changes pushed for by the KMT.

Indeed, through this, one can see how even random accidents become sharply politicized in Taiwan, and used as fodder for attacks between the pan-Green and pan-Blue camps. This is all the more case ahead of election season later this month.

For the pan-Blue camp, the National Palace Museum is a sore spot, because it is a symbol of the KMT's claims that Taiwan and the ROC inherit and safeguard China's cultural legacy. The KMT also frames the DPP as ideologically bent on realizing independence, brainwashing Taiwan's youth with its efforts at fomenting "cultural Taiwanese independence" and eradicating traces of China through the drive towards "desinicization."

In the past, the KMT had come under fire for claiming that the National Palace Museum could be considered a "party asset", seeing as it brought its collection to Taiwan . This was criticized as an authoritarian viewpoint, seeing as it framed the KMT as synonymous with the state, calling to mind the KMT party-state that existed during authoritarian times.

On the other hand, members of the pan-Green camp that do not view Taiwan as having ever been part of China have suggested returning the collection of the National Palace Museum to China, perhaps in return for concessions at leaving Taiwan alone.

Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. Photo credit: Shouji Hasegawa/CC0

Under its tenure, the Tsai administration has sought to pivot away from the Sinocentrism of the National Palace Museum. The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum is intended to highlight an alternative view of Taiwan and China that does not simply frame Taiwan as a peripheral yet somehow integral part of China.

But one, in fact, saw similar controversies when the KMT last held power during the Ma administration except in reverse. Weng Chih-tsung was criticized for his appointment as director of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Tainan under Ma in 2014, with the view that Weng is not an expert in Taiwan literature, and that the appointment was political in nature. This is perhaps not so different from how Wu is an expert in Taiwanese history, but appointed director of the National Palace Museum.

This points to how the cultural field, as well as the academic field in Taiwan, is sharply polarized between the pan-Green and pan-Blue camps. Academic departments of Taiwanese literature or history, for example, are usually pan-Green, while those of Chinese literature and history are usually pan-Blue. Both camps largely view themselves as at war with each, whether in terms of academia or cultural production. This is more broadly reflective of stark political divisions in Taiwanese society.

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Political Controversy About Breaking of National Palace Museum Artifacts Follows Along Familiar Lines | New Bloom Magazine

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A political controversy late last month centered around the breaking of three priceless artifacts displayed at the National Palace Museum. Some estimates place the value of the three artifacts at 77...

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Andrew and Josh plan to ask family and friends that live in Taiwan if we could potentially interview them about the National Palace Museum and its controversies. We plan to go more into depth into the readings as we have only briefly read through them so far. However, with the free time we will have tomorrow with the Typhoon Holiday, we will get the chance to actually dive deeper into them.

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What have we completed so far:

We have created a team Padlet to track and operate our task

We got two interviews at the National Palace Museum

We gathered more online sources for our report

We gathered more than enough photos for this project

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### 1. China is waging a restitution campaign against Taiwan’s Forbidden City treasures

China is actively seeking the return of over 600,000 artefacts housed in Taiwan's National Palace Museum, relocated by Chiang Kai-shek during the 1949 civil war. This issue is part of broader political tensions between China and Taiwan. China's efforts include public criticism and cyberattacks, while Taiwan refuses to return or loan the treasures, citing their preservation from the Cultural Revolution as justification. The situation underscores the deep-rooted political and cultural conflicts between the two sides.

### 2. Why Taiwan’s National Palace Museum controversy is more than a storm in a teacup

The article from the South China Morning Post delves into the complex and contentious history of Taiwan’s National Palace Museum. It discusses the KMT’s relocation of Chinese artefacts to Taiwan in 1949, the museum's role in shaping Taiwanese identity, and the ongoing political debates over its status. The controversy involves issues of "de-Sinicisation," the museum's mission, and its representation of Taiwanese versus Chinese cultural heritage. The article emphasizes that the museum's artefacts are seen as national treasures, central to broader political and identity struggles.

### 3. New Bloom: National Palace Museum and the KMT

This article explores the historical context of the National Palace Museum's establishment in Taiwan. It focuses on the KMT’s strategic relocation of artefacts from Beijing’s Forbidden City in 1949 to bolster its legitimacy. The museum’s role in Taiwan’s nation-building efforts, particularly under martial law, and its evolving significance in Taiwanese identity politics are highlighted. The article notes a shift among younger generations, who may not view these artefacts as integral to their Taiwanese identity, reflecting changing perceptions and the island's complex political landscape.

### 4. Making Taiwan’s History Visible through Museum Diplomacy

This article examines Taiwan's use of museums as a tool for international diplomacy and cultural assertion. It highlights how Taiwan leverages institutions like the National Palace Museum to foster international partnerships and showcase its cultural heritage. This strategy counters China's claims and promotes Taiwan's distinct identity on the global stage. The article underscores the importance of cultural diplomacy in Taiwan's broader efforts to gain international recognition and support, presenting museums as vital in narrating Taiwan's history and heritage independently from China.

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They should keep this history but change the name and the purpose of it. Taiwan should separate its old identity.

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What do you think of the National Palace Museum?

How does it relate to Taiwan's identity as a nation and your own personal identity?

What do you think should be done moving forward about the National Palace Museum?

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What do you think of the National Palace Museum?

The existence of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan is deeply connected with its history. As a result of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China in 1949, the government of the Republic of China shipped some of the Forbidden City's collections to Taiwan to protect them from war damage. These collections have become part of the continuation of Chinese culture in Taiwan, and also reflect Taiwan’s role as a protector of Chinese culture to some extent. To me, the collection of the National Palace Museum symbolizes pride in the inheritance of Chinese culture, but for others, these collections may have more complex political implications. After all, some older people experienced the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and the impact on politics may be more important than history and culture.

How does it relate to Taiwan’s identity as a nation and your own personal identity?

The importance of the National Palace Museum to the people of Taiwan. The National Palace Museum is not just a place to display Chinese art and cultural relics, it is also a place that carries historical memory (歷史記憶) and cultural identity. It shows how Taiwan preserves and develops its cultural heritage in the process of modernization, while also reflecting the complex and delicate relationship between Taiwan and China. To me, it is just a place that preserves the long history of Chinese culture and shows it to people from all over the world who come to Taiwan to let them understand Chinese culture. As time has passed, the politics, culture, and ideas of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have gradually drifted apart. What we should do is to look to the future, create Taiwan's own local history since 1949, and preserve it well. This is not to say that the Chinese culture of the past is not important, but that it must keep pace with the times in order to integrate with international standards and let the world know a different Taiwan.

What do you think should be done moving forward about the National Palace Museum?

For the future of the National Palace Museum, I think the following directions can be considered:

1. Digitalization and globalization: The National Palace Museum can strengthen the digitization of its collections and allow more people to access these precious cultural relics through the Internet. This not only helps spread culture, but also attracts more scholars and tourists from around the world.

2. Diversified exhibitions: In addition to traditional Chinese art and cultural relics, the National Palace Museum can also consider displaying exhibits of Taiwanese local culture and other cultures, so as to more fully display Taiwan's multicultural face.

3. Cultural exchange: It can enhance cultural exchanges with other countries and regions and promote cultural understanding and exchange through joint exhibitions, academic cooperation, etc.