Traveling is a way to enjoy life. In a trip, you can not only collect the beautiful sights in your eyes, but also experience the history and culture a place has nurtured. Ever since the Ching Dynasty in 17th century, there has been a so-called “Eight Views in Taiwan” reputation. In 1927, Japanese colonist government promoted with an official newspaper a poll of “Eight Views in Taiwan”, which widely spread Taiwan’s touring reputation as well as self-realization by its citizens. In 1953, the government renewed “Eight Views in Taiwan” as “Jade Mountain Snow”, “Ali Mountain Cloud”, “Taroko Canyon”, “ChingShui Precipice”, “DaTun Spring”, “ShuangTan Autumn”, “An Ping Sunset”, and “Pescadores Fishermen”. However, there’s a new version of “Eight Views in Taiwan” in 2005. Doesn’t matter how the official version changes, everyone has their own idea of views that are worth the name, and landscape painters of course know the best! Thus, 2008 Highlights from the Permanent Collection sets Touring in Taiwan as the theme to present all the beautiful places in Taiwan drawn by painters. Do the famous viewpoints in the paintings look the same to the foreign travelers and us? Or do they have their own spirit under the interpretation of painters?
The uniqueness of how artists look at the world opens another door for us to look at views in Taiwan, and it is also the spotlight of this permanent collection.