In recent years, the government has carried out important policies to nourish, conserve and promote Taiwanese culture, such as the Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank, the Regeneration of Historic Sites project, and the Reconstruction of Taiwan's Art History project. In addition to reinvigorating local areas by re-establishing their ties to the history and knowledge passed down over time, these policies also help bring Taiwan's rich stories and artworks to a wider global audience, thus enhancing the nation's soft power.
Now, the Executive Yuan has approved version 2.0 of the Reconstruction of Taiwan's Art History project (2025-2028) to continue enriching the country's culture and building upon Taiwan's cultural DNA and cultural memory, as well as to realize President Lai Ching-te's vision of revitalizing the nation through art. The updated project will support the collection, research and promotion of the history of Taiwan's art, music, literature, architecture and traditional opera, thereby inspiring dialogue about the interplay between land, culture and different generations, as well as sparking rediscovery of Taiwan's art history and cultural identity.
Five areas of focus
■ History of art: Upgrade the capabilities of art institutions, and strengthen their ability to purchase, collect and conserve important works from Taiwan's art history. Continue gathering and studying art history materials and curating diverse exhibitions. These initiatives will help promote Taiwanese art in mainstream culture.
■ History of music: Incorporate digital technologies into music archival, facilitate research on specific topics in music history, and encourage a broader range of music commentary, thereby breathing new life into old music and forgotten history.
■ History of literature: Accelerate the collection of historical Taiwanese literary materials, revitalize literary works by translating them into new forms of popular media and applications, and raise the international profile of Taiwanese literature.
■ History of architecture: Facilitate reconstruction of a historical framework to understand Taiwanese architecture; create an inventory of the current status of Taiwan's classical architecture; research specialized subjects in architecture and curate related exhibitions; and encourage documentary filmmaking on major architectural works. These initiatives will explore and deepen appreciation of Taiwanese architectural styles.
■ History of Taiwanese opera: Support the health and sustainability of traditional Taiwanese opera by conducting surveys and data collection of the current cultural ecosystem, as well as by developing digital applications of cultural databases.