臺灣文學虛擬博物館

Traveling is more than just physically moving our body from one place to another—it is also an exploration of the self and the wider world. Yet the ways in which travel has been defined through written words have evolved over time. From early records of lengthy journeys and sightseeing-style travelogues to diverse forms of contemporary travel literature, each type of work has influenced readers’ imagination of traveling, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the genre itself.

The words of travel writers not only define the meaning of traveling; they also open up endless realms of the imagination. Travel literature offers us a unique opportunity to step beyond our everyday, to reexamine our lives, and to build a worldview that is uniquely our own.

Here, travel is no longer a mere matter of changing one’s geographical location—it becomes a voyage of the soul and a quest to better oneself.

#TheMeaningOfTravel  #FromTourismToTravel  #WritersAroundTheWorld   #JourneyOfTheSoul

Whether for the sake of appreciating natural landscapes, encounters on the road, or exploring one’s inner world, travel has always been a physical experience filled with complexities.

During the era of Japanese rule, modernization ushered in new notions of travel to Taiwan. Improved transportation led to convenient mobility, while the rise of the middle class made taking leisure trips more accessible. In the postwar years, as industry and commerce grew and globalization sparked waves of trips and outings, traveling farther became easier—and travel writing more popular.

Travel literature extends the experience of travel itself. Some forms include recollections while on the road or “eight-scenery poems” and travel reports in praise of Taiwan’s landscapes. Others turn experiences into inspiration for works of fiction, prose, and poetry. No matter the means, us readers are invited to journey alongside these travel writers as they guide us through each place without missing a single sight.

As far as writers venture, so too does the world of Taiwan expand.

Traveling is more than just physically moving our body from one place to another—it is also an odyssey of the soul. Through travel, we learn new ways of seeing the world and expand our horizons beyond the land beneath our feet. Let us explore how worldviews were widened for those in Taiwan’s past.

During the era of Japanese rule, Lin Hsien-tang completed an ambitious expedition around the world in 1928. By recording his experiences in Journey Around the Globe, the horizons of Taiwan’s people were expanded beyond the islands of East Asia. In the postwar years under martial law, when strict border controls made it difficult to travel abroad, the essays and travelogues of writers such as Hsu Chung-pei and Chung Mei-yin, as well as Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao, gave readers a glimpse of distant lands and a taste of the exotic.

Today, traveling abroad is no longer a rare privilege, and more people are penning their stories of their time afar. In their own ways, they have added to Taiwan’s mosaic of the world, showing that words and reading have made the world feel closer than ever before.