臺灣文學虛擬博物館

 

 

 

 

｜Postcard from the Yanping Poetry Society requesting submissions, postwar｜

 

This postcard was sent by the Yanping Poetry Society to member Hsu Ping-ting. It notifies him that the Taiwan Provincial Literature Committee was soliciting poems wishing the R.O.C. President a happy birthday, and encouraged society members to submit their work. Poetry solicitations like these appeared often during the Japanese colonial era and postwar, and poets could hardly avoid being asked to make submissions as a matter of courtesy. A surviving poem by Hsu Ping-ting titled "Best Wishes on President Chiang's Sixtieth Birthday" is likely related to this activity.
NMTL20060310068 / Donated by Hsu Ping-ting

 

｜Painting of Lin Chiu-wu, Shih Ping-hsi, 2022｜

 

This painting depicts Lin Chiu-wu (1903-1934) speaking at Kaiyuan Temple in Tainan. He is pointing to this poem:

"In a moment of awakening, one knows the vastness of reality; 
to recognize the times is the highest form of Zen.
The Buddha's teachings remove my fear;
I will fight against the strong on behalf of the weak."

The poem expresses his awareness of the changing times and the strength of his character in resisting oppression. Lin Chiu-wu was a monk, poet, and member of the Taiwan Cultural Association, who vigorously expressed his spirit of resistance to tyranny in both writing and action.
NMTL20230170001 / Donated by Shih Ping-hsi
 

 

｜Commemorative Group Photo of the Taiwan Cultural Association's Photography Team, 1927｜

 

Taken on January 4, 1927, this photo commemorates the touring lecture activities organized by its Photography Team. Lu Bing-ding, Tsai Pei-huo, Lin Hsien-tang, Lin Yu-chun, and Lin Chiu-wu can be seen in the front row. Lin Chiu-wu was a monk, poet, and member of the Taiwan Cultural Association, and served as benshi (narrator) for the "Beautiful Taiwan Troupe," during the presentations which the Photography Team organized. This photo testifies to the active participation of Cultural Association members disseminating new ideas and promoting public enlightenment.
NMTL20190160288-001 / Donated by Lin Chang-feng

 

｜Landscape Painting, Luo Hsiang-lin, 1956｜

 

Luo Hsiang-lin sent this piece from Hualien to Wu Hsin-jung in October 1956. The painting depicts a secluded mountain forest, accompanied by the poem: 

"From a distant temple, the scattered sounds of bells drifts through white clouds; 
a century remains alive in a deserted village. 
I do not abandon my wife and children by leaving secular life; 
I follow Master Pang to the Deer Gate." 

The verses evoke the life of a recluse in the mountains, reflecting Luo's shift in attitude after relocating to Hualien. Luo Hsiang-lin was a poet, painter, and photographer. In his early years, he studied under Chao Yi-shan, and later became a member of the Xing and Ying Poetry Societies. He was active in poetry and art circles during the Japanese colonial period and postwar.
NMTL20060020004 / Donated by Wu Nan-tu
 

 

｜Ink Bamboo Painting, Du You-shao, 1911｜

 

Painted in June 1911 at the Stargazing Pavilion in Lukang, this painting bears the inscription: "I move the dripping water to the tip of the brush, scattering the mists and rains of Xiaoxiang," and is stamped with three seals: "Yao of Shen, Wei, and Chi" "Yao Chi", and "Seal of Du You-shao." 

Du You-shao, also known as You-shao (style name Yao Chi), lived in Lukang, and excelled in poetry and prose. He was also skilled in medicine, painting, calligraphy, and the appraisal of cultural artifacts, and was a member of the Lujiang and Daye Poetry Societies. His neighbor Hung Chi-sheng once praised him as a renaissance man: "Everyone regards him as a connoisseur, yet few know the breadth of his talents."
NMTL20170130001 / Donated by Tu Kuo-ch'ing
 

 

｜Painting of Growling Tiger, Cheng Kun-wu, date unknown｜

 

This painting depicts a fierce tiger perched upon a stone, roaring with his head held high, exuding an aura of majesty. The inscribed poem reads: 

"A roar shakes the valley; 
the sudden display of power cows all beasts. 
In these times of great change, 
he should fix his eyes on the deer of the Central Plain." 

Cheng Kun-wu (style name He, also known as Ch'ian Lao), was a scholar from Fengshan who produced poems, prose, calligraphy, and paintings, and was especially known for his paintings of tigers. He and Lin Yu-shan were nicknamed the "Twin Titans of Tiger Painting." Cheng was very active in both poetry and art, working in a variety of styles. In 1924, he was recognized by the Toyo Art Academy in Japan.
NMTL20140130130 / Donated by the family of Wei Ch'ing-tê
 

 

｜Collection of Lantern Riddles from the 1963 Lantern Festival, Lo Li-yun, 1963｜

 

During the 1963 Lantern Festival, the Keelung Community Service Center held a three-day lantern riddle competition. Lo Li-yun compiled this collection of riddles from that event. Some of the riddles in this booklet are based on guessing Chinese characters based on their components. For instance, what is a rich man's (富人) feast (一席酒)? Food offered (饋, the two parts meaning wine or food, and wealthy). Others are semantic: "People's hearts have changed," (人心不古) can be thought of as "modern thought." Lantern riddles, combining classical allusion and rhetoric, were a cultural activity that blurred the lines between literary gathering and festive entertainment.
NMTL20220160446 / Donated by the family of Kao Wen-chia

 

｜Page from Signature Book for the Founding of Taiwan Poetry, 1924｜

 

This album is a commemorative signature book, produced for the launch of Taiwan Poetry. The cover bears the inscription Fulun daya, a traditional phrase wishing success to literary enterprises, signed by Chang Ch'un-fu. Inside is the Founding Notice, written by Luo Xianglin and transcribed by Chen Xi’an, along with supporting signatures and a roster of Xing Society members.
It was Ou Ch'ian-chuang who called upon members of the Qian and Xing Poetry Societies to participate, in order to "give permanence to the poems of ji bo composition contests," showing how, beyond poetry society events, poets also promoted literary exchange through the editing and publishing of periodicals.
NMTL20230420001 / Donated by Chen Wei-cheng, Chen Jun-hua, and Chen Jun-ying

 

｜Group Photo of the Letian Association during the 1962 New Year's Festival｜

 

Taken during the New Year in 1962. The Letian Association held events continuously from its founding in 1933 through the postwar era. Its members included Hung T'ieh-t'ao, Tsai Chi-li, Chang Chen-liang, Yeh Shu-tien, Teng Yao-shan, and K’o Tzu-lu. Some of its members passed away in the postwar era. Hsu Ping-ting, Wang Peng-cheng, Wang Kai-yun, and Chao Ya-fu, and others are present in the photo. This photo shows the importance of the Letian Association as an important gathering for Tainan scholars to maintain their friendships and enjoy leisure activities together in both the Japanese colonial period and the postwar era.
NMTL20220180001 / Donated by the family of Wang Te-chung

 

｜Introduction to the Letian Association, in 369 Newspaper Issue 274, 1933｜

 

This manuscript gives an account of how the Letian Association was founded in 1933. Formed by a group of writers who often gathered at the 369 Newspaper office, the Letian Association initially focused on birthday celebrations for members and their friends, but later developed into a regular social gathering. To avoid using the same name as the Forever Youthful Club (不老會) formed by Tainan writers Huang Hsing and Huang Hsi-ch’üan, Hung T'ieh-t'ao rechristened it the Letian Association, short for le tian an ming, or "happy-go-lucky." Its activities were centered around friendships and outdoor leisure activities—a more relaxed part of the lives of 1930s Tainan literati. As an important gathering for friends to maintain their relationships, the Letian Association remained active from the Japanese colonial era through the postwar period.
NMTL20090210174 / Donated by Su Hsin-yi

 

｜Lai Tzŭ-ch'ing's Taiwan Province Secondary School Teaching Certification, 1950｜

 

This shows that Lai Tzŭ-ch'ing passed the secondary school certification after the war and began teaching, devoting his life to Chinese language education. In the postwar era, many classically-trained scholars went into education. Besides teaching, he drew on the knowledge of poetry society members and attendees to conduct long-term research into the history of classical poetry and local literature. From the Anthology of Taiwan Poetry of the 1930s to post-war histories of poetry, classical scholars, and poetry societies, he gradually built a system of knowledge concerning classical poetry in Taiwan. He was also the chief editor of several volumes of the Chiayi County Gazette. This certificate attests to his abilities in education, as well as in literature and research.
NMTL20230140067 / Donated by the family of Lai Tzŭ-ch'ing

 

 

 

 

 

主辦單位 / 國立臺灣文學館