臺灣文學虛擬博物館

Taiwan's 400 Year History is a major general history of Taiwan from the postwar era. It was written by Su Beng ( birth name Shih Chao-hui, 1918–2019); the Japanese edition was published in 1962, while the Mandarin edition circulated underground in Taiwan during the 1980s. It awakened Taiwanese consciousness in many people and is an important part of Taiwan’s history worth learning about.

The centerpiece of this exhibition is the set of printing flongs of the 1962 Japanese edition of Taiwan's 400 Year History. Alongside them are multiple versions which Su Beng personally revised and expanded over the years, as well as pirated copies that were photocopied and circulated underground during martial law. Su Beng's goal was to "seek the wellspring of the Taiwanese people's strength, awaken their national consciousness, and recognize the mission that comes with being Taiwanese.

" These various editions reveal not only the struggles of a nationalist in pursuit of his ideals but also the effort of a colonized people to preserve and reclaim their own history. "One must first be a good human being, and then become a good Taiwanese," is Su Beng's classic saying. He wore many hats throughout his life, becoming a revolutionary, writer, and head chef of a Chinese restaurant. This exhibition therefore also features a reconstruction of the Shin Chinmi restaurant with food models, and a recreation of the mu-gui device once used to test timed explosives on the fifth floor.

Through these everyday objects, visitors can glimpse how Su Beng's thought and action evolved in tandem. The exhibition concludes by highlighting four other writers: Yang Kuei, Lu Ho-jo, Chung I-jen, and Wang Yu-te - whose paths intersected with Su Beng at similar historical moments. Each pursued their ideals in different ways, allowing us to sense how Su Beng and his contemporaries sought to fulfill the responsibility of being Taiwanese.