*
Homepage

 

07/09 (Wed)

Opening Hours 9:00-17:00

*
Taiwan in the Eyes of a Western Traveler--John Thomson’s Footprints in Formosa

Publication date: 2013
Author: Li Pin-huei |Staff member of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History

John Thomson(1837-1921)is regarded as a pioneering photographer in the 19th century. He traveled to Far East, documenting the portraits, landscapes and eastern cultures profoundly through his lens and these photographs have become precious historical records. Although John Thomson only stayed in Taiwan for a few days, the images and notes he left are valuable historical materials for the research into Taiwan in the 1870s.His story could be comparable to Shen Bao-zhen, one of the figures in 「Traveling in Time」Exhibition. They were the travelers who came to Taiwan in the same time period. Through their stories, we can learn how they interpret Formosa in the 19th century.
*
V. Conclusion

Lin Xian-tang was not just the leader in a prominent family. He was also an intellectual who accepted traditional Chinese education and a conductor to lead Taiwan Nationalist movement. When Lin was traveling around the world, he observed different places and gained a lot of experience. He was well represented among the group of Taiwanese who were desperate to learn from other countries in order to pursue modernity. After Lin went back, he wrote down his travel experience and titled his serial essays as The Voyage around the World, which were published in Taiwan People Newspaper and New Taiwan People Newspaper. In short, things that Lin Xian-tang experienced provide readers a chance to imagine what it would be like in western society. What Lin mentioned can also be a mirror for Taiwan’s society.


11F., South Wing, Building for Humanities and Social Sciences, 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei City 11529,
Taiwan Tel: +886-2-2652-5181 Fax: +886-2-2652-5184 【Contact us
Copyright © 2010 Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica. All Rights Reserved