Since 16^th century, Taiwan has been an important stronghold in a process of competition between western and eastern empire. A develop of Taiwan history interacts with China and world history. In 1894, because of Joseon problems, Qing dynasty and Japan broke out a war, which put Taiwan into a tempestuous and changeful historical trend. When the time went into 1895, several battles happened in our country and familiar locations due to Japanese invasion of Taiwan. Until the Qing Dragon Flag flew away to the Island of Formosa be covered with the Sun flag, people of the Island of Formosa finally became new subjects, who went through double baptism with colonialism and modernization in 50 years.

Among the items on view include “ukiyo-e about battles (戰役浮世繪),” “Kitashirakawa Family images in Taiwan (北白川宮家在臺行跡圖像)” and “the Imperial Household Agency collection of Taiwanese photographs (日本宮內廳書陵部所藏臺灣寫真)” from the Archives of the ITH; paintings collected by Mr. Guo Shuang-fu (郭双富) and Professor Yang Rur-bin (楊儒賓); documents related to the Republic of Formosa and Liu Yung-fu from the National Museum of Taiwan History and the National Taiwan Museum; documents from the University of Calgary collection of James Wheeler Davidson Family fonds; collections from the Archives of Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica and Hu Shih Memorial Hall; and historical drawings from the Joint Library of Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica. Diverse archives records recur to a history from 1874 Japanese invasion of Taiwan by an excuse for incident of Ryukyun crews, to a victory of Shimonoseki in 1985; from Taiwan being the territories of Japan in accordance with the treaty, to Japanese reception of Taiwan by force. No matter people of the Island of Formosa or officials of Qing Dynasty were convinced of a transform of the age. Regardless of obedience or revolt, they all had to receive historical destiny of dynastic changes. Please follow steps with archives to know our common memory, which exist on this beautiful island.