Author: Jao Tsu-hsien |Staff member at the Archives of the Institute of Taiwan History
Photo: Archives of the Institute of Taiwan History
Translated by Chen Han-shu

Surrounded by mountains and a river, Tamsui, which used to be called “Hobe”, has always attracted senior artists in Taiwan. Exotic and traditional architecture left by the Dutch, Qing Dynasty, and Japanese feature its historic characteristics, attracting wandering literati. Similarly, artists are inspired by this historic town as well. The paintings of Tamsui are a spectacular page of Taiwan’s art history. Since its establishment, the Archives of the Institute of Taiwan History have continuously collected and compiled personal papers, family papers and institutional archives. Part of this involves collecting and digitizing Taiwan senior artists’ works and their personal papers. In recent years, the digital archives of the Chen Cheng-po Paintings and Papers, Yen Shui-long Paintings and Papers, Chen Zhi-qi Paintings and Papers, and Pu Tian-sheng Sculptures and Papers are open in sequence. Now, let us follow Chen Zhi-qi, Chen Cheng-po, and Yen Shui-long’s steps, accompanied by archival materials such as photographs and postcards, and start a journey to Tamsui across time and space!