Grade 3 Lin Jianye 210042

A Brief Journey into Formosa

Formosa was first sighted by the Portuguese, who named it “Fermosa,” meaning “beautiful” in Portuguese. It is said that the Portuguese were deeply impressed by the scenery when they first landed, hence the name “beautiful island.” It was only after the late sixteenth century that the island began to be called “Taiwan.”

Participating in this Taiwan exchange tour has truly been a wonderful experience in my life. As I write, I hope to guide readers through the trip and offer a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s religious beliefs, historical culture, and humanistic atmosphere.

In Dadaocheng, we visited temples known for blessings in romance and learned about the unique characteristics of Taiwan’s religious practices. Watching local residents pray for love and happiness revealed a romantic sentiment deeply embedded in Taiwanese culture. Meanwhile, at the Confucius Temple, we explored Confucian culture and traditional Chinese philosophical thought. Notably, both places offered interactive experiences, such as observing rituals or participating in worship. Some of our group members even took part. At the Confucius Temple, visitors could also write down wishes for academic success, hoping for blessings in upcoming exams or assessments.

During the class‑visiting sessions, I attended courses on German History, History of Religion in Taiwan, and China’s International Relations. These were taught by scholars from different fields, providing us with broad knowledge and perspectives. The professors encouraged us to think deeply about historical and cultural transformations, as well as political and economic developments in specific periods. Students from both places also exchanged ideas, allowing us to gain preliminary insights into Taiwan’s education system, environment, and customs. Conversely, Taiwanese students also learned more about Hong Kong.

Visiting the National Palace Museum allowed us to appreciate its magnificent collection of artefacts and better understand the depths of Chinese history. China’s long historical tradition and the scale of its past empires mean its collections rival those of many major museums worldwide. At the Academia Sinica—Institute of History and Philology Exhibition Hall, we explored cultural‑creative products, East Asian historical sites, and digital humanities databases in greater depth.

As the journey comes to an end, I would like to express my gratitude to the Department of History of Hong Kong Shue Yan University and the staff who organised this exchange programme for giving us this valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture. This experience has had an immeasurable impact on my life. Meeting local friends also contributed, in its own small way, to fostering interaction across the Taiwan–Hong Kong context. I sincerely hope such exchanges will continue.

Through this trip, I realised that Taiwan places greater emphasis on heritage preservation than Hong Kong, and that the career prospects for history graduates in Taiwan are more diverse. In addition to museums and research institutions, cultural‑creative industries offer another promising avenue. That said, Hong Kong is not without advantages. I believe that Hong Kong is currently in a budding stage, with increasing awareness among scholars and the public about the importance of history. This is an encouraging sign, suggesting broader prospects for history students in Hong Kong. Learning from practices in different regions—particularly Taiwan—will be crucial.

Lastly, I would once again like to thank the Department of History of Hong Kong Shue Yan University and the programme organisers for granting us this rare opportunity to explore Taiwan’s culture in depth. This exchange experience has left a lasting impact on me, and the friendships formed have helped strengthen cross‑regional interaction. I sincerely look forward to future exchanges of this kind.

 
Dadaocheng — this shop is one of the many cultural‑creative stores in Dadaocheng. It has become a gathering point because it is the largest shop along the street and offers the most comprehensive range of cultural‑creative products. In addition, it contains a passageway that allows visitors to view scenes of Dadaocheng during the Japanese colonial period. Here, commerce and history are skillfully integrated, representing a new form of historical presentation that has attracted large numbers of visitors.
 
The Confucius Temple — this is the largest and most magnificent Confucius Temple in Taipei. The photograph shows the temple’s main hall, where we also participated in a blessing ritual, hoping to receive good fortune and achieve ideal results in our academic pursuits.
 
The meeting between students of National Taipei University and the History students of Hong Kong Shue Yan University marked the first formal gathering between the two groups. Previously, we had only met the two students who guided us to the dormitory. On this day, we were also introduced to four additional students from National Taipei University, who kindly showed us around the library, the campus, and other facilities.
 
Class‑visit at National Taipei University — this was our second time attending classes there. The university offered five courses for us to choose from, allowing us to attend based on our personal academic interests. I selected the course on Taiwanese Religious Beliefs, which gave me a preliminary understanding of Taiwan’s religious traditions.
 
The National Palace Museum — this photo was taken in front of the main entrance. Here, we saw many artefacts that are not on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Among the most famous pieces is the Meat‑Shaped Stone. It was a pity that the Jadeite Cabbage is housed in the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, so we were unable to admire it in person. Nevertheless, the Meat‑Shaped Stone alone demonstrates the remarkable craftsmanship and sophistication of ancient Chinese carving techniques.
 
Academia Sinica — the leading institution where Taiwan’s top academic scholars are gathered. Our visit made us aware of the most current and prominent topics in historical studies, as well as subjects that remain open to further research. This experience is highly valuable for us as a reference when considering future studies in Master’s or PhD programmes.

 

Li Mei‑shu Memorial Gallery — Mr. Li Mei‑shu was a painter, artist, and professor whose contributions to architecture and design in Taiwan were highly significant. He devoted great effort to architectural design, laying an important foundation for Taiwan’s architectural aesthetics and inspiring many architects to study and apply his ideas. The exhibits also reveal his deep affection for his hometown, Sanxia, where he actively promoted local development and helped transform it into a popular tourist destination. The tourism income generated was in turn used to further support and revitalise his hometown.
 
The ancestral temple — this temple was jointly designed by Mr. Li Mei‑shu together with architects and artists from across Taiwan. Li himself created the totems carved on the pillars. Unfortunately, a few of the pillars remain unfinished, as Li passed away unexpectedly before the work could be completed, which is deeply regrettable.
 
Dinner gathering between students from National Taipei University and Hong Kong Shue Yan University — this social event was organised to express our gratitude to the National Taipei University students for taking care of us throughout the week‑long exchange. It also helped strengthen the relationships between students of the two universities, laying the groundwork for future exchange activities and further enhancing the connection between the two History Departments.