• 2018-09-27

This year sees the 85^th anniversary of the foundation of Taiwan’s National Central Library (NCL). As a tribute to Prof. Liang Danfong’s selfless dedication, the NCL has put together a special exhibition entitled “Liang Danfong: Paintings of Formosa the Prosperous Island,” which is being held in the library’s Culture and Education Exhibition Hall from July 31 to September 16, 2018. Around 300 of Prof. Liang’s paintings of Taiwan have been carefully selected for display at the exhibition, including oil paintings, watercolors and sketches, and grouped according to region.

The newly-appointed Minister of Education, Mr. Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮), personally attended the exhibition opening, where he gave a speech and cut the red tape. In his speech, he remarked that, as a reader, he very much enjoyed being able to admire such beautiful local scenes painted by a famous artist at the library. In her own opening remarks, NCL director-general Tseng Shu-hsien explained that Prof. Liang had donated more than 14,000 of her life’s works to the library’s permanent collection, adding that she very much admired and was moved by her generous spirit. Director-General Tseng also praised Prof. Liang’s contribution to Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy: she has traveled all over the world to more than 80 countries, and was the first female Chinese artist to have traveled far and wide to the most remote regions. She once traveled through Bhutan at the invitation of the Empress to paint the local culture, and visited more than 20 U.S. universities to train teachers at the invitation of the Ministry of Education.

Prof. Liang Danfong was overjoyed that so many of her paintings are receiving appropriate care and storage at the library, and extremely grateful to it for providing staff to carry out the necessary related management and other activities. After the ceremony had concluded, she also spent an hour giving the distinguished guests a personal guided tour of her works.

In the 60 years that she has lived in Taiwan, Prof. Liang Danfong has produced a large number of paintings and sketches of the island. The roughly 760 canvases, on themes that include natural scenery, architecture, figure paintings, and scenes of ordinary people’s lives, all possess Taiwan’s distinct vitality. This exhibition not only draws attention to the fine culture, warmth, and friendliness to be found on this beautiful island, but also the shared memories of its people.