• 2024-12-03

In order to promote reading and guide members of the public in getting to know the fascinating ancient texts in National Central Library’s rich collection, NCL held a special themed exhibit of ancient texts entitled “Literature and Botany ‘Equally Blended’—The Plant-Inspired Life of the Ancients” from September 10^th through October 23^rd in the Art and Culture Center’s first floor exhibition room. The special exhibit offered a rare opportunity for members of the public to come face to face with original documents brought out of the archives.

NCL has always worked to make connections with members of the public, playing a part in their journey to seek an ideal life. This year, NCL planned the “Literature and Botany ‘Equally Blended’—The Plant-Inspired Life of the Ancients” special exhibit of ancient texts to be held in September at the start of the autumn season, selecting 20 ancient texts relating to peonies, Chinese crabapple, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, and maple trees. In Confucius’s The Analects, it says “Where the solid qualities are in excess of accomplishments, we have rusticity; where the accomplishments are in excess of the solid qualities, we have the manners of a clerk. When the accomplishments and solid qualities are equally blended, we then have the man of virtue." Taking this line from The Analects as inspiration for its name, this exhibit looks at plants through the lens of text reading, so that we can learn about the various impacts, both big and small, that plants had on ancient life. The stories of these plants can help the public learn about how ancient people found balance among different ways of thinking and sought out their own ideal lifestyles.

The “Literature and Botany ‘Equally Blended’—The Plant-Inspired Life of the Ancients” special exhibit of original ancient texts is not only an opportunity to glance upon history through these works, going on a literary tour of ancient views and interpretations of the plants in their environments; the exhibit also serves to encourage visitors to write, draw, and paint their own botanical imagery. With five plant species and two creative techniques, visitors take a journey to initiate new possibilities for time-transcending dialogue. Visitors to the exhibit are invited to make connections with each other and to collectively create new botanical imagery for our modern age. NCL also worked with NGO Society of the Wilderness for this exhibit, promoting a “National Central Library Botanical Garden” plant identification competition, so that participants can not only learn about plants within the pages and the scent of old books, but also continue to show attention and care for the plants and ecology that surround them in their daily lives. This exhibit is not only about reading ancient stories about plants, but also about building new botanical imagery for our current times.

NCL Director General Han-ching Wang expressed that as a core institution for national documents and archives, NCL’s collection includes many ancient texts with strong connections to our lives; the works exhibited in this special exhibit cross a wide variety of genres, including botanical dictionaries such as “Wen Xuan,” “Quan Fang Bei Zu,” and “Bencao Gangmu,” as well as works from the “tales of the strange” genre including “Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang” and “Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital,” all works that can be said to be abundant both in their beauty and substance. The exhibition allows visitors a comprehensive view of ancient people’s perspectives on plants. We hope that through diverse exhibit features, situational designs, and interactive games, we can create and strengthen exhibit legibility, bringing NCL closer to its vision of serving as a diverse and integrated knowledge hub for the enjoyment and benefit of all.