Maps of Taiwan

• Anonymous
• The 1st to 5th year of the reign of Yongzheng (1723-1727)
• Long hand scroll, Colors on paper, 772 x 63 cm

     This traditional, hand drawn map features natural landscapes on a long handscroll. Oriented with east located on top, the map shows both Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago. On the far right of the Taiwan section is Eluanbi and on the left side is Mianhua Islet. The map shows mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, harbors, islands and other natural landscape elements, as well as indigenous tribal communities and Han settlements. County seats, government offices and military installations are also indicated. The cardinal directions are marked around the Penghu Archipelago, and on the lower right corner is the note: "To the east is Taiwan, to the west is Xiamen, to the south is the open sea, and to the north is the inland." A label at the bottom center shows "Penghu Channel," and the map viewpoint shifts: The northern upper section is shown from a south to north perspective (most of the characters are written from east to west) and the southern bottom section is shown from a north to south perspective. The map depicts 44 islands, harbors, villages, government offices and military installations.

     Perhaps the most interesting feature of the map is the large body of water shown in northern Taiwan. Ferry crossing points to the east and west support ship passage. At the south of tribal communities Tagara, there is a label stating that large vessels can be docked. Shoreside zones that are identified including ancient names Ki-lrigan, Mashaoweng, and ancient areas that closely align with present-day Shilin, Jinshan, and Guandu. The topographical features are similar to those contained in Yu Yonghe's "Small Sea Travel Diaries," which led some scholars to hypothesize that a body of water called "Kangxi Taipei Lake" once existed. Using GIS data, the author simulated flooding of the Taipei Basin and found that a lake with similar contours emerges when the basin water depth reaches 5 meters. Land subsidence caused by a large earthquake in 1694 may have created the lake.

• Model made by Mr. Hong, Quan- Rui
• 250 x 50 x 210 cm
• Made to a scale of 1:10

     Before a trans-Atlantic sailing race that would hold its 125th competition on June 11, 1955, a group of six young adults: Paul Chow, Marco Yu-lin Chung, Reno Chia-lin Chen, Benny Chia-cheng Hsu, Hu Loo-chi, and the vice consul of the US consulate in Taiwan, Calvin E. Mehlert, found a traditional Chinese sailing junk that had been built in the late 19th century in Mawei, Fuzhou. They decided to acquire the boat, with the goal of sailing it to the United States to enter the race. Their idea stirred up a lot of excitement and garnered sponsorships from government offices and others. Among the supporters was Taiwan Province Governor Yen Chia-kan, who named the boat "Free China."

     On April 4, 1955, Free China set sail from Keelung. With its progress disrupted by a typhoon and stoppages for repairs, after 114 arduous days it finally arrived in San Francisco. The crew missed the race, but they completed the first trans-Pacific journey by an ROC-sailboat without motive power.

     In 2009, Free China was rediscovered. Old and worn out, it faced imminent destruction. After widespread appeals and efforts, however, the historic ship was saved and brought back to Taiwan.

     Led by the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology gathered experts to restore the ship. It is currently on display at National Taiwan Ocean University.