宗博季刊第116期

博物館之門 6 November 9th is the 19th anniversary for the Museum of World Religions, and the museum is holding a special exhibition of “Daoism, Literature and Arts” MWR has a collection of thousands of Taoism and Taiwan folk beliefs relics, and the museum has invited professor Feng Mao Li for relic research and collaboration on the exhibition with part of his personal collection. After two years of investigation and preparation, a great deal of valuable items are ready for public showing. Almost a hundred pieces of Taoism relics from the Ming and Qing dynasty are selected for the exhibition, coupled with scenes from traditional opera, reenacting the folklores and mythology of deities in human world. Many thanks for the participation of the Wei-yuan Altar of Fangliao, Zonghe, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary, to demonstrate Taoism rituals in the museum as well. The exhibition is given an interactive design guiding the public to contemplate on the relations between earth and heaven, between moral and divine will, and between belief and enlightenment, and for the public to appreciate the miraculously crafted traditional artifacts. The three main aspects of this exhibition are the introduction of Taoism, folk literature, and folk crafts. Much of the deity mythology is passed down by folk literature and traditional operas, which is a great source of ethos education and cultural strength. The museum uses modern cultural concept and art techniques to reinterpret these immortal religious histories and folk cultures. For most of the year, the world has been in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums around the world has turned to the internet as an important strategy during this difficult time. MWR offers online tours with Google software to showcase our regular exhibitions and activities. MWR has been closed for three months since March due to the pandemic, but was actively promoting four exhibitions for the second half of the year. Three of the four exhibitions have been rolled out and are all well received. Besides, MWR also invites experts to classify over 1,800 pieces of Taoism, Taiwan folk beliefs, and Buddhism relics. It’s an important project, and there are still over 2000 pieces that need sorting and classification. When the work is done, we’ll analyze and investigate the most beneficial ways to utilize these collection. Collection is an important criterion to judge a museum, and through public showings, research and publications, communication and education, international interaction, the features of a museum can be interpreted. Going into its twentieth year, MWR will expand its resources in the hope to become one of the international museums with professionalism and universal values. It's been six years since I took on the role as the Director of MWR and I've been managing the museum's operations with its founding philosophy of " respect for all faiths, tolerance for all culture, and love for all life " As my term comes to an end, I'd like to offer my blessings and wish the museum keeps on the path of progress and uses its wealth of resources to open up a new horizon for the spiritual education of the public.