Yilan – A Land Shaped by Water
Surrounded by mountains and facing the sea, Yilan is a land deeply connected to water. The northeastern monsoon brings abundant rainfall, this nourishes lush forests and vibrant rice paddies. It is a landscape full of life and vitality. Long before railways and highways were built, rivers served as the main routes for travel and trade. Boats crisscrossed these waterways, carrying people and stories, weaving a flowing symphony of water. In Yilan, culture has always been inspired by its crystal-clear streams—refreshing, graceful, and full of spirit.
This special exhibition, themed around ‘water,’ is a collaboration between the National Palace Museum and the Lanyang Museum in Yilan. The Taiwanese pronunciation of the term Jìnshuǐ in the exhibition title carries the meaning of ‘beauty’ and also symbolizes the life-creating power of water. Beginning with the National Palace Museum’s treasured collection, the exhibition invites visitors to admire exquisite works of art—including jade carvings of landscapes, porcelain decorated with pastoral scenes and water motifs view, and lifelike artistic masterpieces—while also reflecting on the unique landscape of Yilan, where mountains, seas, and fields intertwine. These ‘beautiful mountains and waters’ have nurtured a land rich in natural abundance.
Through the section ‘Beautiful Relics of Prehistoric Yilan,’ the exhibition also explores how water guided early people onto the Lanyang Plain, where it nourished craftsmanship and culture, leaving behind precious traces of history. Each object on display gently tells the story of water’s blessings and its poetic presence.
The exhibition also blends digital technology with art. New media installations and interactive displays allow audiences to connect more closely with the artifacts and inspire greater awareness and appreciation for environmental sustainability. May this land shaped by water continue to flow and flourish for generations to come.