Museums and Cultural Identities

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Cultural identity is one the most controversial issues in Taiwan. In 1990s, Taiwan has seen a rapid growth of local museums and many of them are housed in renovated historical buildings. What contribute to the rapid development of museums and what influence do they have on local residents’ cultural identities? This book combines interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives with in-depth qualitative research to explore the exhibitions and narratives of local museums. Five museums are chosen as case studies, including the Bai-mi Community Museum and the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum. Through interviews, the research provides insights into visitors’ museum experiences and reflections upon colonial legacy. A model is proposed to explain the dynamic process of the shaping of cultural identities. It pinpoints that the local museum provides a meeting place of the past and present, enabling visitors to acquire information, compare it with prior knowledge and construct their own historical views. It is also a ‘dream space’ where visitors recollect and interweave personal memories with the historical framework presented in the museum.