Taiwan Historica 國史館臺灣文獻館

Overview

Taiwan Historica (國史館臺灣文獻館; pinyin: Guóshǐguǎn Táiwān Wénxiànguǎn) is a government archives and research institution located in Zhongxing New Village, Nantou City, Nantou County, Taiwan. Subordinate to the Academia Historica (國史館), it serves as the principal repository for historical documents, official records, and cultural artifacts relating to Taiwan Province and its history.

History and Founding

The institution traces its origins to June 1, 1948, when the General Historica of Taiwan Province (臺灣省通志館) was established to compile the official history of Taiwan Province. In July 1949 it was reorganized as the Historical Research Committee of Taiwan Province (臺灣省文獻委員會). Over the following decades it was transferred between supervising bodies: to the Civil Affairs Department in 1958, to the Cultural Affairs Department in July 1997, and to the Taiwan Provincial Government in July 1999. On January 1, 2002, it was placed under the Academia Historica and renamed Taiwan Historica.

Campus and Facilities

The current campus, situated on approximately 2.5 hectares at No. 254 Guangming 1st Road, Zhongxing New Village, comprises three architecturally distinct buildings: the Artifacts Building (Baroque style, housing everyday cultural artifacts), the Documents Building (Southern Fujian style, housing archival documents), and the Historic Sites Building (Northern Chinese palace style, housing archaeological items and indigenous records). Construction of the complex began in 1992.

Collections and Holdings

Taiwan Historica holds what is considered the world's most complete collection of records from the Taiwan Governor-General's Office (臺灣總督府公文類纂) dating from the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945), comprising meeting minutes, correspondence, memoranda, and notices organized by annual series and departmental sub-series. Additional holdings include pre-colonial, Qing-dynasty, and post-1945 governmental records, indigenous peoples' documentation, land records, and cultural artifacts of daily life.

Access and Usage

Researchers wishing to consult original documents must register in person and order materials through the archival retrieval system. Computers in the reading room provide access to digital images of high quality; microfilm is also available. The institution maintains a publicly searchable online catalog. Visits to the exhibition halls are free of charge.