Wu San-Lien Foundation Taiwan Historical Materials Center

History and Founding

The Wu San-Lien Foundation – Taiwan Historical Materials Center (吳三連台灣史料基金會：台灣史料中心) in Taipei, Taiwan, is a cultural and historical archive named in honor of Wu San-lien (1899–1988), one of Taiwan's most significant political and journalistic figures of the twentieth century. Wu San-lien served as the first elected mayor of Taipei (1951) and was a longtime journalist and publisher who ran the Independent Evening Post (自立晚報). His journalism career included editing Taiwan New Minpao (台灣新民報), the first Taiwanese-run daily newspaper under Japanese colonial rule. The foundation was established to preserve and promote materials related to Taiwan's history, in keeping with Wu's lifelong commitment to Taiwanese cultural and political identity.

Collections and Holdings

The Taiwan Historical Materials Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible primary source materials related to Taiwanese history. The center is recognized as a major repository for researchers studying Taiwan's modern political, social, and cultural history. Its holdings are a key resource cited by scholars of Taiwan studies worldwide, including in digital archives guides maintained by major universities such as the University of Washington.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism/Media

Given Wu San-lien's extensive career in journalism — from colonial-era newspapers under Japanese rule to post-war Taiwan — the foundation preserves materials with particular relevance to the history of Taiwanese media, press freedom, and political journalism of the twentieth century. Wu was instrumental in multiple important publications and his papers and associated collections document the intersection of media, politics, and civil society in Taiwan.

Access and Usage

The center is located in Taipei, Taiwan, and is accessible via its website at twcenter.org.tw. Researchers interested in Taiwan's historical materials should contact the foundation directly for access information.