How many World Heritage Sites does Taiwan have? 18 potential sites unveiled at the National Museum of Taiwan

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

From now until January 8, 2012, the National Museum of Taiwan, in tandem with the Preparatory Office of the Cultural Heritage Administration, is presenting the “2011 Potential Taiwanese World Heritage Sites” special exhibition. Alongside well-known sites like the Alishan Forest Railway, the Orchid Island villages and natural landscapes, and the Kinmen-Matsu war heritage, the exhibition showcases 18 potential sites throughout Taiwan, inviting the public to appreciate the value of this treasured island.

The Council for Cultural Affairs selected 18 potential Taiwanese World Heritage Sites in 2003 and up to 2009, based on the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.” These sites are not only highly representative of Taiwan but also embody the characteristics of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including: Taroko National Park, the Cypress Forests of Qilan Mountain, the Beinan Site and Mt. Dulan, the Alishan Forest Railway, the Datun Volcano Group, the Orchid Island villages and natural landscapes, Fort San Domingo and its surrounding historic buildings, the Jinguashi Settlement, the Penghu Basalt Nature Reserve, the Old Mountain Line of the Taiwan Railways, Yushan National Park, the Kinmen-Matsu war heritage, the Losheng Sanatorium, the Taoyuan Terrace Ponds, the Wushantou Reservoir and the Chianan Irrigation System, the Pingtung Paiwan Slate House Villages, and the Penghu Stone Weirs.

In addition to the “2011 Potential Taiwanese World Heritage Sites” exhibition, the National Museum of Taiwan is also showcasing the “Digital Battle Array”—an exhibition displaying the outcomes of the 2010 Digital Content Open Call Project (until November 13), the “Brave Hearts Reborn: The Seediq Bale Collection Exhibition” (until October 30), and “All About Carbon”—a special exhibition revealing the secrets of diamonds and black carbon (until February 5, 2012). Due to ongoing setup for the upcoming “Footprints of Anthropologists—A Century of Taiwanese Anthropology” exhibition starting October 18, the museum offers free admission until October 17.