By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
Organized by the Chiayi City Cultural Affairs Bureau, the “Theme Exhibition on Taiwan’s Baseball Spirit” runs from today until May 18th at the Chiayi Branch of the former Tobacco and Liquor Monopoly Bureau. The exhibition highlights the story of the Chiayi Agriculture and Forestry Baseball Team, featuring the Triple Crown era, the development of grassroots baseball, the Care Cup baseball tournament, the spirit of the Chuanfu Cup, and the Zhulushan Cup. It also showcases items such as the blood-stained pants worn by Yang Yao-hsun after getting injured during last year’s Classic Series while competing against South Korea, the retired jersey of “Iron-blooded Instructor” TSENG Chi-en, and medals commemorating various record-breaking achievements by professional baseball stars — totaling nearly 300 artifacts.
This exhibition displays numerous precious baseball artifacts. (Photo provided by Chiayi City Government)
The film *KANO*, the first movie funded and subsidized by the Chiayi City Government, caused a huge sensation. To revive the legacy of the Chiayi Agriculture and Forestry Baseball Team, the Chiayi City Government has launched the “Taiwan’s Home Plate – The KANO Spirit – Theme Exhibition on Taiwan’s Baseball Spirit.” The venue is the former Tobacco and Liquor Monopoly Bureau Chiayi Branch, allowing baseball fans and those interested in Taiwan’s local history and culture to revisit the glorious history of the 1931 Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Baseball Team (KANO), which won second place at Japan’s Koshien Tournament, and rekindle memories of Chiayi as the birthplace of Taiwanese baseball.
The exhibition's theme originates from the story of the Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Baseball Team, promoting values such as “baseball ethics,” “multi-ethnic integration,” “community care,” “perseverance and never-give-up spirit,” and “Taiwan as world-class.” The venue is decorated to evoke the atmosphere of Chiayi in the 1930s, featuring a replica of a 1930s baseball stadium corridor to recreate the tense atmosphere when players take the field. The players’ locker room has been reconstructed based on the style of early Taiwanese baseball stadiums. Former Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry players Hong Tai-shan and Tsai Ching-hui signed autographs and took photos in front of their portrait boards upon request — both in their 70s or 80s — hoping that this exhibition will help the public recall the glorious memories of KANO.
Through many precious artifacts, visitors are taken back to the glorious days of Taiwanese baseball. (Photo provided by Chiayi City Government)
The exhibition also includes artifacts from the late Xu Sheng-ming, former head coach of the defunct EDA Rhinos, who was recently awarded the “2013 Elite Award Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The Chiayi City Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that the most precious item in the exhibition is the 1931 Koshien Second Place Shield, the pride of the Chiayi University History Museum and the first time it has been displayed outside the university. Other highlights include the 1969 Golden Dragons Little League team-signed ball, various baseball artifacts from the Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Baseball Team, Yang Yao-hsun’s blood-stained pants from the 2013 Classic Series, and a special section dedicated to Coach Xu Sheng-ming. Over 300 precious Taiwanese baseball artifacts are on display, taking visitors on a journey through time to witness the indomitable spirit of early baseball pioneers and rediscover the soul and spirit of Taiwanese baseball.
● Further Reading:
[Saturday Cinema] *KANO* – Returning to the Glorious Origins of Taiwanese Baseball
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