Huagang Museum

The idea for the Huagang Museum originated at the time of the founding of Huagang Academy. On March 1, 1962 (the 51st year of the Republic), founder Mr. Chang Chi-yun established the "Founding Principles of the University," which proclaimed the integration of "higher education (university), academic research (graduate institute), and service and promotion (enterprise)" as the guiding principle for establishing and developing the institution. Adhering to the principle of equally emphasizing "libraries and museums," the proposal to establish a museum was made. The preparatory period for the Huagang Museum lasted eight years. Its predecessors include the "Museum of Chinese Cultural Artifacts," established in Dacheng Hall in 1963 (the 52nd year of the Republic); in 1965 (the 54th year of the Republic), it moved to Daren Hall and was renamed the "Museum of Cultural Artifacts"; and in 1969 (the 58th year of the Republic), it was renamed the "International Chinese Studies Data Exhibition Hall." To accommodate this evolution, it underwent three periods of enrichment and development. In terms of daily administration, such as artifact collection and preservation, a museum was initially established within the library, collectively known as the Library Museum. Subsequently, a Museum Section was set up within the Chinese Academy of Culture, exclusively responsible for these matters. In 1971 (the 60th year of the Republic), the Huagang Museum was officially established on the 6th floor of Dayi Hall, becoming the first comprehensive university museum in Taiwan and also the largest university community museum. On one hand, the Huagang Museum supports teaching and provides resources for general education; on the other hand, it also fulfills the functions of social education and community service. Starting from 1985 (the 74th year of the Republic), Chairman Dr. Chang Chin-hu decided to plan the construction of a new museum building. This new building was integrated with the library and information center into a unified plan for the Xiaofeng Memorial Hall. The hardware construction was completed by the end of 1998 (the 87th year of the Republic), and it was officially inaugurated on March 1, 1999 (the 88th year of the Republic), retaining the name "Huagang Museum." The operations of the Huagang Museum are functionally divided into three main categories: collections, exhibitions, and outreach education. Under the diligent efforts of successive directors Pan Wei-ho, Zhao Zhen-ji, Chen Kuo-ning, Chen Ming-hsiang, Wu Rui-hsiu, Ji Ruo-xin, and Liu Mei-qin, along with their colleagues, it has grown significantly and become a major feature of the university. (Source: Huagang Museum Official Website)