The “100Y Forest Rhythms: ＿＿” special exhibition, organized by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA), is being held at Exhibition Room 03 of the Taiwan Design Museum from February 6 to July 26, 2026. With the theme “Four Turning Points of Forestry over a Century,” the exhibition reviews the history of forest management in Taiwan since the post-war retrocession, from resource surveys and transformations in forestry policies to the contemporary harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, to present the evolving relationship between people and the forests. The exhibition combines historical documents, video resources, and an immersive tour design to help visitors understand how forestry has continuously adapted across the different eras. The moment you step into the exhibition hall, what unfolds before your eyes is both a century of history and a forest that is still very much alive and breathing. The ground beneath your feet is not just the floor of the exhibition hall, but a tapestry of memories created through countless people’s interactions, adaptations, and dialogue with the mountains and forests over the past century. Most people are familiar with what a forest looks like, but they may not understand how forests are measured, planned, and protected, nor how forests have carried the expectations of national economic development and ecological conservation across different eras. The “100Y Forest Rhythms: ＿＿” special exhibition aims to convey the following message to the audience: mountains and forests exist in their own time scale, and forestry always moves forward according to different rhythms. In Taiwan, during the Japanese colonial era a hundred years ago, forestry personnel from the Sanrinka (Forestry Section) of the Taiwan Government-General spent more than a decade meticulously calculating forest areas and timber reserves, compiling the first systematic Forest Management Projects. Their goal was to ensure that forests could provide a continuous supply of timber while also taking into account soil and water conservation and national security. After the end of World War II in 1945, the Republic of China started to govern Taiwan, and the Forestry Bureau took over the management of the forests. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) was officially set up after the Ministry of Agriculture was established in 2023 following administrative restructuring, carrying on the legacy of century-old forestry governance heritage and marking another shift in Taiwan’s forest management. “100Y Forest Rhythms: ＿＿” and the earlier exhibition “0km: Revisiting the Sanrinka” forms a dialogue spanning a century, with “0km” returning to the scientific forestry management system, while “100Y” travels downstream along the river of time, to witness how the system transformed, rebuilt, and reconstructed in the flowing currents of history. This could be seen as the evolutionary history of the forestry system, but it also showcases how humans have repeatedly adapted the relationship between “use, management and coexistence” across different eras. The exhibition is based around the theme of “Four Turning Points of Forestry over a Century,” which outlines the key moments in the relationship between Taiwan and its forests, with the first turning focusing on the early post-war period. Taiwan’s forests were extensively logged for military use during World War II. In the early post-war period, forestry authorities implemented a “Forest Protection First” policy in an attempt to save the forests. The second turning point was “forestry as the engine of economic growth.” With the support of US aid post-war, forestry developed rapidly, and large-scale afforestation gradually began. The third turning point was the “supporting role of forests.” With the promotion of policies banning the logging of natural forests, forestry was no longer the main economic driver, but became the support for national security and environmental protection. The focus turned once again on the diverse values of forests, such as ecological conservation and soil and water conservation. The final turning point was “contemporary forestry towards coexistence,” which shifted the mindset from sustainable management to ecological conservation, symbolized by the establishment of the FANCA in 2023. It signified that Taiwan’s forestry has officially entered a new stage of coexistence with nature and cooperation with local communities. The exhibition space is designed with the imagery of a winding river along the visitor route, allowing viewers to feel as if they are walking along a river of time. The exhibition features soundscapes of Taipingshan’s forests, interspersed with artifacts such as historical photographs, aerial images, timber specimens, theodolites, and levels. Between walking and pausing, visitors gradually experience the timeline of forestry: from surveying to logging, from development to protection, and from the rapid pace of the past to the steady progress of today. Forestry textbooks from back in the day often quoted Mencius: “If axes and hatchets enter the mountains and forests at the right time, the timber will be everlasting.” This means that only by understanding the “timing” of forests can a balance be achieved between utilization and conservation. Today, the FANCA has introduced the Japanese concept of “Satoyama,” which views forests, rivers, settlements, and the ocean as an integrated living landscape, allowing people to return to the mountains and forests and learn how to coexist. Through various policies, the FANCA has brought together mountain communities, forestry elders, and operators to return to the mountains and forests. By passing on experience through public-private partnerships, it invites more people to join hands in protecting the forests. The exhibition area features a special ring toss interactive zone called “The Future Forest We Imagine Together,” where visitors can place acrylic tiles symbolizing different elements on to a contour wall: dark green for conifers, light brown for broadleaf trees, orange for animals, yellow for settlements, and dark brown for human activities that coexist with the forest. The FANCA invites the audience to imagine what ideal forests would look like in the future. This exhibition is titled “100Y Forest Rhythms: ＿＿,” where the blank space is not intended to provide a standard answer, but rather to shift the focus of the exhibition from looking back at history to contemplating the future. What kind of relationship do we hope to maintain with forests in the next century? As forestry shifts from rapid development to a gradual slowing-down, Taiwan is now relearning how to appreciate the orchids on the trees, the moss underfoot, and the wildlife that pass us by. The mountains and forests have their seasons, there is a time for wind and rain, and a time for sunshine and clouds. In this ever-changing world, the story of Taiwan and its forests still await us to write the next chapter together.Exhibition InformationExhibition Title | 100Y Forest Rhythms: ＿＿Exhibition Venue | Exhibition Room 03, Taiwan Design Museum (Songshan Cultural and Creative Park)Organizer | Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of AgricultureCo-organizer | Industrial Development Administration, Ministry of Economic AffairsSupporting Organizer | Taiwan Design Research InstituteExhibition Period | 2026.02.06 - 2026.07.26Opening Hours | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00 (Closed on Mondays)Exhibition Website | https://reurl.cc/LQrlqX
Home
Taiwan High Speed Rail