News List  [Press Release] Academia Sinica Unveils a Century-Long Knowledge "Blueprint" at the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition

 

The 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition officially opened today (February 3). Academia Sinica presents its exhibition under the theme “Blueprint,” showcasing nearly 3,000 interdisciplinary academic monographs and 400 volumes of compiled historical sources. From February 3 to 8, the exhibition will also feature 11 talks, inviting the public from all backgrounds to engage with scholarly researchers.

 

At the opening ceremony, President James C. Liao remarked that academic research resembles architectural construction: a towering structure must be based on a clear blueprint. Only by establishing solid coordinates and foundations for knowledge can future generations continuously refine, innovate, and extract new wisdom. Each book on display, he noted, represents the realization of such research blueprints. Through reading, the public can acquire knowledge, spark curiosity, and inspire action in a changing era.

 

As Academia Sinica approaches its 100th anniversary in 2028, the exhibition features a special section entitled “A Century of Selected Works,” reflecting on the Institute’s enduring commitment to the compilation of historical materials across generations. At the opening, researchers shared how teams painstakingly recovered rare books, manuscripts, diaries, and oral history records scattered across time and space—through repeated transcription, proofreading, and verification—transforming private writings into publicly citable historical sources.

 

Decades in the Making: Realizing the Research Blueprints

One of this year’s highlighted new titles, Geometry and Light of Knowledge: Selected Buildings of Academia Sinica, offers the first systematic overview of Academia Sinica’s architectural evolution during its 70 years in the Nangang District. From the modest brick structures erected amid farmland in its early years, the campus has gradually developed into today’s landscape that balances functionality and aesthetics as research activities expanded and times changed.

 

The book covers key sites, including the South Campus, designed to encourage interdisciplinary exchange; the Sifen Creek waterfront, which integrates natural landscapes; and the National Biotechnology Research Park, emphasizing ecological sustainability. Thirty representative buildings—such as the Center for Taiwanese Archaeology at the Institute of History and Philology, the Biology Building (Yellow Tile Building), the Museum of the Institute of Ethnology, and the Institute of Statistical Science Building—are featured as microcosms of Taiwan’s modern architectural development. President Liao invited the public to follow the map and explore Academia Sinica, experiencing the architectural and environmental beauty of the campus.

 

Through academic publishing, Academia Sinica continues to fulfill its public mission. The exhibition highlights the Institute’s distinctive strengths in scholarly publishing, with the “Century of Selected Works” section marking the milestone of its upcoming centenary.

 

Ren-Yuan Li, Director of the Fu Ssu-Nien Library at the Institute of History and Philology, pointed out that the team has been organizing and publishing the library’s rare book collections in recent years. Two major series—Unpublished Manuscripts at the Fu Ssu-nien Library and Series of Rare Books from the Collections at the Fu Ssu-nien Library—featuring a total of 280 titles, have been released to ensure these precious volumes are better utilized.

 

Shu-Min Chung, Director of the Institute of Taiwan History, noted that over the past 25 years, the research team has annotated diaries weekly, accumulating more than 70,000 entries written by local elites, Japanese governors-general, physicians, and entrepreneurs. These are now publicly accessible through the Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank.

 

Meanwhile, Yu-Chih Lai, Convener of the Oral History Group at the Institute of Modern History, explained that the Institute has interviewed more than a thousand individuals since its founding. This exhibition features several out-of-print oral histories of military and political figures, enriching historical narratives beyond the scope of official archives.

 

Readers interested in life sciences will not want to miss Follow Nature's Lead, a new popular science title from the Biodiversity Research Center. Covering microorganisms, plants, birds, fish, crustaceans, starfish, corals, fossils, pumice, as well as compelling conservation stories, the book introduces ecological knowledge in accessible language. It aims to foster appreciation for Taiwan’s biodiversity and inspire younger generations to pursue life science research.

 

Academicians Lead Public Talks on History, Literature, and Contemporary Issues

To bring academic research closer to the public, Academia Sinica has partnered with six domestic publishers to host 11 talks, featuring 28 distinguished scholars and experts. Topics covered include literary modernity, gender medicine, geopolitics, and social transformation, among others.

 

On February 5, Academician Yu-Yu Cheng will present “How Does Poetry Become Modern?,” examining how late Qing and early Republican Chinese literary culture responded to foreign influences. On February 8, Academician Cheng-Sheng Tu will speak on traditional Chinese views of life and longevity, reflecting on contemporary Chinese medicine culture.

 

The lecture series closely engages with contemporary social dynamics. Jieh-Min Wu, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, analyzes the current situation in Hong Kong following the implementation of the National Security Law and related security ordinances, as well as the forms of social resistance that persist beneath an increasingly repressive political climate. Kuo-Hsing Hsieh, Adjunct Research Fellow at the Institute of Taiwan History, joins Chih-Yuan Hou, a descendant of the founder of the “Tainan Group,” in a dialogue on models of family enterprise succession and management.

 

The talks further demonstrate diverse perspectives that draw insights from the past to illuminate the present. Tzu-Chin Huang, Adjunct Research Fellow at the Institute of Modern History, examines Chiang Kai-shek’s strategic decision-making in the Sino-Japanese confrontation over North China, while Jen-Der Lee, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of History and Philology, discusses the roles of women in health care across historical periods. Additional topics include Cold War migration, the water history of the Tamsui River, and left-wing literature, collectively highlighting the breadth and depth of the Institute’s research.

 

Taking Research Home: Exclusive Offers at the Exhibition

The exhibition also offers limited-edition “Research Highlight Keychains,” transforming more than 30 research themes—including black holes, ferroptosis, DNA repair, quantum cryptography, political modernity, Ming-Qing literature, human wisdom in the age of AI, and Kuroshio power generation—into collectible items.

 

Book purchase discounts include 10% off for single titles, 15% off for three or more books, and 21% off for five or more books. Purchases made with cultural vouchers enjoy a 21% discount with no quantity limit. A keychain is included with cumulative purchases over NT$300, while a tote bag is available with single purchases over NT$500.

 

“Blueprint” Special Exhibition at the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition

Hours: February 3-5, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

           February 6-7, 10:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.

           February 8, 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Venue: Taipei World Trade Center, Exhibition Hall 1 (No. 5, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City, 110), 1st floor, Stand D201

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