People love talking and hearing about their school days—they can't stop once they start at it. "Those years at NTNU were the most rewarding memories of my life" is a common phrase among alumni when reminiscing their school days. Let's follow the footsteps of the alumni as they recall moments spent on campus and appreciate the long poem composed from youthful recollections.
During the Japanese colonial era, Taihoku Higher School, with its new buildings, comprehensive facilities, and excellent faculty, was considered "the hardest school to enter get into in Taiwan". Its top-notch education and limited enrollment quota resulted in fierce competition for admission.
The Taiwan Provincial Teachers College was established in 1946 and initially adopted an independent admissions system. In July of the following year, by order of the Department of Education, a joint admissions process began to be held alongside the Taiwan Provincial College of Agriculture (now National Chung Hsing University) and the Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering (now National Cheng Kung University). Since students of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College received government grants, their future lives and careers were guaranteed, making it a highly sought after option at the time. The admissions artifacts on display in this area, such as the admissions guide, registration card, admissions notice, new student guide, and student ID card, are valuable testimonies of new students' first steps on campus.
Under different academic structures, not only did the appearance of students' outfits changed significantly, but their life on campus also changed over time.
When we asked our staff and alumni what they remembered most about their time at NTNU, they often talked about their day to day activities and meals. In the past, NTNU was the main training institution for public school teachers and students were mostly housed in the dormitories. So compared to other university students, most alumni generally have shared memories of their life in the dormitories.
Simply listening to them laughing about the funny stories of their daily lives and talking endlessly about the memories of their time at NTNU, imagining those scenes that no longer exist, we can paint a picture of NTNU's past.
From its humble beginnings with seven departments and nine specialties, NTNU has grown to a total of 63 departments in nine colleges—College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, College of Arts, College of Music, College of Technology and Engineering, College of Sports and Recreation, College of International Studies and Social Sciences, and College of Management, demonstrating the diversity NTNU's professional fields that have kept pace with the times. The departments of Chinese, English, History and Geography, Science and Chemistry, Physical Education, Music, and Fine Arts, which were established to train secondary school teachers, have built a deep, sturdy foundation for teaching and research at NTNU.
Through the teaching-related artifacts and records of learning kept by alumni from various eras, not only can we discover the educational and teaching landscape of the past, but also feel the unforgettable friendships between teachers and students and the mutual support among peers.
The curriculum of Taihoku Higher School placed great emphasis on foreign language training and professional subjects, and taught students to actively explore their interests in addition to pursuing academic knowledge. There was also a wide selection of club activities.
When the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College was first established, the primary consideration was to improve the standards of teacher education and to cultivate secondary school teachers. The curriculum was thus developed in line with the national educational development objectives. After the school's operation was on track, the large number of experts and masters on campus gradually increased the quality of its teaching and academic research.
The teaching instruments, handouts, old notebooks, and objects used by teachers and students in the classroom can help us relive those unforgettable stories.
After World War II, the lecture hall, the student lounge, the main building, the general classrooms, the gymnasium, the Shichisei dormitory, the science classrooms, and the swimming pool of Taihoku Higher School were transformed into the assembly hall, the east classroom building, the administration building, the secondary building, the gymnasium, the female dormitory, the science and chemistry classrooms, and the swimming pool of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College, respectively. The renovation and expansion of the campus renewed the learning environment for students and switched the memories of alumni.
The new and old buildings that subsequently emerged on campus are not only distinctive in appearance, but also served different functions today and in the past. With the memories and accounts of alumni and the comparison of old photos, we can piece together the more detailed layers of NTNU's spatial history.
At present, there are 174 student clubs, which can be divided into seven categories: academic, artistic and cultural, recreational, sports, service, socialization, mixed, and student self-governing organizations, showcasing NTNU's diversity and vibrancy. As different types of clubs are formed, they reflect the social and cultural atmospheres of different eras.
Through the descriptions of their time at the clubs by alumni from different eras, we can catch a glimpse of the shifting campus environment and the spatial memories of NTNU students about specific places.
NTNU supports students' participation in extracurricular activities through both counseling and encouragement. In addition, the annual NTNU GRTF gala is held to recognize the achievements of the clubs and create a sense of ceremony for the NTNU club community.
Through documents, records of achievements, and objects, one can get a glimpse of students' club activities in different periods of time. For example, the newspapers of each department, the publications circulated on campus, and artifacts that serve as testaments to various life experiences, all demonstrate the talents of our students.
From the past to the present, there have been several places on campus that allow students and faculty to interact with each other. In particular, Wenhui Hall is not only a piece of cultural heritage, but also a site where the spirit of freedom and humanistic depth are embedded, something particularly meaningful to many alumni.
Some of NTNU sceneries, such as the modern architectural style of Union Building built during the U.S. aid period, the large lawns on either sides of Chengxi Creek reflecting the swaying shade of tree leaves, or the sportsgrounds where students did their morning practice in the arts, musical instruments, and vocal music in the early days, have become memories passed down between alumni as the campus landscape gradually changes.
Off-campus teaching is a learning activity that goes hand in hand with formal teaching. It consists of imparting education outside the classroom and emphasizes personal experience—as the saying goes, "seeing is better than hearing". From the group photo of teachers and students of Taihoku Higher School on a field trip at the beach in Nanfang'ao, Yilan, to the unforgettable memory of Professor Liao Chi-Chun taking students to Alishan for sketching during the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College era—where students shared the responsibility of booking bus tickets and meals and lodging, these historical images and alumni memories all show the learning footprints of NTNU students off campus.
In addition, the field trip sites and itineraries arranged by the university are different in purpose and significance from the leisure activities planned by the students themselves. The places of interest and cultural activities popular in society at the time can be seen from these historical materials. Please take a look and see what kinds of activities NTNU students arranged for their holidays during different eras? Where were their places of leisure and relaxation?
The March issue of Examination Journal published by the Tokyo Omon Society was a comprehensive publication on school entrance exams, with nearly 300 pages per issue. It contained a wide variety of information, including analysis of exam questions, lectures by famous experts on school entrance exams, information on how to prepare for admission to various high schools and colleges, and articles on student life.
The "examination card" was a certificate of registration for the examination. This was the examination card for the higher science examination of Yoshinori Ito, from the 21st class of Taihoku Higher School's category A science program. On the card are listed 13 "Tips for Advanced Examination Candidates".
This is a reproduction of a letter of admission issued to Wang Yu-Lin by Yasumoto Tanimoto, the 4th principal of Taihoku Higher School, in 1932 (Showa 7). It includes the time of the opening ceremony (admission ceremony).
The "Student Guide" was a handbook for students that was issued at the time of admission. It contains the detailed regulations of Taihoku Higher School, the rules of grade examination and graduation, the rules for changing programs and categories, the rules of the library, the rules of the dormitories, the rules of student associations, and the rules of student clubs.
This is a reproduction of the student card of Huang Chi-Tu from the 6th class of Taihoku Higher School's category A humanities program, issued on July 6, 1931 (Showa 6). The front side of the card contains the following information about the holder: "Huang Chi-Tu", "Born on July 7, Meiji 45", and "Current Place of Residence: Chisingliao, Koteicho District, Taipei City", "Second Year Student of Humanities, Upper Secondary"; the back of the card contains information on the use of the student card and remarks.
Gate to Taiwan Provincial Teachers College, published by the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College Examinee Service Team, was compiled by a group of members of the Examinee Service Team who called themselves the "Camel Corps". The publication was distributed throughout Taiwan before the examinations to enhance aspiring students' understanding of Taiwan Provincial Teachers College. The contents include an introduction to the college and its departments, pre-exam advice by teachers, an introduction to daily life (extracurricular activities and accommodation), reminders for application and exam taking, past entrance examination questions, examination schedules, and notes for examinees.
This is a reproduction of the examination card from the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College era. On the front of the card are the words "Taiwan Provincial Teachers College Examination Card", "Tainan District No. 2034", and "For Yen Tsan-Hsin, Examinee of the Four-Year English Program".
In June 1949, by order of the Department of Education, the Teachers College held a joint entrance examination with the Taiwan Provincial College of Agriculture and Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering. This is the examination card for that year. On the front side are the student's number, department, name, date, and place of examination. On the lower left side are the rectangular stamp of "Joint Admissions Committee of Taiwan Provincial Agricultural, Engineering and Teachers Colleges", in addition to the photograph of the examinee. On the back are printed 12 reminders for examinees.
This is a reproduction of the acceptance notice of Taiwan Provincial Teachers College. The front of the notice contains the words "The entrance examination results for the 36th year of the College have been released on the 18th of this month. Chen Tsung-Jen has been admitted to the College's Department of Education...", as well as the red seal of "Taiwan Provincial Teachers College". On the back is the registration procedure, including "Submit two photos", "Fill in the letter of undertaking/application form", "Submit certificates of study/experience", "Pay a deposit of 500 yuan", and "Prepare a 3 cm square name seal in regular script".
This is a reproduction of the "Notes for New Students" from the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College era. The front side contains the words "After the students of the College came for registration and enrollment, because the school buildings could not accommodate all the students, it was intended that all of them...", and "Student Advice Office, August 16". It is stamped with the blue and purple rectangular seal of "Student Advice Office, Taiwan Provincial Teachers College".
This is a collection of 55 newspaper clippings selected by Yeh Yu-Gang, a Class of 1954 arts student, from articles published in newspapers and magazines on and off campus (Central Daily News, Shin Sheng Daily News, Mandarin Daily News, Youth Lion, Free Youth, Taiwan Provincial Teachers College News, Gate to Taiwan Provincial Teachers College, etc.) We hope that this will encourage students to join the ranks of student reporters.
Prior to the digitalization of the library catalog, books were searched for using a card catalog system. In each drawer of the catalog cabinet, a steel rod was inserted through cards with bibliographic information to prevent them from being pulled out.
At least two safes from the Taihoku Higher School era have been preserved at NTNU and this is one of them. This safe with wheels was made by Takeuchi in Bakuro-cho, Tokyo and has a brass plate inscribed with the brand logo on the front. The left side of the logo is marked with "National Industrial Exhibition, Kyoto, Meiji 28". The safe is protected by three doors. The first door is a thick steel door with a turntable password lock engraved with katakana and a four-segment lock to protect the contents of the cabinet; the second door is a thin steel panel with a keyhole; and the innermost door is a wooden drawer.
This is the official business card (vertical format) of Professor Shimada Kinji of Taihoku Higher School, with black letters on a white background and text on one side only. In the upper right corner, above his name, are the titles "Professor at Taihoku Higher School" and "Lecturer at Taihoku Imperial University", and in the lower left corner are his address and telephone number "46, Fukuzumi-cho, Taipei City (Tel. 6573)".
There were two higher education programs at Taihoku Higher School: humanities and science, which were subdivided into two categories, A and B, depending on the foreign language major. In category A, English was the first foreign language and German was the second foreign language; in category B, German was the first foreign language and English was the second foreign language. This is a notebook of the German course for students at Taihoku Higher School. The Japanese kanji "独乙語" refers to German.
This is a 17-page list of book categories used by the library of Taihoku Higher School. The list contains ten categories of books: general, philosophy, religion, social sciences, linguistics, natural sciences, technology, arts, literature, and history. In 2012, in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of Taihoku Higher School, the NTNU Libraries and the Graduate Institute of Taiwan History collaborated to publish Book Catalog of Taihoku Higher School from the Collection of National Taiwan Normal University, completing the retrospective cataloging of more than 8,000 volumes of old Japanese books.
In April 1950, over 22,000 books from Tohoku University were relocated to Taiwan and ordered to be kept by NTNU's predecessor. In April 1955, the NTNU Libraries published Catalog of Thread-Bound Books Stored for Tohoku University (Revised)", with a total of 77 pages.
NTNU established Journal of National Taiwan Normal University in 1956, a purely academic journal that has continued to be published ever since, in order to promote academic research. This is the first issue of Journal of National Taiwan Normal University, with a light green cover and the words "Journal of National Taiwan Normal University" and "First Issue" printed from right to left on the front cover. The table of contents is located in the middle. The back cover contains the English version of the table of contents.
This is a teacher certificate awarded to Liang Shih-Chiu by the Ministry of Education in March 1944. In 1949, Liang Shih-Chiu was invited by President Liu Chen to teach at Taiwan Provincial Teachers College. Three years later, he moved to the Teachers College faculty housing at No.11, Yunhe Street (now Liang Shih-Chiu House). He was professor and chair of the Department of English and dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
This is the notification from the Education Office, Taiwan Provincial Administrative Executive Office on the approval of the salary of Chen Pan-Tsao, Professor of the Department of Chinese and Director of Student Affairs at Taiwan Provincial Teachers College, with a provisional monthly salary of 560 yuan. In 1946, Mr. Chen Pan-Tsao was invited by President Lee Chi-Ku to teach at Taiwan Provincial Teachers College. When the February 28 Incident occurred in 1947, Chen Pan-Tsao was the acting president and protected the students, faculty, and school property.
Professor Tien Pei-Lin moved to Taiwan in 1949 and served as a professor and chair of the Department of Education and the dean of the College of Education. According to alumni, Professor Tien always came to class in a long robe, with a pipe in his mouth and no textbook. This is the pipe used by Professor Tien at the time.
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the handouts for "Introduction to Education".
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the third-year handouts on "Yuefu" (Chinese poems composed in a folk song style) from the Department of Chinese (Prof. Pan Chung-Kwei).
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the third-year handouts on "Taxonomy of Seeds and Plants" from the Department of Natural History.
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the handouts on "Physical Fitness Testing and Statistics".
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the fourth-year handouts on "Frontier Geography" from the Department of History and Geography (Prof. Sha Hsueh-Chuen).
On the shelves of the NTNU Libraries are a number of mimeographed and letterpress printed handouts compiled and printed by the Publications Division of the Office of Academic Affairs during the eras of the Taiwan Provincial Teachers College and Taiwan Provincial Normal University. On display here are the first-year handouts from the Department of Arts/fourth-year handouts from the Department of Engineering Education on "Color Science" (Prof. Mo Da-Yuan).
The master's program of the Graduate Institute of Education was established in 1955. This is a manuscript of the master's thesis entitled A Collection of the Pedagogical Ponderings of Yan Yuan by Cheng Shih-Hsing, an alumnus of the Graduate Institute of Education. The ink color and handwriting show that this thesis was transcribed by several people.
This is the composition book of Tsai Kuo-Chuan, an alumnus of the Department of Mathematics, who took the compulsory general subject of Chinese composition at Taiwan Provincial Teachers College from July 1949 to June 1950.The book's contents include 20 essays, as well as the careful revisions by the subject's instructor, Professor Hsieh Ping-Ying of the Department of Chinese. She also left the comment: "Although it has only been a short year, your essays have indeed shown significant improvement. I hope you can change over to the Department of Chinese. What do you think?"
This acrylic sign, originally located outside the old History Room, served to guide visitors to such room. The History Room was established on NTNU's anniversary in 1986. Its former location was on the west side of the first floor of the Administration Building. In 2006, NTNU's historical materials and relevant tasks were transferred to the NTNU Libraries. In 2009, a NTNU history display area was set up on the first floor of the Main Library, and it was redecorated and reopened in June 2016.
Banyan was a comprehensive publication of the general program of Taihoku Higher School. It was discontinued in May 1944 due to World War II and this was the final issue.
Published by the Department of Arts and Literature of Taihoku Higher School, Shiang Feng was founded in 1926 as a literary magazine focusing on creative writing and book reviews, and is representative of the literary style on campus at that time.
In 1970, members of the Banana Leaf Association worked together to compile Taihoku Higher School (1922-1946), inviting teachers, students, and alumni of Taihoku Higher School throughout Japan to write the history of their alma mater together and to pass on their memories.
Nan Ying was a dormitory publication compiled by the Culture and Arts Department of Chisingliao. It was founded in 1931 as a space for students to express their thoughts and feelings and to discuss life issues, thus pursuing and pushing forward the progress towards an autonomous life.
The poetry collection Dreams of Youth was published in 1952 by the Poetry Study Society of NTNU's predecessor. It consisted of 95 pages and was divided into three volumes: "Songs of Melancholy", "Dreams of Early Spring", and "Dreams of Youth". The collection had 35 poems, all selected by author Chen Hui. Works contained therein received the encouragement and guidance of Professors Kao Ming, Lee Chen-Tung, and Hsieh Ping-Ying of the Department of Chinese. They were also published before or afterwards in the Literature and Arts and Sun Moon Lake supplements of Kung Lun News, the Formosan Literature and Arts magazine, the Life semi-monthly magazine from Hong Kong, the Chinese Literature and Arts monthly magazine, and the Literary Scene magazine.
Founded in 1955, the Kun Opera Study Society, the predecessor of the NTNU Chinese Kun Opera Club, is the oldest Kun opera club in Taiwan. It upholds the spirit of preserving traditional opera and many of its members often return to school after graduation to teach, or promote the art of Kun opera by teaching in other schools. The water sleeves are used by Kun opera performers to perform some of their most the iconic techniques, amplifying the emotional expression in their performances. This item was a gift from the alumni to the club members for practice.
Kunlun Society's editorial committee published and distributed the Kunlun magazine in order to promote culture. It contained articles on academic thoughts, literary creation, scientific knowledge, current affairs, overseas Chinese news, school club news, life anecdotes, selected translations of famous books, new book reviews, school news, comics, woodcuts, photographs, and other submissions.
Professor Lee Hsien, alumnus and former chair of the Department of Chinese, gifted this piece, with the inscription Most Exquisite Rhymes (ge yun gao miao), to the Nanlu Poetry Recital Society to congratulate its members for winning the first prize at the Taiwan College & University Youth Poetry Recital Competition. Founded in 1965, Nanlu Poetry Recital Society is the oldest Chinese classical poetry society among Taiwan's colleges and universities. It has constantly promoted the development of poetry recitation in Taiwan's higher education institutions. In 1979, the society began to hold Voice of Great Elegance, a presentation of its achievements through poetry recital performances, something rare at the time. Since 1983, the society has represented NTNU at the Taiwan College & University Youth Poetry Recital Competition.
NTNU's Fountain Poem Society was founded in 1967. Its predecessor was the Meandering Stream Poem Society, founded upon the initiative of students from the Department of Chinese. The name of the society was taken from the fountain at the school entrance. Professor Yu Kwang-Chung was the instructor at the time and the first issue of Fountain was published the following year on New Year's Day.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Fountain Poem Society, alumna Ku Hui-Chien (the 19th Creative Team Leader of the Fountain Poem Society) and alumna Hsu Pi-Hwa (the 19th Vice President and 20th President of the Fountain Poem Society) curated the book Fountain Overflowing: Poems for the 50th Anniversary of the NTNU Fountain Poem Society to present the recitation and writing accomplishments of members of the Fountain Poem Society over the years.
The NTNU Mountain Service Corps was established in 1972. Through regular and remote services, members of the corps have established long-term communication channels with indigenous children living in urban areas and ancestral lands. Each year, after the summer and winter vacation field service, corps members receive an exclusive armband of that particular team, which can be ironed on the left sleeve of the purple team jacket. The armband shown here is yellow with the red team logo and the blue words "NTNU Mountain Year 11 Uniform" embroidered on it.
Invincible East, Silent East (No.:132) is a set of second-hand mahjong set purchased by the NTNU Mahjong Study Society at its founding when funds were tight. The set is still in use.
The long stone seal, engraved with the four characters shi da shu zhuan meaning "NTNU Calligraphy and Seal Carving", is a work by the members of the Calligraphy and Seal Carving Study Society in its 3rd year. The round seal, with the same four characters engraved, is a work by the members of the Calligraphy and Seal Carving Study Society in its 4th year. There are many other seals with different inscriptions that show the innovativeness and creativity of the society's members in terms of the seal carving art.
This set of portraits records the scenes of teachers and students of the general program of Taihoku Higher School on their trip to the beach in Nanfang'ao, Su'ao, Yilan for seaside teaching. In the photos, students wear dark vest-style swimsuits and light-colored swimming caps, and are on boat or doing training on the rocky shore.
In the summer of 1955, Liao Chi-Chun, Sun To-Tzu, Chen Hui-Kun, and three other professors from the arts department led a group of 20 or so students to Alishan for a graduation sketching trip in their junior year. This is the official file of the application for the off-campus education trip. The participating students, including painters Cheng Chung-Chuan, Liu Wen-Wei, Chen Ching-Jung, and Chung Kui-Ying, recalled that the trip gave them a deeper sense of the teachers' love and care for their students, which made an indelible impression on them.
