[Editor’s Note] The Old Renewed: Looking Ahead to 2016

Tien Yun-liang　/　tr. by Scott Williams

January 2016

中文日本語

Long before “retro” became trendy, “local culture” was already gathering strength, establishing new outposts out of sight of the general public and quietly preparing to reopen the gates of history. It was a brilliant reemergence celebrating the panoply of the past, hidden within the ghosts of old neighborhoods and springing up again beside dappled walls, narrow alleys, and crumbling rooftops. The individuals involved in this renaissance turned stereotypical notions of “old,” “worn” and ｛ncient” on their heads, upending paradigms, overturning obsessions, subverting biases, limits and images, and even flipping around the progressions of time and history. They consistently found the fertile ground beneath our traditions and seeded it with fresh new ideas, halting us in our tracks and making us ooh and ah with surprise and delight.

Within the historical context, every city, every street, and every building is shaped and extended by time into a hall of memories. Craning our necks, we can peer into history’s interior and explore the glories of the past. Every piece of our built landscape embodies a story worth reading and rereading. The preservation of a cultural object, the restoration of a building, the rehabilitation of a space are all ways to show our pride in our dazzling urban landmarks. They enable us to face the “worn and ancient” with confidence, their apparent newness filled with such textures and beauty that visiting them is akin to encountering our own dreams.

“Wherever there are Chinese people, you’ll find Taiwan Panorama.” Our team has traveled to the four corners of the Earth reporting on stories of interest. For this month’s overseas report, we visited a refugee camp on the Thai–Myanmar border to bring back the stories of Taiwanese volunteers who have been working in the area for decades, sharing Taiwan’s boundless compassion.

When we glance back at the past, we often have trouble bringing its major events to mind. Yet over the last 40 years, Taiwan Panorama has laid up a vast treasure trove of stories, memories woven into the very fabric of time. As we face the future from the cusp of our forties, our sense of mission has been reawakened. Throughout the magazine’s long history, we have ventured far and wide, documenting milestone after milestone on time’s enduring path. And we will continue to do so in the future, commemorating all the great events still to come.

The last 40 years have passed in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, we still have Taiwan Panorama to bring us peace of mind. Happy 2016!