The Humanities Research Center at National Chengchi University (NCCU) has held a series of workshops particularly focusing on some turning points or key years in the history of modern China. The Humanities Research Center invites scholars and experts in different academic disciplines to retrospect and analyze key years and important historical events in the history of modern China from various aspects, such as politics, military, culture or society.

The first workshop entitled “Key Years in the History of Modern China: Unforgettable 1945-1949” had been successfully held in the Howard Civil Service International House on October 21, 2015. Many domestic important scholars in the field of history of modern China were invited to attend the workshop and participate in discussions. Mr. Wei-jen Hu, a senior advisor to the Office of the President of the Republic of China, was also invited to give a keynote lecture to reevaluate this decisive turning point in the history of modern China that influenced the current situation of the cross-strait relations. The second workshop, held in the First Meeting Room at the Administrative Building of National Chengchi University on December 23, 2015, discussed the 823 Artillery Bombardment (also called the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis) which broke out in Kinmen and nearby islands in 1958. The 823 Artillery Bombardment should be seen as the last battle of armies between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. After this bombardment, the period of hot war ended, and a long period of cold war followed. On March 16, 2016, the Humanities Research Center held the third workshop on the story of moving the collection in the National Beiping Palace Museum southward to Taiwan. Through this workshop, scholars examined how this tough and high-risk mission had been done successfully during wartime. In fact, protecting historical antiquities is also a war on the spiritual and cultural levels. The victory in the War of Resistance against Japan did keep and protect the spirit of Chinese culture.

In the upcoming fourth workshop, which is going to be held on September 7, Dr. Sing-yung Wu, a well-known writer of his “Gold Trilogy”: Archives of Gold, Secret Files on Gold, Memories of Gold, will give a lecture to reveal the hidden truth and secrets about the action of transporting gold to Taiwan in 1949. Dr. Wu believes that this is his responsibility to tell the public true history. For the past many years, he has used his father’s (Sung-ching Wu) diaries and other primary historical documents or materials to trace the origin of this action and to reveal unknown stories. For Dr. Hu, this is also a way for him to find out his family roots.

Welcome to join in this workshop for the secret of gold in Taiwan at 2:00 pm on September 7 in the Digital Auditorium of the Social Sciences Information Center at National Chengchi University.