TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan’s National Museum of Taiwan History’s (NMTH) new “Transcending 1624—Taiwan and the World” opened on Thursday (Feb. 1) to the public, per the Ministry of Culture (MOC).

The museum held the opening ceremony on Friday (Feb. 2), per CNA. Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲), Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), and others attended the opening.

Speaking about the theme, the museum said, “The Dutch landed in Formosa in 1624 and the Spaniards two years later, marking the integration of Taiwan into the Asian-European trade network and the beginning of a series of arrivals that would impact the island.”

“With 1624 as a historical theme, we look back at early Taiwan’s connection to the world and maritime culture, and discuss how the people of the island viewed the sea,” the museum added.

At the ceremony, Premier Chen said Taiwan has seen people from the Netherlands, Spain, the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912), Japan, China, and new immigrants. The diversity, openness, acceptance, and mutual respect have blended into Taiwan’s democratic society, making it the world country that it is today, he added.

Chen also expressed the government’s support for historical research in Taiwan, aiming to remember the past, look to the future, be grounded in the local context, and have a global perspective, capturing every bit of interaction between Taiwan and the world.

The museum hopes that visitors can learn more about the importance of 1624 and think and discuss Taiwan’s history. The exhibition will last from Feb. 1 to June 30. More information about the exhibit can be found here.