SDG11
Legends and Boats: An In-depth Cultural Experience of Donggang Culture — A Journey Exploring the Fusion of Faith and Art
On April 19, 2026, the NCKU College of Liberal Arts organized a bilingual exchange activity titled "King Boat Stories: Legends of the Sea – Donggang Culture One-Day Tour." A group of international and local students, alongside faculty and students from the NCKU Graduate Institute of Art, visited prominent sites including the Donggang Donglong Temple, the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum, and Dapeng Bay. This cultural exploration, which fused faith, art, and local hospitality, allowed participants to understand how local residents maintain community bonds and cultural heritage through ritual ceremonies.
The first stop was the 300-year-old Donglong Temple. Participants strolled through the historic temple courtyard while listening to stories of the King Boat Festival (Wang-chuan Ceremony). Guided by Dr. Yu-hua Tsai, an Associate Researcher at the NCKU Museum, the group gained deep insights into the significance behind the majestic golden archway and the solemn sacrificial rituals. Many participants took up incense to experience the traditional Taiwanese "Bai-bai" culture—praying for peace and warding off misfortune—while learning about the origins and development of the local King Boat faith through bilingual explanations.
In the afternoon, the group visited the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum to explore its permanent exhibitions, full-scale King Boat display, and multimedia spaces. The museum's second-floor gallery is currently hosting the exhibition "Legends of the Vessel: Master Drawings of King Boat Construction." This exhibition originally debuted in March 2025 at Macronix Hall on NCKU’s Sheng-Li Campus and is now on display in Pingtung from April 4 to May 31, 2026.
Welcomed by Section Chief Chen of the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum and guided further by Dr. Yu-hua Tsai, the participants deepened their understanding of the preservation and transformation of King Boat culture. The "Legends of the Vessel" exhibition focuses on traditional shipbuilding techniques, systematically presenting a knowledge system that spans construction methods, structural engineering, and material selection. It further extends to the King Boat traditions in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, outlining the threads of cross-regional cultural connection and migration.
The exhibition successfully transforms tacit technical knowledge into visual and accessible content, allowing observers to grasp the logic of the construction process and its cultural connotations from the smallest details. The museum’s systematic curation and the presence of a physical King Boat allowed students to transcend language barriers and intuitively feel the exquisite craftsmanship of the master builders. This experience further connected them to Taiwan’s historical context of coexisting with the sea and the rich tapestry of its folk beliefs.
The first stop was the 300-year-old Donglong Temple. Participants strolled through the historic temple courtyard while listening to stories of the King Boat Festival (Wang-chuan Ceremony). Guided by Dr. Yu-hua Tsai, an Associate Researcher at the NCKU Museum, the group gained deep insights into the significance behind the majestic golden archway and the solemn sacrificial rituals. Many participants took up incense to experience the traditional Taiwanese "Bai-bai" culture—praying for peace and warding off misfortune—while learning about the origins and development of the local King Boat faith through bilingual explanations.
In the afternoon, the group visited the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum to explore its permanent exhibitions, full-scale King Boat display, and multimedia spaces. The museum's second-floor gallery is currently hosting the exhibition "Legends of the Vessel: Master Drawings of King Boat Construction." This exhibition originally debuted in March 2025 at Macronix Hall on NCKU’s Sheng-Li Campus and is now on display in Pingtung from April 4 to May 31, 2026.
Welcomed by Section Chief Chen of the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum and guided further by Dr. Yu-hua Tsai, the participants deepened their understanding of the preservation and transformation of King Boat culture. The "Legends of the Vessel" exhibition focuses on traditional shipbuilding techniques, systematically presenting a knowledge system that spans construction methods, structural engineering, and material selection. It further extends to the King Boat traditions in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, outlining the threads of cross-regional cultural connection and migration.
The exhibition successfully transforms tacit technical knowledge into visual and accessible content, allowing observers to grasp the logic of the construction process and its cultural connotations from the smallest details. The museum’s systematic curation and the presence of a physical King Boat allowed students to transcend language barriers and intuitively feel the exquisite craftsmanship of the master builders. This experience further connected them to Taiwan’s historical context of coexisting with the sea and the rich tapestry of its folk beliefs.
A group photo in front of Donglong Temple.
Dr. Yu-hua Tsai, Associate Researcher at the NCKU Museum, providing a professional guided tour of the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum.
Students visiting the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum.
A group photo in the lobby of the Pingtung King Boat Culture Museum.
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