(CNA Reporter Lu Kang-jun, Hsinchu, Sept. 2) — National Tsing Hua University’s Che-Ying Museum today received a donation of rare historical materials, including photographs of Japan’s signing of the “Instrument of Surrender” aboard a U.S. battleship in 1945, as well as images of General Douglas MacArthur addressing the ceremony, offering the public a direct link to this pivotal moment in history.

At the donation ceremony, contributors included NTHU’s Center for General Education Visiting Professor Masao Tanikawa, Professor Emeritus Fang Sheng-ping of NTHU’s Department of Chinese, Professor Yang Ju-bin and his spouse, as well as Wang Zhen-yi, Lin Heng-yi, and Lin Chun-yi.

Professor Yang and his wife, together with Professor Fang, donated 20 photographs documenting the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, including the signing by ROC representative General Hsu Yung-chang and the speech by Supreme Allied Commander MacArthur. Fang expressed the hope that the donation would allow these images to be widely seen and help commemorate the historic victory of 80 years ago.

Tanikawa donated 68 artifacts related to Hideki Yukawa and the Kyoto School. In his remarks, he noted that Yukawa was not only a distinguished scientist but also a lifelong poet of waka, embodying a deep humanistic spirit. He hoped the donation would enrich the museum’s collection and enhance understanding of East Asian cultural contexts.

Wang Zhen-yi donated 16 wartime documents preserved by his grandfather Wang Wei-han, describing them as a “small fragment of anti-Japanese history.” He emphasized that through NTHU’s academic tradition, these documents would become valuable research resources, adding, “The donation of cultural relics is not just the transfer of objects, but the passing on of memory and meaning.”

Lin Heng-yi and Lin Chun-yi donated unpublished Japanese manuscripts left by their father, Lin Sen-chieh. Lin Chun-yi recalled that his father had hoped his research would be shared, and expressed relief that with the museum’s collection and future digitization, his father’s legacy would live on.

On behalf of the university, NTHU Vice President Lü Ping-chiang presented certificates of appreciation, remarking that these generous donations carry profound meaning. “These collections are not only treasured family and personal memories, but also shared assets of NTHU and Taiwanese society.”

NTHU stated that the Che-Ying Museum now houses nearly 4,000 artifacts. From today until November 28, it will host the second phase of the special exhibition Che-Ying Time Light and the third stop of the touring exhibition Yiwei Year in Zhubei at the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Macronix Building, aiming to further dialogue between campus and society through history.