Maps show territories and symbolize the power of a country. Conversely, land marks the transmission and evolution of local history, records human activities and lifestyles, and provides a platform facilitating the "interactions" between people, places, and countries in the past as well as in the future.
The National Palace Museum (NPM) is one of Taiwan's important cultural institutions, whereas Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages the country's diplomatic and foreign affairs as well as defends its interest. The NPM, which carries the mission of protecting important national artifacts, is responsible for temporarily holding national foreign affairs-related confidential files on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such confidential files include important files of the Zongli Yamen (a government body in charge of foreign policy during the Qing dynasty) and the Beiyang Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs, crucial treaties of the Qing dynasty, and foreign treaties made prior to 1975. To thoroughly showcase the important historical position of Taiwan as well as the hardships that it had endured during its developments, the NPM curated special exhibitions The Lost Frontier: Treaty Maps that Changed Qing's Northwestern Boundaries in 2010 and A Century of Resilient Tradition: Exhibition of the Republic of China's Diplomatic Archives in 2011.
Objects are crucial means for showing memories and history, and existing maps allow people to repaint history. This exhibition catalogue shows treaties and maps that defined the Qing Court's southwest boundaries. In addition, it provides records of the changes in China and neighboring nations during the Qing dynasty, the relationships between the countries whose lands were connected, and the recurring themes of succession and evolution, offering a wealth of information for interested readers.