臺南美術史

Wu Nai-Ting, The Morning of Hutoupi, 1929, the 3rd Taiten
Source: Catalogue of the 3rd Taiten

The Morning of Hutoupi by Wu Nai-Ting (years of birth and death unknown) was selected into the 3rd Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition) in 1929. Hutoupi (literally translated as “Tiger Head Pond), is a reservoir located at the foot of Mount Hutou in Xinhua, Tainan. Mainly used as a source of agricultural irrigation, the place earns its name because the mountainous terrain looks like the head of a tiger. According to historical records, the Hutoupi Reservoir is the first reservoir in Taiwan. Built in 1831, it has been a well-known scenic area since the period of Japanese rule until the present day. Depicted from an overlooking angle, the painting portrays the morning at Hutoupi. The pavilion at the center of the image is a popular spot to many tourists. From the center, the water extends outward in the verdantly lush surrounding. Overall, the painting displays the beauty of nature. It is recorded in the Taiwan Sotokufu Personnel Directory (昭和四年總督府職員錄) of 1929, Wu was an employee at the Tainan campus of the Taihoku College of Commerce (臺北高等商業學校, now National Cheng Kung University).

References
Lee, Shu-Pei. “A Study of Landscapes of Tainan in the Catalogues of the Taiten and the Futen during the Period of Japanese Rule.” The 2022 NCAF Visual Arts Grant for Study and Research – 2nd Phase, 2023.
Liu, Chi-Yu. “The Morning of Hutoupi.” Missing Pieces – Taifuten Historical Archives. https://taifuten.com/oblect/虎頭埤圳之朝/ (viewed on 2024.1.22)
Taiwan Sotokufu Personnel Directory System. Taiwan Sotokufu Personnel Directory. The Archives of Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica. https://who.ith.sinica.edu.tw (viewed on 2024.1.22)