Preserving Taiwan's changing memories through photography.
Since 1971, Piyen Chen (also known as Chen Bi Yan; 陳碧岩) has photographed people, places, and everyday life across Taiwan. His long-term documentary work records city streets, settlements, religious traditions, workplaces, and the ways communities have changed over time.
Many scenes that once appeared ordinary have taken on new meaning after twenty or thirty years. Some places have changed, while others no longer exist. This archive brings together the people, locations, events, and periods behind the photographs so that readers can see not only individual images, but also how life in Taiwan has evolved.
The full archive and original article titles are primarily in Traditional Chinese.
Five Themes
Memories of Taipei｜台北城記憶
Photographs of Taipei's streets, markets, old neighborhoods, buildings, and everyday life, documenting how the city and the people living in it have changed.
Military Dependents' Villages and Settlements｜眷村與聚落
Photographs of residents, homes, shared spaces, and daily life in military dependents' villages and other traditional settlements, preserving the relationships between people and place.
Folk Customs and Belief｜民俗與信仰
Long-term observations of temple fairs, rituals, Wangye boat ceremonies, local religious traditions, and the people who take part in them as part of everyday community life.
Industry and Labor｜產業與勞動
Photographs of shipbreaking, oyster farming, traditional industries, tools, work processes, and the workers whose daily lives formed part of Taiwan's changing economy.
Urban and Rural Change｜城鄉變遷
Photographs of roads, redevelopment, industrial shifts, migration, and changing local landscapes, showing how people and communities responded to social transformation.
About the Photographer
Piyen Chen began taking photographs in 1971 and has continued to focus on Taiwan's land, people, and everyday life. Rather than visiting a place only once, he has often returned over many years, observing how a location and the people living there change with time. His work includes urban construction and demolition, military dependents' villages and settlements, religious festivals, traditional industries, and workers in different environments.
For Chen, photography is not only a way of seeing. It is also a way to preserve the memory of an era.
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