Taipei: The Military News Agency (MNA) is set to commemorate its 80th anniversary by hosting a photo exhibition in the Dadaocheng area of Taipei from July 31 to August 16. This exhibition will showcase historic images capturing significant military exercises, disaster relief operations, and other pivotal moments in Taiwan's defense history.
According to Focus Taiwan, the exhibition will be held at Olympus Plaza Taipei and will be accessible to visitors from all nationalities at no cost. While the photos currently lack English-language descriptions, efforts are being made by the MNA to provide them. More than 70 photographs will be featured, and the exhibition is conveniently accessible from MRT Shuanglian, Daqiaotou, and Beimen stations.
The MNA, established in 1946, has played a crucial role in documenting the development of the Republic of China Armed Forces, Taiwan's official military designation. Their coverage spans decades of technological advancements, transitioning from film photography to digital news gathering, as highlighted in their press release. Affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense, the MNA has amassed one of Taiwan's largest archives of military photographs, chronicling the evolution of the nation's armed forces.
The exhibition is divided into three sections, each using multimedia displays to portray the MNA's documentation of the armed forces from the post-World War II era to present-day Taiwan. One section features historical photographs, including images from the 1960 Blue Star joint Taiwan-U.S. military exercise and various disaster relief operations, such as the aftermath of the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake and Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
Another section emphasizes military training exercises, showcasing soldiers setting up concertina wire during Han Kuang exercises, underwater welding, military police drills, and artillery operations by the Kinmen Defense Command. Among the standout works is a photograph taken through the circular observation window of a CH-47SD Chinook helicopter, capturing another helicopter parked on a rain-soaked apron.
The third section offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of military journalists working in challenging conditions, with images depicting reporters immersed in seawater to photograph amphibious training and navigating floodwaters during disaster coverage in Hualien during Typhoon Ragasa in 2025.