Ancient Blihun Hanben relics exhibition opens in Taiwan’s Yilan

台灣宜蘭縣舉辦玩美漢本-國定Blihun漢本（Ancient Blihun Hanben）展覽

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Bureau of Cultural Heritage has launched its “Into Hanben: Settlement and Material Culture” exhibition to introduce the 1,000-year-old Blihun Hanben archeological site.

CNA reported Wednesday the show is being held at the Atayal Museum in Yilan’s Nanao Township. It will run until the end of November 2026.

The bureau said the site was revealed during the Su-hua Highway Improvement Project, giving experts a rare look into how people once lived between the mountains and sea. The exhibit aims to show their daily lives and craftsmanship.

UDN reported that the exhibition is divided into three main areas. Visitors can learn how the archaeological site was found, see stone and pottery tools, and watch a documentary about the excavation process.

The museum has also set up an interactive area with a tile-flip quiz and puzzle game. The bureau said the hands-on activities make it easier for people to pick up archeological knowledge in a fun way.

Su-Hua Highway Improvement Project, completed in 2020, rebuilt dangerous parts of the coastal road between Suao in Yilan and Hualien to make travel safer. The 38.8-km project includes tunnels and bridges to protect drivers from landslides and typhoons.

During construction in 2012, workers unwittingly discovered the Blihun Hanben site. Experts later found tools, pottery, and other relics showing how people lived along the coast more than 1,000 years ago.

“Blihun” comes from the Indigenous Tayal people's language and means “gateway.” The word shows its role as a contact node for island-wide trade and cultural exchanges.