Han Pao-teh

Han Pao-teh (; 19 August 1934 – 20 November 2014) was a Taiwanese architect, educator, scholar, writer, museum curator and calligrapher.

Early life and education Han was born on August 19, 1934, in Shandong, China. His family fled the Second Sino-Japanese War and, following the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, ultimately moved to Taiwan during the Great Retreat in 1949. After migrating through Qingdao and Zhoushan, they settled in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, then moved to Penghu.

Han studied architecture at National Cheng Kung University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in 1958. As a senior undergraduate, he founded an architectural design magazine, Shutters (百葉窗), dedicated to traditional Taiwanese architecture and, after graduation, worked as a teaching assistant at Cheng Kung. Records and slides of his restoration projects including research and documentation are in the archives of the Department of Architecture at Tunghai University. For his contribution in Taiwanese architecture and architectural education, he was awarded the 2006 National Award for the Arts in Architecture .

During 1981–1986, Han Pao-teh was appointed by the Executive Yuan to lead the preparation and design of National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung. This is the first museum of its kind in Taiwan. He was appointed by the Ministry of Education to be its first director from 1986 to 1995. In 1994, he was awarded the Education-Culture Medal, highest honor from the Education Ministry of the Executive Yuan.

In 1993, Han Pao-teh was appointed by the Ministry of Education to design, build and establish Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA). He served as the first president/chancellor of TNNUA 1996–2000, and elected program chair of the graduate school of Museum Studies in 1996.

After his retirement from TNNUA in 2000, Han Pao-teh was invited by the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Foundation to be the first director and curator of the Museum of World Religions.

During 1998–2001, he was also the director of National Culture and Arts Foundation . A prolific author and columnist, he published over 40 books. Majority of his hand written drafts can be found in the archives of the Taiwan National Central Library.

As an accomplished Chinese Calligrapher, he had multiple personal exhibitions in museums and galleries in Taiwan, including three solo exhibitions at the National Museum of History in 2005, 2014 and 2024 .

Han Pao-teh was appointed national policy advisor of President Chen Shui-bian 2000-2008, and presidential advisor, the Geheimrat to President Ma Ying-jeuo from 2008 until his death in 2014.

Han Pao-teh died in Taipei, Taiwan, on 20 November 2014. He was posthumously given the Executive Yuan National Cultural Award, the nation's highest honor for persons with great contribution to art and culture of Taiwan.

Han is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of Vietnamese lizard, Takydromus hani.

Han Pao-teh Memorial Museum was commissioned by his family and designed by his student Kris Yao at the Tainan National University of the Arts.

Selected works of architecture

Tiansiang Youth Activity Center (1978), Taroko Gorge, Hualien County Changhua Cultural Center (1981), Changhua County Kengting Youth Activity Center (1983), Kenting Penghu Youth Activity Center (1984) Institute of Ethnology (1985), Academia Sinica (South Garden) (1985) - Jiangnan-style architecture and landscaped gardens in Hsinpu, Hsinchu County, hosted Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher as guests of Wang Ti-wu, founder of United Daily News (UDN). Tainan National University of the Arts (1996) Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Headquarters in Hsinchu (1996) Green Island White Terror Memorial Park Human Rights Monument (1999)

Major publications

Han Pao-Teh, Han Pao-Teh's Narrative about Cultures, Artouch, 2006. . Han Pao-Teh, A Walk in European Architectures, Ecus Publishing House, 2005. Han Pao-Teh, The Memoir of Han Pao-Teh, Book Zoom, 2004. . Han Pao-Teh, Han Pao-Teh's Narrative about Aestheticism, Linkingbooks, 2004. . Han Pao-Teh, Expatiating on Architecture, Hebei Education Press, 2003. . Han Pao-Teh, Looking into Architecture, Artbook, 2002. . Han Pao-Teh, Exhibition Planning: Theory and Practice, Archi, 2000. . Han Pao-Teh, Recent Reflections on Architecture and Culture, National Museum of History, 1995. . Han Pao-Teh, The Story of Chinese Landscape Design: External Forms and Internal Visions, Art Media Resources, Ltd., 1992. . Han Pao-Teh, Museum Management, Garden City Publishers, 1990. . Han Pao-Teh, The Spiritual Dimensions of Architecture, Architecture Informations, 1971. . Han Pao-Teh, Architecture, Society and Culture, Architecture Informations, 1971. .

Major solo exhibitions

Legacy From the South: Han Pao-Teh, 01/27/2026 - 05/03/2026, Tainan Art Museum, Tainan, Taiwan. Curated by Tainan National University of the Arts. Co-sponsored by National Museum of Science, National History Museum, National Taiwan Museum. Han Pao-Teh's Architecture & Calligraphy Expression, 06/05/2025 - 12/31/2025, Han Pao-Teh Memorial Museum, Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan, Taiwan. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education, National Taiwan Museum, National Museum of History. The Wold of Calligraphy Art-- Han Pao-Teh's modern expression, 11/30/2024 - 02/23/2025, National Museum of History, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Taipei, Taiwan. The Architecture of Han Pao-Teh: Form, Color and Texture of Beauty, 11/29/2024 - 02/23/2025, National Taiwan Museum, Main Xianyang Building, Taipei, Taiwan. Highlights of Mr. Han, 11/20/2024 - 12/29/2024, Museum of World Religions, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Building Humane Worlds: A retrospective on Han Pao-Teh, 10/24/2014 - 12/07/2014, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan. Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition by Han Pao-Teh, 06/25/2008 - 09/30/2008, Museum of World Religions, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Mild but Tasteful: A dialogue with Han Pao-Teh, 06/20/2007 - 07/22/2007, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan.