Postcrossing Blog

In 2026, the port city of Keelung in northern Taiwan celebrates an incredible milestone: 400 years of history shaped by the sea and by connections with the world. This milestone highlights Keelung’s long-standing role as a port city with deep historical and global ties. To mark the anniversary, the YM Oceanic Culture & Art Museum (in Keelung), together with the Egret Cultural & Educational Foundation, is organizing a special mail art exhibition — and they’re inviting postcrossers everywhere to be part of it! 💙

So here’s the invitation: send a postcard to Keelung with your blessings for its 400th anniversary! Your message (and your creativity) will join hundreds of others, bringing voices from around the world together in one place.

The project is called “Keelung Trade Wind—KEELUNG 400 Mail Art”. The main exhibition about this special anniversary runs from February 3 to May 3, 2026, and postcards sent by Postcrossing members between January and April 30 will later be displayed at the museum from July to December 31, 2026 (after approval by the museum).

What should you send? Anything that feels meaningful and celebratory: a handwritten message, a postcard photo from your hometown, a small illustration, a bit of creative mail art… it’s all welcome.

The museum kindly asks that you begin your postcard like a little letter addressed to them. For example:

Dear YM Oceanic Culture & Art Museum,
Congratulations on Keelung’s 400th anniversary…

After that, it’s up to you. You can send a wish for Keelung, share a greeting from your corner of the world, or write a message about what postcards (and connections!) mean to you. And since this celebration is so closely tied to the sea and to Keelung’s history as a port city, you can also take inspiration from that: write about the ocean, ships, coastlines, lighthouses, sea winds, or the idea of trade routes and journeys. If your own town has a connection to the sea — a harbor, a river, fishing traditions, maritime industries, or stories of people coming and going — feel free to mention it too. It’s a lovely way to connect Keelung’s story with your own.

To help the museum identify your card as part of this collaboration, please add “Postcrossing”, your Postcrossing username, and your country somewhere on the card. And because these postcards will be publicly displayed (and later digitized so we can share the outcome of the project with the community), we recommend keeping your message postcard-style and avoiding personal contact details like email, phone number, address, etc.

Ready to join in? Here is the mailing address:

YM Oceanic Culture & Art Museum
(KEELUNG 400 Mail Art Exhibition)
No. 4, Gangxi St.,
Ren’ai Dist., Keelung City 200002
Taiwan (R.O.C.)

And if you happen to be in Taiwan (or planning a trip there!), you can also visit the museum throughout 2026 and see this celebration in person. From February 3 to December 31, 2026, Postcrossers can enjoy a special ticket price of NT$100 by showing either your Postcrossing profile page on your phone (logged in, with your username visible), or a postcard with a Postcrossing ID written on it at the 1F service counter. Keelung residents (with valid ID) receive free admission.

A small note for planning: the museum is scheduled to close temporarily for exhibition changeover during May–June 2026 (exact dates will be announced by the museum).

We love this kind of collaboration — postcards as tiny ambassadors, travelling across borders to become part of a shared celebration. If you decide to send one, we hope you’ll have fun with it… and we’d love to hear about it too. Happy 400th anniversary, Keelung! 🌊

PS: More information about the museum (including opening times and transportation options) can be checked here or on the Museum’s Facebook page.