 Travelogue
Taiwan
The
Historic and Cultural Background-From our Perspective
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Taiwan,
also known as the Republic of China (ROC), is a small island 90 miles off of the East Coast of China. The Taiwan Strait and
the China Sea is all that separates this island nation from China. Taiwan (which
in Chinese means: terraced bay) was once known as Formosa a name given it
by the Portuguese sailors in 1590 who called it Ilha Formosa which means beautiful
island.
 A
Tayal tribal statue on the grounds of the Tayal Tribal Cultural Center located near Wulai
Falls.
On
Taiwan were ten native tribes. These native tribes are currently known as aborigines. However it would be more appropriate to call them
Native Taiwanese. These 10 tribes all have their own distinct languages which they
still speak today. However they have been forced to also speak Mandarin Chinese
which is the Official Language of the country.
 Left:
A rugged rock formation on the Campus of Tunghai University in Taichung. Just one
example of the Beauty which this Island Nation possesses.
 Right:
The tree lined quadrangle of the Tunghai
University Campus. This campus opened in 1957 and was designed by I. E. Pei.
These
native tribal people watched in the early 1600's Dutch Traders take control of
the only major seaport of Taiwan. Then they saw the Chinese Ming Dynasty expel
the Dutch. More people from mainland China come in and settled on their island.
Then Chinese Manchu dynasty laid claim to Taiwan in 1683.
 Right:
Connie
stands in front of a Chinese Manchu Dynasty Robe of the Mid 1800's which was on
display in our hotel in Taipei.
The
Chinese lost Taiwan to Japan in 1895 as a result of the Chinese-Japanese War..
The Japanese held the country for close to 50 years and handed it back to China
in 1945 after World War II. In 1949 the Nationalist Chinese under Chiang
Kai-shek took over control. Over that four hundred year period, the native tribes
were forced into the mountain regions and lost much of the land which they once
inhabited.
 Right:
Jim
participates in a re-enactment of a traditional Tayal Tribal Wedding at the
Cultural Center in Wulai. He looks stiff here.
The
Native Taiwanese were finally treated as suspect and non-supportive by the
Chinese Nationalists who came into Taiwan in 1948 to get away from the Communist
Regime in their country. This group was lead by Chiang Kai-shek, who became the
dictator of Taiwan for years. He was eventually followed in office by his son
Chiang Gin Kau.
 Left:
The
dress and customs of the tribal nations of Taiwan looked very much like those of
the Native American. The outfit which Jim is wearing is the groom's outfit. This
outfit is especially built for the groom to carry his bride into their new ho me.
Right: The Bride and Groom drank from the joined
marital cups to symbolize their new wedded union. The ceremony was soon over so
that the Groom could whisk his new wife away.
 Left:
Our groom looks as surprised as his new
wife considering how he is transporting her on his back to their new lodging.
Those Tribal Folks really knew how to do it! Jim immediately asked Connie would
she like a ride on his back. She declined. Oh, well there goes all that old
romance and magic! Jim did sigh a breath of relief however once they got off the
stage.
About 2,000,000 nationalists came into Taiwan in 1948 and this created a
significant upheaval for the natives who eventually lost all property rights and
were pushed deeper into the mountains. In 1948 for a six month period of time
there was a purge by Chiang Kai-shek, of people whom he perceived as a threat to the national
sovereignty he sought. Over this period of time over 50,000 people were killed.
Many were professionals, educated, previous government leaders, leaders of the
various native tribes and many of the leaders of the Taiwanese people previous
to 1948. 1948 as it is called was taboo and never spoken about during the
military rule era of Taiwan which just ended about 10 years ago when Taiwan
became a true democracy.
 Left:
Entrance
to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial in Taipei. The layout has a huge marching ground.
The
Chinese who came to Taiwan prior to 1948 and thereafter, were from various provinces.
But a large group had no home
province and they are known as the Hakkah. The Hakkah have a significant number
of residents on the island today.
They speak a language which is distinct from the Mandarin Chinese of the
majority of Taiwan Chinese. Once the nationalist came to Taiwan, the
Mandarin language was elevated in importance over all of the other languages and
it mandated Mandarin as its official
language.
 Right:
Robert & Sally Chang and Connie at
the Chiang Kai-shek memorial which was built on property which once
was the home to hundreds of military veterans who were uprooted by the
government so that they could build this 30 acre monument to CKS, his family,
and followers.
The
Nationalist initially came to Taiwan with the eventual goal of returning to
China to reclaim it. The belief was they were temporarily in Taiwan as a holding process until they could return home. After 1949, Taiwan was
recognized and had official relations with all the major and minor countries of
the world. This held true during the Cold War period. However, once
Mainland China was recognized by the United Nations in 1971, Taiwan was expelled
from the UN. It lost its official nation status and now only 29 minor
countries recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. The US has a very confused
policy with Taiwan. The US has a One China Policy recognizing only
Mainland China and believing that Taiwan like Hong Kong will eventually become
an official province or territory of China. In 1978 all diplomatic ties with
Taiwan were cut off. On the other hand, the US arms dealers find Taiwan to be
one of their major customers for defense machinery such as planes, ships
and missiles.
 Left:
Another
rock formation on the peaceful Tunghai University Campus
There
has been a shift in the Taiwanese rhetoric of late. In July 1999, President Lee
told a German Newspaper that Taiwan was a separate country from China and he
implied that it was a sovereign nation deserving international recognition as
such. This did create some saber rattling on the part of China. During our
visit in November, there was a rumor that China was positioning submarines in
strategic attack zones along the straits of Formosa and the China Sea. The next
day it was exposed just as a rumor. Although, just a rumor, created havoc on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange while we were
there.
 Right:
The Bell Tower on the Campus of Tunghai,
to me, is a symbol of desired peace for this country, which has endured so much over its long
history.
Most people of Taiwan
do not seem to be concerned about the imminent take over by China. However, there is a significant
number of professionals and business types who have left Taiwan.
They are leaving for fear of the Chinese takeover. This seems to be a brain
drain in that some of the most educated are leaving the country. However, the
majority of the people do not appear openly fearful or worried about the Chinese
takeover. They do watch the situation closely however.
If
there were an eventual takeover it most probably would consist of the type of
relationship China has with Hong Kong and Macao. That is a one country two
system model. This insures the economic stability of the country and yet gives
China what it is looking for which is greater National visibility and validity
in the World Markets. As I stated earlier there is a number of Taiwanese
businesses located on the Mainland and many Taiwanese work in the Mainland. The
Taiwan government has a military force which is not strong enough to fight off a
military take over from China. The US is providing defense missiles to the
county but again it appears just to be for show and peace of
mind.
The
Taiwanese people feel isolated from the people of the world since most countries
have pulled their recognition and political ties with them. We saw
section in Taipei which once was the Embassy Row of Taiwan. It is now an
upscale neighborhood but lacks the cosmopolitan nature which it once exuded when
the embassies were located there. The political parties in Taiwan each posture a
different attitude towards China and how to handle the “One China” policy.
The current party which President Lee represents is the party of Chang Chi Shek
and the Nationalist. There are two other parties of varying strength but it
appears the KMT is the strongest and most likely to win the election in March
2000. They are the least willing to cooperate with China on a variety of issues.
The parliament of Taiwan is very labile. They are known to have open fighting
and fisticuffs on the floor of the legislature. The political factions are very
distinct and the tempers flare. It appears to me, that there is enough infighting in this country to
make it a sitting target for a takeover.
The
people do not seem united nor do they seem to have a common purpose or mission.
Existence and survival is the pervasive mood. The pride the people have in their
economy seems to be the major thing, that they can present to the world scene. They
seem to be more committed
to protecting their economy at this time than they are to addressing the
pressing social issues in their country.
 We
left the CKS memorial shocked by how brazen he was. All over the country you can
find castles and property which he owned. We saw three different sets of limousines
which he owned and are now exhibited. It was amazing! We Americans really had a
much more benevolent picture of this man and his family. I never realized he was
such a heavy handed ruler. Many more people seemed to have suffered due to his
rule rather than be benefited by it.
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