Liu Shao-tang (劉紹唐), founder and publisher of the monthly magazine Biographical Literature (傳記文學), was eulogized yesterday during a funeral service in Taipei. Liu died on Feb. 10 of lung cancer, aged 80.
Historians that came to the service said Liu's efforts in collecting first-hand historical records on Chinese history from 1911 to the present day helped fill the gaps in official accounts of the same period.
"Liu has been dubbed as the head of the `unofficial Academia Historica,' and his contribution to the study of modern Chinese history is of paramount importance," said Chang Yu-fa (張玉法), a research fellow at the Institute of Modern History at Academic Sinica.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Pouring rains and Chinese classical music greeted long lines of mourners who attended the service, held in the Chinghsing Hall at Taipei's First Funeral Parlor yesterday morning. Among those attending were officials, retired officials, scholars, and Huang's relatives and friends.
Two of Liu's old friends -- Liang Su-jung (梁肅戎), former Legislative Yuan speaker, and Pok Shau-fu (卜少夫), a veteran newsman -- gave their eulogies. Also invited to express his thoughts on Liu was Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
"I didn't see this occasion merely as an official engagement in which I as the Mayor of Taipei came to pay tribute to the founder of a monthly magazine published in Taipei. I am here to pay my respects to someone who has devoted his life to the development of culture," said Ma.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
In addition to praising Liu's devotion to the monthly magazine for the past 38 years, Ma expressed his own personal fondness of the publication.
"During a time when extracurricular reading materials were relatively scarce here in Taiwan, the magazine gave me an opportunity to probe the life histories of important figures in modern Chinese history. It served as the best of learning materials for me," he added.
Liu gained fame long before founding the magazine in 1962. In 1951, he published a book titled Out of Red China (紅色中國的叛徒) in which he recounted his experiences as a reporter at the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Xinhua News Agency, and his days in the CCP's People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Liu also described why it was he decided to leave the Communist Party after one year within the organization.
Since publication of the book, Liu was seen as a well-known anti-communist writer.
The US Information Service (USIS) later translated the book into more than ten languages as anti-communist propaganda, during a time when containment of communism was a mainstream doctrine in the West.
For historians, however, it is Liu's endeavor to found the magazine, focusing on biographic writing, that made him a key figure in preserving a record of modern Chinese history.
For this, Liu won a 1996 National Literary Award (國家文藝獎), conferred by the Council for Cultural Affairs.
Liu founded the magazine in Taiwan in June 1962, at the age of 40. It coincided with an era when publishing contemporary history could land an author in jail.
Until this year, the magazine has been published uninterruptedly for a total of 452 issues, relying on a single editor, no advertising revenue, and no subsidies. Cultural critics often described the magazine's longevity as "a miracle" in Taiwan's publishing industry.
Chang said Liu's decision to launch the magazine was influenced by Hu Shih (胡適), the great thinker. "Hu was an advocate of biographic writing. He believed that everybody should write their own stories to serve as eyewitnesses to their times. And Liu carried out Hu's dream," Chang said.
The majority of the articles released in the magazine were first-hand materials because many were accounts of personal experiences, chang said.
"These publications are very helpful to historians focusing on modern Chinese history," he said. "But for the existence of this magazine, I believe many of the precious historical accounts would have disappeared for good."
But historians also admit that the publication had its dark days -- Liu started the journal recording events and dissecting the actions of important figures, back during the time when Taiwan was still under martial law.
Chen San-ching (陳三井), a research fellow at the Institute of Modern History at Academic Sinica, gave a vivid example.
"When the magazine touched upon sensitive political issues, such as how many women Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), founder of the Republic of China, had in his life, the authorities were concerned, fingering Liu as a tool of the communists," Chen said.
But the magazine stands out as a pinnacle of achievement among those of its kind in Taiwan and China, Chen said. "In terms of content, quality and accuracy, the magazine is an unprecedented accomplishment."
On March 30, a panel discussion on the contribution of the magazine to the study of modern Chinese history will be held at the mayor's former residence, now a venue for cultural events.
According to the organizers of the event, a one-month exhibition on Liu's life will be held concurrently at the same venue.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or