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Children's book on Taiwan's colonial past hits bookshops

"Even the most radical change of a time may not shake a firm and deep friendship," reads the back cover of Liv's Adventures in Japan and Formosa.

The children's book, written by Swedish artist and historian Anita Steiner, tells the story of a friendship between a Dutch girl and a Taiwanese girl during the 17th century when part of Taiwan was colonized by the Dutch.

Their friendship, however, was not condoned by their parents, as they were meant to be enemies.

The two little girls were forced to end their friendship when Chinese general Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功) -- better known in the West as Koxinga (國姓爺) -- defeated the Dutch in a nine-month war in 1662 and ended 38 years of Dutch rule in Taiwan.

Deputy foreign minister Yang Tzu-pao (楊子葆) said he hoped the book would enhance Taiwanese children's understanding of the nation's connection to the world.

"Everybody is connected to everybody in the world," Yang told dozens of elementary students invited to the news conference. "If we don't seek to understand that fact, we come to believe we're disconnected from the world."

Hau Kuang-tsai (郝廣才), editor-in-chief of Grimm Culture, the publisher of the book, said he hoped that Taiwanese children would gain a better knowledge of the country's history through reading the book.

"We have to know history to know our past, and to understand how we connect to other countries," Hau said.

First published in 2002, the book has been translated into English, Japanese and simplified Chinese before it was published in Taiwan, Swedish representative to Taiwan Henrik Bystroem said at the book launch yesterday.

"I thought it would be interesting to read about how other people look at us," Yang said when asked why he had wanted to introduce the book to Taiwan.

"I was surprised when Bystroem told me that many Swedes actually know something about Formosa through this book," Yang said. "[The book] has helped Swedish children to understand Taiwan better, and I hope it will also help Taiwanese children to know Sweden better."
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