The nation’s last whaler has passed away, taking with him a poorly recorded, but important part of Taiwan’s history.
Chang Yu-chen (張玉振), 90, was one of the first and last whalers working out of Pingtung County, where the nation’s whaling industry was based.
Whaling in Taiwan began in 1913, when the Japanese established the industry near Kenting’s Nanwan Beach (南灣), then called Osaka-rachi.
Photo: Copy by Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
In the 1950s, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government moved the industry further south to Banana Bay (香蕉灣).
It was at about this time when Chang, 26, and already working in distant-water fishing, became a whaler.
He was invited to Pingtung to work for Hsiang Te Fisheries Corp in the bay, historian Nien Chi-cheng (念吉成) said.
Chang went on to work on the nation’s first post-Japanese colonial era whaling boat with Tsai Wen-chin (蔡文進), who became his close friend, and a Japanese harpoonist and mechanic.
The mechanic was unwilling to teach Chang, so he used his observations to pick up various skills on the boat and was quickly promoted, Nien said.
The crew in 1958 caught a record-sized whale, for which Chang was recognized by then-Pingtung mayor Ko Wen-fu (柯文福).
Ko and then-Hengchun Township mayor Kung Hsin-tung (龔新通) visited the Chang household along with former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and took a photograph with Chang’s mother, Nien said.
Chiang and his father, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), were avid whale meat fans and frequently visited Pingtung to observe whaling industry operations, Nien said.
Taiwan at the time cooperated with Japan on whaling and the nation had only three whalers, including Chang, Nien said.
Due to the short whaling season from January to March, and increasing international pressure on the industry, whaling in Taiwan under the Republic of China lasted only 15 years, Nien said, adding that Chang went on to fish in local waters.
Chang in 1985 became the eighth director-general of the Hengchun Fishing Association, he added.
Nien said he hopes that the government will develop a whale-watching industry to capitalize on cetaceans that roam the waters off Taiwan’s southern coast, and that he will see the establishment of a whaling museum.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS