Sun, Sep 09, 2001 page8

• National consciousness is needed

  • By Dai Pao-tsun 戴寶村
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  AS TAIWAN STEPS into the 21st century, it faces undiminished external threats and enticements from China while also encountering an international economic slowdown.

  Domestically, deficiencies in the Constitution have led to a political situation where the opposition parties bitterly oppose everything the president stands for. Moreover, a minority of "mainlanders" in Taiwan resist or try to trip up all policies of the new government in order to take back power, without a thought for Taiwan's future prospects as a country. If the national consciousness in Taiwan isn't raised, future prospects will surely grow darker rapidly.

  The most important thing about national consciousness (國民意識) is that it reflects a people's national identity. National identity bases itself in a nation's territory, landmarks, customs and traditions, collective historical experience, languages, and beliefs. Having for a long time been subjugated to foreign rule and control, the people of Taiwan have never really formed their own nation. In addition, by instilling "anti-Taiwan" education in the areas of language, history, and geography, the national character has been twisted. As a result, the people of Taiwan are unable to ponder questions like: "What is Taiwan?" or "What does it mean to be Taiwanese?" -- let alone establish a nation that truly and substantively belongs to us.

  Apart from reforms in education and the media, Taiwan should take advantage of every method and course of action at its disposal in order to consolidate the "centripetal force" existing among the nation's people, thereby cultivating a national consciousness and producing a clear sense of national identity.

  Taiwan is not only shaped like a yam, but like a whale, as well. Currently whale-watching is a popular activity. If we take pains to protect whales, however, we should do even more to protect Taiwan. Just as whales must have the sea in order to roam freely, Taiwan must establish an independent, sovereign nation -- and not allow itself to be stranded by China.

  Taiwan has an area of 36,000 square kilometers. It has 293 mountain peaks over 3,000m, the tallest of these -- Jade Mountain (玉山) -- rising 3,952m above sea level. In terms of the ratio of total area to the height of its peaks, Taiwan is unique in the world. Jade Mountain's original name "Patungkuan" means "resplendent mountain" in the language of the Tsou tribe, and is a sacred peak of the Bunnun people. In 1895, when Taiwan became a Japanese colony, and the Japanese arriving in Taiwan regarded everything condescendingly, perhaps the only acknowledgement of inferiority made by the Japanese government was that the height of Jade Mountain surpassed that of Mt Fuji. For ages, the people of Taiwan have considered being able to scale Jade Mountain as a source of pride. A national park have been set up that includes Jade Mountain and adjoining peaks. The new NT$1,000 bills have an image of Jade Mountain printed on the back. Jade Mountain has gradually become a symbol in the hearts of Taiwan's people signifying "the nation's highest peak." With this symbolic significance, "Taiwanese" identity is naturally strengthened -- just as it is in Switzerland with the Alps, or in Japan by Mt Fuji.

  Already, many of Taiwan's unique forms of wildlife have appeared on its currency, including national treasures such as the Formosan Landlocked Salmon (櫻花鉤吻鮭) and Mikado Pheasant (台灣帝雉), as well as Sambar Deer (水鹿), the aboriginal hero Monaludo (莫那魯道), and the Tatala boats of the Tao people (達悟拼板舟). The 100 Pace Snake (百步蛇), a reptile intimately connected to the history, culture, and art of the Rukai (魯凱) and Paiwan (排灣) tribes, can also serve to represent Taiwanese culture. In their thinking, we are all descendants of the snake, and not the dinosaurs. Then there's the Formosan Black Bear (台灣黑熊), which has made several appearances recently. Its trademark is the distinctive pattern of white fur in the shape of the Chinese character for "person" (人), located on its chest. Taiwan's animals are different from the animals of other countries, and can be an affirmation of self-value. When appreciating Australia's koalas or China's pandas, Taiwan will feel that it, too, is a unique, independent entity.

  In the past, to maintain its grip on power, the KMT created a whole language culture, in which the KMT's party anthem became the national anthem, and the party emblem -- the plum blossom -- became the national flower. In addition, the three pistils and five petals of the plum blossom were chosen to represent the Three Principles of the People (三民主義) and the five-power constitution (五權憲法). This plum blossom design has fettered the souls and vision of countless people in Taiwan, and caused a "national aesthetic" (國民美學) to be lost. Several years ago, during the movement to create a Taiwan Constitution, it was decided that the lily should represent Taiwan. When the people are able to identify with the lily (a native flower), and during the process by which the lily replaces the plum blossom, the people of Taiwan will have a new sense of their nation's status.

  Taiwanese identity points to an awareness felt by people living in Taiwan, in which shared life and historical experiences lead to the formation of a gemeinschaft. Recognition belongs to the community of people who live here -- on this land -- who are willing to dedicate themselves to build and protect their country. National identity means a willingness to build the nation, which evolves from collective recognition of the need to share weal and woe.

  The chaotic state of Taiwan's national status and identity is a crisis that runs deep. If we want to establish a clearly defined national identity for the people of Taiwan, we can strengthen the connection and interaction between Taiwan's people and its land.

  Only when the majority of people in Taiwan have cultivated a life philosophy that espouses an interdependent relationship with their land, can Taiwan be truly able to stand up and gain a foothold on the world stage.

  Dai Pao-tsun is an associate professor at National Central University.

  Translated by Scudder Smith
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