Sun, Feb 03, 2019 page6

• The Liberty Times Editorial: Reconstructing history a vital task

  • • 
    • 
    • 

  In August last year, a group of Maori from New Zealand came to Taiwan in search of their roots. More recently, Christopher Swinhoe-Standen visited Kaohsiung to search for the life story and achievements of his ancestor Robert Swinhoe — the first British consul on what was then known as Formosa.

  In 1861, Britain established the first British Consular Office in Taiwan in Taiwanfu — modern-day Tainan — and Swinhoe was appointed the first British vice-consul. Three years later, he was relocated from Taiwanfu to Takao — modern-day Kaohsiung — to set up the British Consulate, where he was promoted to consul.

  According to news reports, Swinhoe-Standen visited a wax statue of his ancestor on Kaohsiung’s Chaishan (柴山) and learned about the circumstances in which Swinhoe conducted his natural history studies, which involved taxonomy of the Formosan macaque and other species.

  Swinhoe’s legacy in Taiwan is not limited to his official diplomatic performance, but also, and more importantly, his studies and research of endemic species. As a natural historian, Swinhoe was a fellow of the Royal Society. At the time, he was praised as one of the most industrious and successful exploring naturalists that had ever lived. Although he only stayed in Taiwan for four or five years, Swinhoe embarked on numerous journeys of ecological investigation, explored local culture and wildlife, and published academic papers, such as The Ornithology of Formosa, or Taiwan and A list of the Formosan reptiles; with notes on a few of the species, and some remarks on a fish.

  These papers became essential publications for those in studying Taiwan and remain classics of biology across the world to the present day.

  The list of species named or systematically categorized by Swinhoe for publication include more than 200 bird species, more than 40 mammal species, about 250 plant species, more than 200 terrestrial snail and freshwater malacofauna species, as well as more than 400 insect species along with amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.

  Most important of all, Swinhoe discovered many species endemic to Taiwan, such as the Formosan macaque, the Taiwan blue magpie, the Taiwan black bear, the Formosan clouded leopard, the Taiwan hwamei (Garrulax taewanus), the Taiwan blue pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) and the Formosan sika deer. Of all the birds ever documented in Taiwan, about one-third were introduced to the world by Swinhoe, who is considered a founder and a pioneer of ornithology in Taiwan.

  The Taiwan blue pheasant, also known as Swinhoe’s pheasant, and the Formosan sambar deer (Rusa unicolor swinhoei) are scientifically named after him. As for amphibians and reptiles, the Swinhoe’s brown frog (Odorrana swinhoana), Swinhoe’s japalure (Diploderma swinhonis) and Swinhoe’s grass snake (Rhabdophis swinhonis) all carry his name.

  Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay, who came to Taiwan 10 years after Swinhoe, left behind the most splendid and colorful record of exploration in Taiwan. Mackay arrived in Takao at the end of 1871 and later selected Tamsui as the base for his missionary work, traveling throughout Taiwan.

  In his 36-chapter memoir From Far Formosa: the Island, its People and Missions, Mackay looks back at his missionary effort, but he also devoted nearly two-thirds of the book to his observation of the geography, animals and plants, as well as the local cultures of Taiwan, which he referred to as his “final resting place.”

  Taiwan is surrounded by water. The climate, mountains and rivers bestow upon it verdant forests and an abundance of natural resources. In the 16th century, European sailors passing by the island were so impressed by its beauty that they called it “Ilha Formosa,” or the beautiful island.

  The Qing Dynasty, which also ruled Taiwan for a time, spoke of it as an uncivilized territory with pernicious miasma, where birds do not sing and flowers have no fragrance. It was the same Taiwan, but the problem was the Qing Dynasty’s rule from the outside: It only focused on maintaining its authority and had little interest in systematically exploring the beautiful island, nor did it conduct any comprehensive investigations.

  Some Qing Dynasty literati and government officials left records of Taiwan, but they were mere travel notes based on cursory visits.

  In comparison, international figures who came to Taiwan after the ports were opened in the middle of the 19th century, such as Swinhoe and Mackay, with their sensitive and sharp observational skills, brought their adventurous spirit into full play and applied a modern scientific approach to the exploration of culture and nature.

  The more they explored, the more beautiful they found Taiwan to be. They left behind a precious record and these records allow Taiwanese today to gain a clearer understanding of their homeland and its beauty.

  Taiwan has a long history. The visit by Swinhoe-Standen is just one reminder that many aspects of this beautiful island should never be forgotten or erased. Through concrete actions, Swinhoe demonstrated the beauty of the land, especially its kaleidoscope of birds.

  The leader of the visiting Maori group said that he burst into tears upon seeing the sun rise over the mountains, saying that he shed tears of emotion for the common ancestors the Maori share with Taiwan’s Aborigines. Indeed, the kinship and historical ties between Maori and local Aborigines are founded on rigorous scientific research: linguistic research, archaeological anthropology and genetic research have all pointed to Taiwan as the origin of the Austronesian peoples, or at least one of their ancestral sites.

  Every summer, many Europeans and Americans visit the Kinkaseki Camp memorial park in New Taipei City’s Jinguashi (金瓜石) and pay tribute to the Allied prisoners of war from World War II in remembrance of their difficult time there. The events highlight the past, when the Japanese established many such camps in Taiwan and underline the hardship that people lived through during the war.

  When members of Taiwan’s older generations — who grew up during the Japanese colonial era — receive Japanese visitors who come looking for the Taiwanese elementary schools where they or their older family members were enrolled, they highlight the fact that universal education in Taiwan began under Japanese rule at the turn of the 20th century. This also explains why many elementary schools have more than 100 years of history.

  The high-school history guidelines are soon to abandon their chronological approach, and adopt a thematic and regional perspective, replacing the three subdivisions in history textbooks — History of Taiwan, History of China and World History — with a new emphasis on issues such as Aborigines and identity in formerly colonized countries.

  The task of reconstructing history and historic perspectives is vital, because it will help correct the bias of past history education. Apart from textbooks, events such as Swinhoe-Standen’s visit also present opportunities to review and relearn history.

  After all, for the understanding of history to be vivid, deep-rooted and shared among the public, it is essential to conduct ceaseless examination by looking at real-life events.

  Translated by Chang Ho-ming
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Palmeiras hopes for club cup win

  • 2

    Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Hualien County

  • 3

    Hegseth outlines Chinese threat

  • 4

    Taiwan to see nine extended holidays in 2026

  • 5

    Pegatron ranks last in Greenpeace report