In April of 1923, when the Japanese had ruled Taiwan for nearly three decades, Crown Prince Hirohito, who would become emperor of the “Land of the Rising Sun” three years later, took an imperial trip to southern Taiwan to visit the massive salt fields in the Anping and Anshun areas of Tainan City. Anshun was a village known for its 500-hectare stretch of salt fields. Family members of the first director of the Anshun salt works provided several old photographs and newspaper clippings from that time that prove Hirohito indeed visited the salt fields.
Yeh Tse-shan, director of Tainan’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, also says that Hirohito once visited the salt works in Anshun, which has now become the Salt Pan Eco-Village. Yeh said Hirohito spent two days in Tainan in April of 1923 during his imperial trip to Taiwan from April 16 to 26, making stops at the salt fields in Anping and Anshun, and at National Cheng Kung University and several other schools. He also stayed in what was then the Tainan governor’s residence for one evening.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau said several of the sites along the route the crown prince took during his visit are now important cultural assets for Taiwan. The places Hirohito visited and the events that occured during his visit are now very important for Taiwan both historically and culturally.
Photo: Obtained by tsai wen-chu, taipei times
照片:自由時報記者蔡文居
Lee Shan-shan, a manager at Salt Pan Eco-Village, said that Yoshino Nobuyuki, the son of the Anshun salt works’ first director, had a photograph of Hirohito, his father, and other people that was taken at the salt fields. The photo was given to the Salt Pan Eco-Village and is currently part of the Taiwan Salt Museum’s collection. Yoshino also found newspapers verifying Hirohito’s visit, which proves that the rumors were true, he really did visit the salt fields.
The word Showa is the name of the era that corresponded with the Emperor’s reign; thus, he was posthumously called Emperor Showa. Born in 1901, Hirohito was only 22 years old when he came to Taiwan. The crown prince was decorated with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum in 1912. He succeeded to the throne as emperor after his father died on the 15th and final year of the Taisho period in 1926 and died in 1989.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Taijing Wu)
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei times
照片:自由時報記者蔡文居翻攝
一九二三年四月,當日本統治台灣將近三十年,三年後成為「太陽之國」天皇的皇太子裕仁,在一趟巡視帝國屬地之旅,曾經造訪南台灣,走訪台南的安平、安順鹽場等地。安順鹽場曾因當地五百公頃的鹽田聞名。首任場長家屬提供的老照片及當時媒體報導,證實裕仁曾來過當時的鹽場。
台南市政府文化局長葉澤山也表示,裕仁皇太子曾經來過鹽場,也就是今日成為鹽田文化村等的地方。他表示,一九二三年四月裕仁皇太子「台灣行啟」行程自四月十六日至二十六日,其中兩天走訪台南,停留安平、安順鹽場及造訪成大等多所學校,並在現今的台南州知事官邸過夜。
文化局表示,「台灣行啟」路線很多地點都是現今重要的國家文化資產,皇太子到過的地方,及沿途所發生的事件,對台灣的歷史與文化都非常有意義。
鹽田文化村經理人李珊珊表示,安順鹽場首任場長的兒子吉野信之,有一張裕仁造訪安順鹽場與他父親等人在鹽田旁合照,照片也輾轉送給文化村,目前保留在鹽田博物館。經查證吉野及找出當時的報紙報導,證實裕仁確實來過,並非只是傳言。
昭和指的是裕仁天皇在位時的年號,他也於死後被稱為昭和天皇。天皇生於一九○一年,當時來台才二十二歲。他於一九一二年受勳大勳位菊花大綬章,並於大正時期最後一年(大正十五年底)一九二六年,其父王過世後繼任登基。裕仁天皇於一九八九年駕崩。
(自由時報記者蔡文居)
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