To celebrate its 130th anniversary, the Chinese-language Taiwan Church News — the first newspaper in Taiwan — launched a commemorative pen as a tribute to British missionary Thomas Barclay, who founded the publication in 1885 and devoted his life to Taiwan.
In memory of Barclay and his missionary work, each pen is carved with Barclay’s signature and housed in a box covered with an early edition of the newspaper. The edition was printed in romanized Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) using peh-oe-ji orthography, or church romanization, Taiwan Church News director Fang Lan-ting (方嵐亭) said.
Fang said that the publication grew from the Taiwan Prefecture City Church News, first issued on July 12, 1885 — the first newspaper in Taiwan.
Photo: Huang Wen-huang, Taipei Times
“The publication has been running since its inception, surviving a Japanese colonial government ban and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) censorship that prohibited the use of romanized vernaculars,” Fang said.
“The newspaper is not simply a religious publication, although it was created to evangelize the Taiwanese population and encourage people to read the Bible and disseminate information of the church,” Fang said.
Having witnessed Japanese colonialism, two world wars and the former KMT regime, the newspaper has been an observer, with the authorities impounding editions that ran articles on forbidden topics, he said.
Barclay founded the Theological College and Seminary in 1876, following his arrival in Tainan from Scotland the year prior. He committed himself to Taiwan until his death in 1935, Fang said.
Barclay introduced the first printing press in Taiwan, of which the news agency built a replica for educational purposes in 2013, Fang said.
Barclay played a critical role in mediating with Japanese forces prior to the capitulation of Tainan on Oct. 20, 1895, six months after China ceded Taiwan to Japan after losing the First Sino-Japanese War, Fang said.
On the eve of the Japanese army’s advance on Tainan, Barclay and an English missionary, Duncan Ferguson, persuaded the Japanese army commander and governor of Taiwan, Nogi Maresuke, not to take punitive measures following the capitulation, Fang said.
This year marked the 120th anniversary of the Tainan surrender and Barclay’s peacemaking efforts. The newspaper commissioned an award-winning local pen manufacturer to design and produce the commemorative ballpoint pen, Fang said.
The 1,300 pens produced were designed to symbolize the progressive power of words, Fang said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS