An exhibition that explores the White Terror era is on display at the Sinying Cultural Center (新營文化中心) in Tainan.
The show, titled “The White Dream: An Exhibition on the Victims of Political Persecution During Taiwan’s White Terror,” was organized by the Tainan Bureau of Cultural Affairs. The exhibition opened on Thursday last week and runs through Dec. 13.
It includes historical documents, manuscripts and oral histories that tell the stories of 17 people, including victims and their families, as well as artwork and/or writings by them.
The White Terror era refers to the repression that began after the 228 Incident in 1947, when an anti-government uprising was violently suppressed by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government, which later declared martial law and initiated purges.
Historians estimate that between 10,000 and 30,000 people were killed during the crackdown.
Of the 17 people whose stories are included in the exhibition, 12 were directly persecuted, while the remaining had family members who were victimized.
Among the artwork in the show are White Terror survivor and artist Chen Wu-jen’s (陳武鎮) oil paintings collectively titled the Shadow Series (陰影系列), and his wooden sculptures The Political Prisoner (政治犯) and Fictitious Crimes of Enormity (虛擬巨惡).
The exhibit also includes the final draft of former political prisoner and physician Yen Shih-hung’s (顏世鴻) autobiography, titled No. 3 Chingtao East Road (青島東路三號), named for the address of a military detention facility in Taipei where he was held before his trial.
Ting Yao-tiao’s (丁窈窕) story is examined in detail at the exhibition. She was executed in 1956 at the age of 28 for alleging being a “bandit [communist] spy,” but materials in the exhibition show that she died as the result of a fabricated accusation made by an informant who held a grudge against her.
Ting had advised a friend, Shih Shui-huan (施水環), against pursuing a relationship with the informant, who then took revenge by reporting Ting to the Taiwan Provincial Security Command, using a banned book he found on her desk, the materials show.
Shih was also arrested and executed on the same day as Ting, historians said.
“To its victims, the history of the White Terror vanished as if it was a dream, but it was a dream that left an indelible mark on their lives,” Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) said.
The show is part of the bureau’s research on victims of the White Terror, and is funded by a grant from the Preparatory Office of the National Human Rights Museum.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS