An advertisement displayed in the corridor of the underground Taipei City Mall has caused contention online with social media users saying that it depicts Taiwanese bears as servants of Chinese pandas.
The advertisement — which imitates the style of an ancient Chinese painting, but replaces people with bears — shows a scene in imperial China, with Formosan black bears laboring, while pandas relax and enjoy beverages.
“The development of the tourism industry is important, but this type of targeted advertising is extremely disrespectful — and it makes people uncomfortable,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君) said.
Photo courtesy of Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun
The advertisement, under the purview of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), intended to promote tourism, but it “denigrated the Formosan black bear,” which is Taiwan’s “national animal,” Chen added.
Given the Chinese military’s increased activity near Taiwan, the public is particularly sensitive about such depictions, she said.
Originally painted in 2014 by artist Chuang Hsin-tang (莊信棠), and titled Bears Along the River (熊熊上河圖), the painting is styled after Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河圖), a work by Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan (張擇端).
Chuang himself once said that the painting depicts the “current situation in Taiwan.”
The painting also shows foods that are typical in Taiwan, such as chicken cutlets, bubble tea, braised duck heads, glutinous rice cakes, Alishan tea and pig feet.
Asked for comment, the TRA said that the painting was a non-commercial advertisement placed for tourism purposes, and had been in place for two years.
Chuang in 2014 told the TRA that the painting showed common culture in Taiwan at the time, but given public concern, it has looked into replacing the advertisement, it said.
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