Flowers of Formosa, Dawn of Formosa- Historical Novel Galore

 

A magnificent 'Bangas' at Banqiao Lin Family Mansion. Sadly the tree died a few years ago left behind a beautiful legacy. Photo credit: Banqiao Lin Family.


A 1936 Gakuyū Nenkan (学友年鑑 School friend almanac) edition of my father’s collection is used in ‘Dawn of Formosa’ page 470 to illustrate a key character’s migration route after WWII from Japan to the former Japanese puppet-state of Manchuria and back to Taiwan.


Highly recommend addition - K.M.Lawson's excellent overview of the almanac is seen HERE. (https://www.froginawell.net/frog/2020/06/a-childs-guide-to-japanese-empire/)

(https://catalog.digitalarchives.tw/item/00/66/9c/d5.html)

Toshiko Sekiya (關屋敏子) - granddaughter of Charles Le Gendre (A French-born American officer and diplomat who served in Japan from 1872 to 1875 and Korea from 1890 to 1899) was a well-known soprano prior to her suicide in 1941. 

Source: 季刊薰風 @KUNPUTW  Publisher 1936年之夏，一個日本家庭的台灣環島相冊 (1936 Summer, a Japanese family Formosa trip)

'Dawn of Formosa' key character 林氏好 (fifth from left) in Pingtung culture park with Japanese friends and Paiwan locals. 

Historical Novel Galore

My initial intention was to introduce the newly published 'Dawn of Formosa', a complimentary copy kindly sent by the author Dr Chen Yao-chang 陳耀昌 (Professor Emeritus of Hematology National Taiwan University Hospital) .

Soon realized I could not meaningfully illuminate 'dawn' (the broken of morning) unless I supply information that led to the 'awakening' impact intended by this, in my opinion, a book of extraordinary Taiwan PEOPLE CONNECTIONS during1920-1930 and among many I personally relate well to. 

So here it goes, Dr Chen's work in publication order (of complimentary copy I was given): 



Three tribes - Siraya, Dutch, Han.(In 1647, a Dutch girl Marja ...)


2015 島嶼 DNA Island DNA (none fiction) 463 pages

Related read:

TRIOLOGY (Flowers of Formosa - 2016, 2017, 2019)

2016 傀儡花 （Ke Lei Hua) (English title: Lady Butterfly) 460 pages
'Ke Lei' the term first seen in 1695 document (Ke Lei Fan 傀儡番, fierce and inhabited in cave dwellings) refer to, as documented, the Raval and the Vucul aboriginal tribes of Southern Taiwan. 


"Seqalu: Formosa 1867", an extensively rewritten docudrama based on 'Ke Lei Hua' will go on air on August 2021, marking the 154th anniversary of The Rover Incident. 

There has been debates over the title during the lengthy 3-year production. Many argued "Seqalu" removed  historical connections within the original story.  


The novel has been published (Sep 2019) in Japanese under the title "Flower blossomed in Formosa". Best fitting cover photo and best title to the original, in my opinion.

(Thomson was warned not to go further on the other side of the mountain - headhunters (Rukai) were active.) 

The Kingdom of Tjakuvukuvulj (known as 內文部落 NeiWen Tribe in Chinese and  Tacapul in Dutch) battle with The Huai Army (1875). 
The revolt of the Paiwan people ( 獅頭社戰役 the Lions Heads Incident/Inner and Outer Lions incident) (1875)

Huai army route page 9

President Tsai Ing-wen's Paiwan bloodline is a result of the reconciliation of Tjakuvukuvulj  and Qing army who didn't make the return to China. By Dr Chen HERE. 

Related read:
(Dr Chen the author who joined the Day 1 trip recommended a visit to 白軍營淮軍義塚 The Huai Army Tomb, but we ran out of time and didn't go.)

2019 苦楝花 Bangas 260 pages
Qing dynasty land reclamation, aboriginal boundary, and taming aboriginal policy revolt:
Amis 1877-1878  大港口事件 Cepo' Incident (B)
Sakizaya/Kavaran 1878 加禮宛事件 Karewan Incident (A)
Taiovan (primarily)/Makatao/Amis/Puyuma/Hakka 大庄事件 Likavong Incident 1888 (C1)

Page 4

苦楝 (Melia azedarach) is a Taiwan native tree exist in several indigenous languages, Sakizaya (Bangas), Atayal (Baaaran), Amis/Paiwan (Bagasu), Puyuma (gamut). Extensively cultivated during Japanese rules, especially in Southern Taiwan, as the flower color, shape is reminiscent to Japanese of their national flower cherry blossoms. 

Related read:
I found the storytelling, last of the 'Formosa flower' series, compelling on a personal level after a trip to the East where Dr Chen joined on the first day. Taiwan Old Family March 2021 Tour to Hualien and Taitung


1920-1935 Enlightenment Period 
literature, art, medicine and social movement


Front row 3rd from left Lîm Sī-hònn, 4th Toshiko Sekiya 
1935 Feb 10 page 459

Through author's genius continuation of the earlier novel 'Lady Butterfly' (2016) bringing in Toshiko Sekiya (關屋敏子), granddaughter of Charles Le Gendre by a Japanese wife, readers are introduced to Sekiya's one time student a popular music singer from Tainan 林氏好 Lîm Sī-hònn (1907-1991).

"月夜愁 Gguátyiâ Ciú 1933"  Lîm's first record adapted from  George Leslie Mackay's hymn 'Naomi' based on a Pingpu song.

And through Lim and her activist husband 盧丙丁 Lôo peng ting  (1901-1945), readers are brought to Taiwanese cultural and political activism: 台灣文化協會 TCA The Taiwanese Cultural Association (founded in 1921) and  臺灣民眾黨 The Taiwan People’s Party (founded in 1927)

"Labour movement, Singing voice, Anti-colonialism"
(a book on Lim and Loo the couple 2010)

I cannot possibly do the 471 pages book justice on a note, in particular of the intertwined peoples connections and the complexity of Taiwan activisms Dr Chen skillfully carved into. But as I mentioned earlier, I am thankful to be enticed with deep Taiwan memories I can personally relate well and with immense enlightenments of the people told in the story whose courage and sacrifice paved way to what we have today.

The book touched one taboo subject and one special subject:

Around 3000 to 5000 elite Taiwanese made their homes in Japanese Manchuria between 1931 and 1945. A sizeable number  believed to be in medical profession. 

"Another distinct medical professional was the Taiwanese physician Huang Zizheng(黃子正), who had served as the personal doctor of Manzhouguo’s Emperor, PuYi, Huang was also one of the nine entourage who fled with Pu Yi. Together, they were captured by the Soviet Russians and were released after being imprisoned for 12 years." Origin HERE. 

Dr Huang's son Hwang Kwang-ko 黃光國 once said in an interview it is forbidden to talk about this dark past in his family.

Through  Lîm Sī-hònn life in Japan (with Toshiko Sekiya's support), relocation route back to Taiwan home through Japanese Manchuria the dark migration tale was told. 


"The book touched one special subject - Hansen's disease 漢生病 " says Dr Chen, who served 10 years (2008-2019) chair of " Hansen Disease Patients Protection and Rights under Ministry of Health" 「衛生署漢生病人人權小組召集人」

Through Lôo peng ting 's tragic life, from arrest and incarceration in 1932, tortured and victim of injustice set-up ended him up in Lo Sheng Sanatorium (樂生療養院, or the Happy Life Sanatorium) at Hsin-Chuang and short life wiped off.  Dr Chen equipped with extensive medical experience leads readers to explore the subject in a positive manner.

page 466. During Japanese rules chaulmoogra seed oil is the only effective treatment for leprosy. Dr Gushue-Taylor cultivated the tree, introduced from India, for his patients.

Page 434 -471 is treasure trove of vintage photos and illustrations.

Related read:
One Hundred Notable People in Taiwan's Medical Field 台灣醫界人物百人傳 (LIST) (People covered in 'Dawn of Formosa' includes 6,21,40,42,45,80,94)

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