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Showing posts from May, 2023

Yellow Tiger on Taiwan-Flag and Yellow Tiger on Bone-Liquor

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In 1895, as a result of the Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government ceded Taiwan to Japan. In an effort to induce intervention from the world powers, member of the Taiwanese gentry and officials conspired to establish The Republic of Taiwan, and announced independence on May 23. On the 25th, member of the gentry delivered the seal and national flag of The Republic of Taiwan – also known as the Yellow-tiger Flag – to the Governor’s Office.   One of the fascinating Taiwan History piece I learned from National Museum of Taiwan History Exhibition. "In period of Japanese rule, Sugimoto ryoo, who is a Liquor section manager of Monopoly Bureau, discovered incidentally the Yellow Tiger flag of Republic of Formosa in the Governor-General museum. Consequently, he used to the Yellow Tiger on the flag become a trademark of a tiger-bone liquor." SOURCE - Academia Sinica Whereabouts of the original flag of 1895 is unknown.  (A flag of rag cloth, 3.1 meters long by 2.6 meters wide)

JUTE Economy, Specialty Soup, and Jute Bags for Rice and Sugar (Kew London Inspired I)

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  https://katyhuiwenhung.blogspot.com/2019/09/wufeng-lins-people-story.html One of the Taiwan items I was shown recently on a Herbarium Library  (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) visit proved to be something significant - about a Jute economy in Taichung area began in Qing and encouraged mass-production during Japanese administrative rule of Taiwan.  This piece of information, in fact, solved a puzzle about a Only-In-Taichung Young Jute Soup I had on a Wufeng Lin Family visit where we  were treated local delicacies including a very special soup 麻芛(mua-inn)湯. A well established Jute economy in Taichung was showcased at Japan-British Exhibition of 1910 and along with several other Japan-Formosa items were sent to Kew to be archived. It appears to me - young jute soup (traditionally served with sweet potato) in Taichung was a food byproduct 100 years ago preserved to present day. The taste - unimpressive but for the background story worth it. So WHO ELSE in Taiwan is known for Jute ‘cuisine’ -