The Beauty of Historic Relics and Scenic Spots in Taiwan
Chiang Ming-Shyan
In the 16th century, after Columbus sailed to America, Western capitalism flourished and European countries began to expand their commerce with foreign countries. Portugal was then one of the mighty powers of the sea.
One day, while passing by the Pacific Ocean east of today’s Taiwan, the crew on the deck of a Portuguese commercial ship that traveled back and forth between China, Japan, and Southern Asia were suddenly captured by a spectacular sight, and they uttered the praise -- “Ilha Formosa.”
The expression “Ilha Formosa” means “the beautiful island” in Portuguese, and this “beautiful island” that astounded them is not only the place the people in Taiwan are born and raised but also the place we sing, we praise, and we paint.
Four hundred years ago, the beautiful hills and forests along the eastern shore won Taiwan the reputation of “Formosa”; four hundred years later, what will Taiwan offer to the world?
The historian Lien Heng, while writing the Comprehensive History of Taiwan, sadly commented, “Taiwan did not have a written history in the past; however, the Dutch began to colonize the island, and the Zhengs developed her, then the Qing government ruled her, all building, constructing, so as to set up her foundation. It has a history of two hundred years.” “However, isn’t it something painful and regretful for the Taiwanese to have no written history?” “I realize my own lack of talent, and yet I swear before the Gods that I shall offer my utmost sincerity and carefulness to the writing of a comprehensive history of Taiwan, and I subsequently spent ten years to finish it.”
Lien Heng devoted ten years to the writing of his monumental work, which temporarily appeased the “pain and regret” of the Taiwanese; however, when I read his work in my private study more than eighty years after the publication of the book, I could not help but be troubled by a feeling of disturbance because the world has changed so much and Taiwan has undergone so much transformation in recent decades, which I think even Lien could not have possibly imagined. Today, who will be the one to swear before the Gods and to offer his utmost sincerity and carefulness to record the footprints of our ancestors?
In the past four hundred years, Taiwan has been ruled by various governments--38 years of Dutch and Spanish rule, 23 years under the Zhengs, 215 years under the Qing Dynasty, and 51 years of Japanese occupation--before the Government of the Republic of China came to Taiwan. The history is not unlike the story of a foster child who constantly underwent changes in guardianship, and the experience can naturally arouse a sense of sadness. However, if we look at it from a cultural standpoint, looking back on our own history and re-tracing our checkered past with a self-improving mindset, we shall find that deep in our hearts are there different sentiments, abundant memories, and complicated emotions.
Therefore, I firmly believe that everyone on this island, be him a Minnan, a Hakka, an aborigine, or a so-called “new inhabitant,” will feel greatly proud to be a Taiwanese. This is because there is hardly any other region in the world that has experienced so many cultural impacts and changes, which the people here amalgamate to form this versatile, colorful, and all-encompassing Taiwanese culture as we know today.
Artists cannot help but interpret subjectively the objective world. They hope that their works can, through the coloring of their feelings and vitalities, help their audiences to cleanse once again their hearts and souls, and thus entering a whole new world they belong to. Otherwise, what are the arts for?
For more than twenty years, I have traveled numerous corners of my beloved island to depict the historic relics, scenic spots and various activities of the people. When I climb higher and higher by myself, seeing what there is to see, I never forget to remind myself that if a painting is to impress and move its viewers, it must not only make them see the appearance of the picture but also let them feel its underlying intention. The viewers and the painter must have a sense of the same belonging so that they can communicate their souls and spirits.
The most prominent characteristic of Taiwan, from the viewpoint of art, can be summarized in a word hua, i.e. transformation or transformation. In other words, after braving through four hundred years of tempest-like turmoil, Taiwan is capable of preserving old experiences, accepting new trends, absorbing all kinds of outside impacts and influences into a comprehensive one. The people here should be proud to say that they are able to assimilate all varieties to create a new form of life and culture.
Taiwan is so grand, so alive, so colorful, and so enlightening. All at the same time, she is Oriental and Western, old and modern, continental and oceanic, central and peripheral. This is true for no other place in the world, and thus it is our most precious asset. We artists should dig up these countless treasures as the sources of their creation. I would like to say that I paint Taiwan with exactly the same mentality as Lien Heng’s when he wrote the Comprehensive History of Taiwan eighty years ago—to write a history of Taiwan.
Taiwan’s most precious trait, from a aesthetic and artistic point of view, can be summarized in a single phrase: “unify/internalize”. In other words, Taiwan is capable of preserving old experiences, accepting new trends, and at the same time “unify” all forms of outside impact and influence; then, through grand gestures and humble attitudes,“internalize”them to create an entirely new form of life and culture. While braving through the four hundred years of tempest-like turmoil, Taiwan stood firmly atop the mountains because she was strong by having no desires; she also accepted indiscriminately as an ocean accepts rivers because she was big by having modesty. When we use our hearts to slowly and carefully observe, appreciate, and feel her, we shall discover how generous, loving, gentle, and caring our mother-land really is.
Taiwan is the new center-stage for human culture because she is uniquely gorgeous through the blending of multiple colors and hues of outside influences. This is true for no other place in the world, and thus our most precious asset.
I paint my Taiwan with the exact same mentality as Mr.Lien wrote the Comprehensive History of Taiwan seventy years ago. This is the least I, a Taiwanese country-boy, after traveling around the world, could do for his mother-Taiwan. Though every piece began as a sketch, I always followed the “three-stage creed” of “observing with emotion”, “transferring emotion into object”, “transforming emotion through object”.. When I paint, subject and object interfuse, and the painter unite with the painted; the “heart” is always used to satisfy the rule“learn from nature on the outside, listen to heart from the inside” which traditional Chinese painting demands. “I paint my Taiwan” isn’t limited to “painting”, it’s also about the deeper implications of “speaking about” and “unifying/internalizing” Taiwan.
I paint my Taiwan; the watercolors reveal not just a remembrance of things past, but a vast space for thought, which is open for future generations and foreign spectators to comment on. They shall comment on Taiwan’s glory and darkness, joy and pain, sad songs and happy tunes, and they shall forget not how the old days once felt like, and shall go from “speaking of” to “unifying/internalizing”, which shall in turn paint a brighter, fuller, and more perfect future.
原來的翻譯
The beauty of Taiwan’s historic relics and scenery
江明賢
In the 16th century, following Columbus’ discovery of the Americas, western capitalism flourished and European countries began to expand their commerce with foreign countries. Portugal became one of the mighty powers of the sea.
One day, the crew on the deck of a Portuguese commercial ship which travels back and forth between China, Japan, and Southern Asia, while passing by the Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan, were suddenly captured by a spectacular sight, and uttered the same praise -- “Formosa.”
The word “Formosa” in Portuguese means the “island of beauty”; and this “beautiful island” they praised is indeed the Taiwan where we were born, raised, sang, and wept.
Four hundred years ago, the beautiful hills and forests along Taiwan’s eastern shore won her the reputation of “Taiwan Formosa”; four hundred years later today, what will Taiwan offer to the world?
Mr. Lien, while writing the Comprehensive History of Taiwan, sadly commented that “it is true that Taiwan does not have a written history; but the Dutch began Taiwan’s colonization, and the Cheng’s developed her, then the Tsing government ruled her, all building and constructing, in order to set up her foundation. It has now been 200 years.” “However, doesn’t Taiwan’s lack of written history bring us Taiwanese pain and regret?”
“I realized my own lack of talent, and so I swore on the Gods that I shall give my utmost sincerity and carefulness to the writing of the Comprehensive History of Taiwan, and I subsequently finished the book in ten years. ”
Mr. Lien devoted ten years of his life to writing the Comprehensive History of Taiwan, which temporarily appeased the Taiwanese’ “pain and regret” of “having no written history”; however, seventy-some years have since past, and when I read his work in my private study, I couldn’t help but be troubled by a feeling of distance because world events change by the second and Mr. Lien couldn’t have possibly predicted the unprecedented changes that Taiwan has gone through in the recent a hundred years. But at this day and age, who will the next person to “swear by the Gods and give their utmost sincerity and carefulness to record the footprints of our ancestors?”
From the standpoint of Taiwan’s 400 year’s of history, there have been various governments including 38 years of Dutch and Spanish rule, plus 23 years under Cheng, and 215 of Tsing Dynasty, followed by 51 years of Japanese colonization. This history is not unlike the story of a foster child who constantly underwent changes in guardianship, which naturally arouse a sense of sadness; however, if we look at it from a cultural standpoint, when we look back on our own history and re-trace our checkered past with a self-improving mindset, we shall find in deep in our hearts yet another type of sentiment, one of taste, memory, and emotions.
If we affirm the value and meaning of life still lies in her process, then I believe that every Taiwanese, be him Minnan, Hakka, Aborigines, or “New Inhabitants”, shall feel nothing but pride and honor. This is because there has been no other region in the world’s history which underwent so much impact and change; similarly, no other people have been through the amount and diversity of vicissitudes Taiwanese went through, which in turn formed the kind of versatile, colorful, and all-encompassing Taiwanese culture as we know her today.
Artists can not help but insert subjectively new interpretations and knowledge into the reality which objectively exists. They wish that their work could, through the addition of the artists’ sincere feelings and vitalities, help their audience to once again cleanse with their heart and soul the things which their eyes saw, and thus entering a whole new world which belongs to all eternity. Otherwise, how could it be even called art?
For the past twenty-some years, I have been a studious and pious monk, walking through countless countries with my two feet, painting countless exotic cultures and sights. “When I climb higher and higher by myself, seeing everything there is to see”, I never forget to remind myself that if a painting is to impress and move her viewers, she must not only make them smell the aroma of life in the picture, but also let them feel her vivid bone and flesh. Most importantly, the viewer and the painter must join together and communicate in their souls and spirits which lie deep beneath their bodies.
“Though my clothes fit no more due to my decreasing weight and thinning body, I feel no regret at all…”the decades of global travel has earned me the type of young and vibrant emotion and energy best described as “when the moonlight vanishes silently, I play my flute till the sunrise in the shadows of flowers”; it should be no surprise that I feel “shocked and grateful that I still enjoy great health”
In 1978, I returned to Taiwan and did my best to calm and find inner peach with all my heart, soul, and life. When I tried to feel with my most sincere, deep, and soul-searching my eternal root and homeland, I suddenly felt enlightened by my “realization that the one person I’ve been searching for so long is actually standing right in front of me, by the dim candle lights.”
Taiwan is so colorful, so alive, so grand, so heavy. All at the same time, she is western and oriental; old and modern; continental and oceanic; central and peripheral. These different nutrients are her life’s components as well as the reason why she is simply one-of-a-kind on this planet Earth. We have no reason to abandon the abundant treasure in our own house and beg door-to-door like a poor teenager. We should dig up our countless treasures and exhibit our infinite vitality. Taiwan’s most precious trait, from a aesthetic and artistic point of view, can be summarized in a single phrase: “unify/internalize”. In other words, Taiwan is capable of preserving old experiences, accepting new trends, and at the same time “unify” all forms of outside impact and influence; then, through grand gestures and humble attitudes,“internalize”them to create an entirely new form of life and culture. While braving through the four hundred years of tempest-like turmoil, Taiwan stood firmly atop the mountains because she was strong by having no desires; she also accepted indiscriminately as an ocean accepts rivers because she was big by having modesty. When we use our hearts to slowly and carefully observe, appreciate, and feel her, we shall discover how generous, loving, gentle, and caring our mother-land really is.
Taiwan is the new center-stage for human culture because she is uniquely gorgeous through the blending of multiple colors and hues of outside influences. This is true for no other place in the world, and thus our most precious asset.
I paint my Taiwan with the exact same mentality as Mr.Lien wrote the Comprehensive History of Taiwan seventy years ago. This is the least I, a Taiwanese country-boy, after traveling around the world, could do for his mother-Taiwan. Though every piece began as a sketch, I always followed the “three-stage creed” of “observing with emotion”, “transferring emotion into object”, “transforming emotion through object”. When I paint, subject and object interfuse, and the painter unite with the painted; the “heart” is always used to satisfy the rule“learn from nature on the outside, listen to heart from the inside” which traditional Chinese painting demands. “I paint my Taiwan” isn’t limited to “painting”, it’s also about the deeper implications of “speaking about” and “unifying/internalizing” Taiwan.
I paint my Taiwan; the watercolors reveal not just a remembrance of things past, but a vast space for thought, which is open for future generations and foreign spectators to comment on. They shall comment on Taiwan’s glory and darkness, joy and pain, sad songs and happy tunes, and they shall forget not how the old days once felt like, and shall go from “speaking of” to “unifying/internalizing”, which shall in turn paint a brighter, fuller, and more perfect future.