Get'em while they're hot! They may well be the last stamps with "Taiwan" on them for a while, as the KMT has re-asserted its colonial identity over Taiwan:The name of the state-run postal company was changed back to the original title Chunghwa Post, in a low-key ceremony in Taipei.
Former Directorate General of Posts director Hsu Chieh-kuei (許介圭) criticized former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration yesterday for its name-change policy, calling it nothing more than political maneuvering.
Last year President Chen changed the name of Chunghwa Post back to "Taiwan Post," the name it had been known under during the Japanese and early KMT colonial periods. This was part of a process of restoring the name "Taiwan" to organizations that had once had that name, and removing markers of KMT colonialism from names across the island. During transitions from colonial and authoritarian governments to local, democratic governance, such name changes are common.
The original political maneuvering was deleting "Taiwan" from such names in the first place, part of a political strategy to eliminate the idea of "Taiwan" from political discourse. The Postal Museum's online presentation (click on the pic) is an outpost of this colonialist historical pattern:
China's modern postal service was founded in 1896 and the General Post Office was set in Beijing. For a hundred years, the efforts made by each generation of postal workers have contributed to the growth of the postal enterprise. Especially, the contributions which all former General postmasters devoted cannot be left unrecognized.
People talk about Taiwan's contested identities, but the real problem is not that it is contested, but that, in so many public spaces, it is not contested at all.
[Taiwan]
35 comments:
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Hmm...I guess THESE GUYS are being "political" as well.
No, we can't have the name of the country's postal service actually reflecting what country (or -- for those pan-blue supporters -- "administrative region") that this business is providing a service for.
No...no....no...that would make far too much sense.
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"During transitions from colonial and authoritarian governments to local, democratic governance, such name changes are common."
Hi Michael — I'd be grateful if you could provide more examples of this phenomenon!
Thanks.
I would love to actually see a map with Chunghwa marked on it. I doubt one exists anywhere but in the minds of the KMT.
In transitions, people change names and remove markers of colonial/authoritarian identity. For example, in India, most of the statues from the Raj were torn down (there's a bunch in a corner of the Bombay Zoo, in fact). In Kenya the streets were renamed. In Eastern Europe the Soviet statues were torn down. In post-Franco spain all the franco monuments were removed from Madrid. Taiwan is quite unusual in that respect -- its transition is frozen. CKS Hall remains a blight on TPE, and the street names reflect the geography of some other country.
Michael
Calcutta => Kolkata
Bangalore => Bengaluru
Ceylon => Sri Lanka
Port Arthur => Ryojun => Lushunkou
What I love the most are the excuses for changing the name back.
1) The peeps in the Chunghwa post were so upset about it (did anyone else but the KMT care?)
2) It cost us $20 million NT!!! (so let's spend $20 million NT more to change it back!!!)
3) Oh the CONFUSION it caused! You just can't change the name of your post office like that. (so let's change it back to a name that is very similar to China's name. That won't confuse anyone, I'm sure.)
4) Chen Shui Bian was heavy-handed! He unilaterally changed the name!!! (so let's change the name back without consulting anyone but ourselves.)
"Hi Michael — I'd be grateful if you could provide more examples of this phenomenon!"
Look at all the areas the Japanese turned into Shinto shrines... then the KMT turned into martyrs shrines...and then the local governments turned into non-functioning Shinto shrines. Several place names in Taiwan reflect this phenomenon. Many of Taiwan's major cities and towns were renamed by the Qing following one rebellion or another to "reward" them for their loyalty in the belief the name changes would transform the area into something more "civilized". Chia Yi had once been the villages of Tirossen...then Di Luo Sua (Zhu Luo Shan) and then Chia Yi. The street names in Taiwan were changed from their original Japanese names (sorry...not a lot of pre-Japanese streets) to names which reflected the KMT's anxiety over being in Taiwan...and after the domocratization started many localities started changing street names away from the KMT themes.
Anon,
What non-functioning Shinto shrines are you referring to? While I'm aware a lot of Shinto shrines were converted by the KMT into Martyrs' Shrines (like in Taichung and Danshuei, for example), I've never heard of a Martyrs' Shrine being re-converted (if that's the right word). Can you give an example?
The KMT's name change efforts have been inconsistent. For example, the KMT retained the name of the Japanese "Bank of Taiwan" and "Taiwan Monopoly Bureau" after the Japanese handed said organizations over to the ROC. The KMT also kept the Japanese name of Taipei's "New Park" which the DPP later changed to the "228 Park."
"CKS Hall remains a blight on TPE"
I think a bigger blight on TPE is the Japanese Governor General's palace. I was in Seoul in 1995 when the Koreans demolished the Japanese Governor General's palace there amid great fanfare. I wished then as I do now that the Taiwanese could be more like Koreans.
Other examples may be how in China, everything took on socialist ideological themes. "The People's X,Y and Z". Damn! look at the African continent. Cecil Rhodes would be rolling in his grave to see all his namesakes vanish into localized themes. The Croats and the Serbs used the metaphor of the alphabet create distance after the fall of the Habsburg Empire. How about the Free City of Danzig, which was created in the aftermath of WWI in 1920 and re-named Gdansk after WWII, when the German speakers were expelled and replaced with Poles.
kaminoge,
There's a great one in Miao Li county. Michael has a post on it.
There is a great essay available about this phenomenon by Jeremy E. Taylor called, Reading History Through the Built Environment in Eds. John Makeham and Chin A-Hsau's book Bentuhua: Cultural, Ethnic and Political Nationalism in Contemporary Taiwan.
It might explain why the other anonymous is a retard for his/her suggestion Taiwanese act more like Koreans.
The parallels between Taipei and Seoul are misleading. Korea was a country with a long history and a proud culture, and Koreans naturally considered the Japanese colonial period to be a national humiliation.
Taiwan was a provincial backwater of the Qing Empire, without any stronge sense of self-identity. As a result, many Taiwanese (as opposed to people from the mainland) don't necessarily consider the Japanese era as something to be ashamed of. In fact, Japan's contributions to the development of Taiwan are looked upon favorably by many, especially in comparison with the behavior of the KMT during the post-WWII era.
Personally, I didn't agree with the decision of the Korean government to tear down the old governor-general's building. After all, it used to house the National Museum of Korea, and what better to way to show you have broken the chains of oppression by showing off the virtues of your culture by displaying them on the site of the former oppressor's seat of power? But Koreans being Koreans, emotional nationalism carried the day over clear, rational thinking. Of course, in the rush to be feel proud and Korean, building a replacemnt for the history museum was overlooked, and it took years of political and budgetary wrangling to get a new building constructed.
So let's hope Taiwanese don't become more like Koreans!
Practically everybody who voted knew this was going to happen. It’s the will of the people:)
I would say what is more unique about Taiwan's situation is that the democratic transition was soft and unlike other revolutions, the colonial power (KMT) remained the dominant power. Therefore, the battle for decolonization and naming remains a factor in the political sphere.
I'm personally going out and buying some Taiwan stamps today... sigh...
The next time I send a postcard from Taiwan, I'm going to write 'Taiwan' underneath the new stamps!!!
Guys, have you noticed that the Chiang Kai-shek/Chiang Jing-guo stamp booklet is on sale at the Post Office? Ouch.
And yes, many letters from Latin America have gotten lost if addressed as they want it, TAIWAN, CHINA.
Confusing? What is the term when you deny reality? Of course, we will all be so powerful once the Great China is united. Then what?
Anon (the rational one),
Are you thinking of the old shrine in Tongsiao? Was that changed back from being a Martyrs' Shrine?
I've visited a Martyrs' Shrine in Taoyuan that incorporated the old Shinto shrine buildings, instead of razing them. It's too bad there aren't more examples like that.
"But Koreans being Koreans, emotional nationalism carried the day over clear, rational thinking."
Nice.
The reason I was especially impressed with the Koreans' demolition of the Japanese governor's palace in commeration of the 50th anniversary of VJ day is Lee Teng hui's reaction at the time.
If you will recall back in September 1995, there were massive celebrations in all of the Allied countries on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII. The US marked the event with, among other things, a rare joint session of Congress whose guest of honor was Soong Mei-ling, described by President Clinton at the time as the last living WWII era leader. London put on the largest fireworks display in the history of the city to mark VJ day. There were similar victory commerations in the other Allied capitals of Moscow and Paris.
However, in the ROC, there were no official victory commemorations. President Lee Teng-hui never even uttered the word "victory" at that time. The best that President Lee could bring himself to say at the time was "today is the 50th anniversary of the end of hostilities." Pretty weak statement from the head of state of one of the five main WWII Allied countries, and a cruel slap in the face to the millions who fought against and perished under the Axis.
"This was part of a process of restoring the name "Taiwan" to organizations that had once had that name"
Ummm.......
Was the Chinese Petroleum Corporation ever known as the Taiwan Petroleum Corporation?
Was the Chinese Ship Building Corporation ever previously known as the Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation?
Was China Airlines ever know as anything other than that name?
I think the you would be more convincing if you describe the DPP's desinicization effort as what it is rather than try to disguise it as name-rectification.
Was the Chinese Petroleum Corporation ever known as the Taiwan Petroleum Corporation?
Was the Chinese Ship Building Corporation ever previously known as the Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation?
Was China Airlines ever know as anything other than that name?
I think the you would be more convincing if you describe the DPP's desinicization effort as what it is rather than try to disguise it as name-rectification.
Ah, the pro-China trolls. You have to love their complete lack of knowledge.
Yes, dolt, the China Shipbuilding Corporation has had several names and some had "Taiwan" in them.
And, dolt, China Petroleum could not be renamed because "Taiwan Petroleum" is a registered name. Duh. And so you've made another non-point. I know you're a pro-China troll, and obviously, by the fact that you regurgitate propaganda, aren't real smart, but at least you could do some Googling.
Taiwan is not "de-sinicizing" -- that's a pro-China code phrase. Last I checked, we still spoke several Chinese languages, worshiped Chinese gods, ate Chinese foods, and celebrated Chinese holidays. What Chen was doing was eradicating markers of KMT colonialism in Taiwan. And one of those markers is the renaming of all things named "China" that are state-owned. This isn't China here.
Michael
Lee Tung-hai failed to mention anything about World War II, and that makes the Koreans' destruction of a piece of their own recent history justifiable? Nice logical connection. If you want Taiwan to be more like Korea, does that mean a Japanese-era building needs to be demolished every time a pro-independence politician makes a statement (or a lack of one in this case)?
I really doubt many veterans and/or victims of the war were offended by Lee's lack of observations. You would be hard pressed to find anyone in the world who thinks of Taiwan as being one of the five Allied powers!
Yup!
And, dolt, China Petroleum could not be renamed because "Taiwan Petroleum" is a registered name. Duh. And so you've made another non-point. I know you're a pro-China troll, and obviously, by the fact that you regurgitate propaganda, aren't real smart, but at least you could do some Googling.
Actually, China Petroleum could not change name has to do with its favorable contracts with oil producing country signed awhile ago. Changing name will force some rewritten of the contracts i.e. even higher gas price for Taiwan (crying about gas price when Taiwan gas price is about paring the US price which is cheap globally)..."Taiwan Petroleum" could be out of the question but it does not prevent the company to use a different name i.e. "Petroleum Taiwan" or "Taiwan Gas and etc."
All Chen's name changes are mostly done by executive orders (another parallel his administration has with the Bush admin) and were not done through the proper channel. You could blame the KMT controlled legislature and argue that there is no way in hell Chen could change the names any other way. However, this is the beauty of democracy, and I don't see you pro-democracy (populist) people criticizing the way Chen mis-uses his executive orders. I guess the end really justifies the means huh?
[Taiwan is not "de-sinicizing" -- that's a pro-China code phrase. What Chen was doing was eradicating markers of KMT colonialism in Taiwan.]
'De-sinicizing' is not so much a pro China phrase as a pan blue hack phrase. Perhaps 'De KMT-izing' would be a more accurate description of what was going on. At the time I didn't have a problem with what the DPP was doing, but tended to agree with the blue line that they were too confrontational about it and should have worked bilaterally. But now with this issue I realize that in its usual fashion the media blew everything the DPP did out of proportion and engaging the KMT would have done nothing but stall it longer than an arms budget.
Notice how when the KMT change it back nobody says a peep, complains about wasted money, throws their body in harm's way, or riots, and the media hardly mentions it. The media portrayed the economy as horrible leading up to the election then stopped immediately after the election. It's pure f*cking bullshit.
I submitted on this topic yesterday, but it didn't stick or Michael erased it... so I'll try again. Yesterday's was so much better...grrrr!
The ideas of sinicization or de-sinicization are problematic as they are bound to the flawed concept of an authentic and essentialized Chineseness. It is not that Taiwanese are or are not Chinese, but rather by whose criteria. Leaders of political/religious groups often use these essentialized identities to mobilize people for a political ends. These leaders attempt to obscure the fact that societies, cultures and ethnicities are always changing and with them the socio-cultural metaphors that help define group identities.
When Chinese nationalists scream “de-sinicization” what they are really opposing is any deviation from their own schema for the meaning of Chinese, which to the KMT is congruent with Chinese Nationalism and is an attempt to monopolize and fix the concept of Chineseness in one particular frame or period. This form of essentializing identity and denial of change creates a social tension when, under the rigid politicized construction, some citizens are more “authentic” than others.
In looking at the bifurcated histories of Chinese nationalism, the early nationalists entertained a national policy allowing for strong local governance and strong local cultures. The decades of fighting warlordism resulted in a KMT (and later CCP) policy in favor of a strong centralized state with a centralized high Chinese culture as defined by the government. This was later articulated in the New Life movement of the 1930’s and the Chinese Socialist movement.
When the KMT arrived on Taiwan, they found the local cultures were often at odds with the KMT’s own goals for Chinese cultural nationalism and actively sought to incorporate them and transform them into something more congruent with the KMT’s nationalist goals. This “re-sinicizing” was actually a process of nationalizing Taiwanese as the goal was to produce citizens loyal to the modernist Chinese nationalist state… and not make them into some amorphous Chinese people.
I disagree with Michael on “Chinese”, and I find the terms “Taiwanese” and “Taiwan” to be more accurate, even when discussing food, gods and holidays. The reason I say that is not because I wish to substitute Taiwanese nationalism for Chinese nationalism, or deny they arrived from what is now China, but because the experience of the people living on Taiwan, exposed to the same government, local economy, education system, multi media drivel and contact with other functions of the state apparatus that extend to the borders of Taiwan and other islands creates change. This experience has changed many of the socio-cultural metaphors that had once been shared. How Taiwanese society extracts symbolic meaning from those images and experiences will not be the same as those who have experienced China under the CCP. This imagined community is currently on full display in Taiwan’s lack of enthusiasm for the Olympics and less enthusiasm for China’s athletes. They are “they” and we are “we”. Even the idea of Wai sheng ren, who are often identified with “China” and “Chinese” are the product of a Taiwanese experience.
A simple question on change:
When did the French Fry become a symbol of American food?
Excellent, excellent comment. My main idea is to highlight the fact that "desinicization" is not cultural change but political transition -- Taiwanese or Chinese, whatever label you use, the cultural practices that descend in part from Chinese culture are not being done away with.
Michael
Yes, there's something wrong with the comments system. For example, I just clicked on this, and found that I had FOUR comments even though blogspot said I only had ONE.
Michael
However, this is the beauty of democracy, and I don't see you pro-democracy (populist) people criticizing the way Chen mis-uses his executive orders.
Probably because many of us privately don't regard KMT control of the political process as legitimate. It stems from the killings and martial law, the looting of the treasury and the US aid programs, and similar. The KMT did not achieve its position in open voting by offering superior policy. I'd be a lot more impressed with your criticisms about democracy if it were an actual commitment to democratic practice, arty.
And seriously, since when is an executive order to change the name of the post office a violation of democracy? Compared to what? THe KMT legislature changing the laws to protect the 200 heads of the ag cooperatives who are demonstratably corrupt? You have a strange sense of priorities, arty.
Michael
Another problem with the term/label "Chinese" is that it can be so inclusive that it describes almost nothing... or if it is defined too narrow it excludes Chinese who are ethnic minorities, but national Chinese.
Some alternative terms may be:
Han (which could basically be viewed as Confucian Culturists. Even Buddhism in China was enveloped by Confucianism) and Confucianism was the dynastic state religion, thus many of the people in China who are now Han are formerly something else. The state sought to transform them into Han. The term covers cultural behavior and is far less chauvinistic than "Chinese" by not conflating culture, geography and nation into one.
Confucianists: Often people use "Chinese" to describe things which are shared among cultures with a heavy Confucian influence.
"This imagined community is currently on full display in Taiwan’s lack of enthusiasm for the Olympics and less enthusiasm for China’s athletes."
Does Mr. Anon live on a pig farm in Tainan?
As everyone here in Taipei knows, there is great excitement over the Olympics. TV, radio, and newspapers here are saturated with Olympics coverage. Most of my neighbors are watching Olympics coverage nearly round the clock as I am.
Probably because many of us privately don't regard KMT control of the political process as legitimate. It stems from the killings and martial law
Are you still living in 30 years ago?
And seriously, since when is an executive order to change the name of the post office a violation of democracy? Compared to what? THe KMT legislature changing the laws to protect the 200 heads of the ag cooperatives who are demonstratably corrupt? You have a strange sense of priorities, arty.
Last time I check, a law is greater than an order. Executive orders against existing law is not only illegal but (in my opinion) an immoral act by the executive branch. If DPP (and you) is truly preaching democracy, you will try to change things the right way instead of going off a tangent. Because that's what a populist (leftist; actually I think I am very lefty, too, but the lesson from Latin Americans taught me to be really careful walking the left) will do and use that as an excuse.
"Does Mr. Anon live on a pig farm in Tainan?"
Smacks of KMT-modernist chauvinism doesn't it.
You have made a very good example.
Yeah, it's funny how traditional Han-style (in this case, KMT sub-variety) education renders so many people not only stone-minded but in not a few cases even blind. In Taichung City, very few Taiwanese are paying attention to the Olympics: no one is talking about it in the gym I go to and not a single student has said even one word about the Olympics so far in any of my adult classes (lots of free-ranging discussion). Perhaps that will change now that Taiwan has taken a medal, and surely it will change once the national baseball team starts playing, but thus far, interest in MLB and the faltering, Wang-less Yankees still far exceeds interest in the Olympics, and a Tainan pig farmer knows more about Taiwan on the ground than our parochial stringer in Taipei, who has been rendered ignorant by the Taiwan media -- as will often happen with any who don't view media focus and claims (especially TV focus and claims) here with a great deal of skepticism.
Until Han traditionalists start facing the awful truth of how their education shortchanged them on both information and the development of a capacity to gather and process information, they will continue to rely on class-based prejudice to bolster self-esteem and to serve as a defense mechanism to prevent unwanted truths from ever leaking in. Don't ever leave your Taipei enclave, dear stringer; better yet, don't leave your apartment any more than you have to. Stay home and stay tuned in to the news channels here so that you can continue to believe that the world is what Taiwanese TV tells you it is -- so that you can keep believing the world is what you want it to be.
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