Im in Taiwan right now and I want to read more about history of this place,do you know where I can find books about history of this place ? I don’t mind used ones.
I cant speak/read chinese.
I’ was trying to find book called Gods of Taiwan but I coulnd’t.
After so many visits in temples here it would be nice to read about local gods too !
I will be greatful for helping me .
See this thread: [url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/books-on-taiwan-something-for-everyone/9675/1 on Taiwan: something for everyone[/url].
You might take a look at “The Black Bearded Barbarian”, the story of G.L. Mackay, an early visitor and a good read. Available for free at librovox.com (or .org) - cant recall. I really enjoyed it. Actually, I have the whole book on word.doc but it has some underlined vocabs for a teaching aid I used to use. If you want the word.doc, just let me know with email and I’ll send it.
thank you guys !! do you know if there is any chance I can buy books like that in Taouyan or in Taipei ?? I dont mind second hand shops
Very unlikely in Taoyuan. For gods see Marc Caltonhill’s “Private Prayers and Public Parades”. Also anything by Paul Katz (lots of his work online). Tonio Andrade. Keith Stevens. Jordan’s “Gods, Ghosts and Ancestors” can be downloaded.
On Michael Turton’s blog look for the complete translation of Kondo the Barbarian for a great true story from the 1930s about the conflict between the Japanese and aboriginals.
Read “Why Taiwan Matters,” by Shelley Rigger. You can get it at Eslite, Taipei City Hall store.
Antonia
One of the great ones has passed away. Su Beng, author of Taiwan’s 400 Year History, has died at the age of 100.
Su Beng died of pneumonia on Friday evening, Su Beng Education Foundation chairwoman Huang Min-hung (黃敏紅) said Saturday.
“The life of Su Beng was long and splendid,” Huang said. “Taiwan now has to decide which path to take.”
Su Beng once said his dream of establishing Taiwan as an independent state would not come true in his life but would be realized someday “without a doubt.”
Source: http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201909210012.aspx
Edit: Another moving tribute is posted here on the Taipei Times website: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2019/09/22/2003722701
Su Beng, RIP.
Guy
So was he advocating an independent communist Taiwan?
Well, the KMT labelled him as a communist.
According to the pieces linked above, during his time in China he was utterly disillusioned with the CCP’s brutality. The far right dictatorship of the KMT on Taiwan during White Terror was in his view “not different from that of the CPC.”
In the past decade, Su Beng was a proud supporter of the Sunflower activists and Tsai Ing-wen—she has been labelled many things, but “communist” is not one of them!
Guy
The late Su Beng, memorialized in Taipei. A detailed account provided here by Brian Hioe at New Bloom:
Guy