Ming-Cheng foreign trade Part 1

A 1570 Flemish map of Formosa

Historically, Ming-Cheng Dynasty 明鄭王朝 (or Tung-Ning Kingdom東寧王國) is the only true independent state of Taiwan. Founded by 鄭成功 (aka Koxinga) in 1662 after driving out the Dutch, the Kingdom was ruled by his son Cheng Ching and later his grandson Cheng Ke-Suan, until 1683 when it was taken by force by the Manchurian （Qing）, barbarians from the north, with Shi Lang, a  Ming-Cheng turncoat, commanding the invading navy.

How did the Kingdom remain powerful, not only had it survived the Chinese embargo but also prospered to become the hub of East-West trade in its short 22 years of existence?

The famed traveler and writer 郁永河 (1645-?) had answered this question in part. In his report 「偽鄭逸事」, he stated that "成功以海外島嶼，養兵十餘萬，甲胄戈矢，罔不堅利，戰艦通洋數以千計。又交通內地，遍買人心，而用財不匱者，以有通洋之利也。本朝嚴禁通洋，片板不得入海，而商賈壟斷，厚賂守口官兵，潛通鄭氏，以達廈門，然後通販各國。凡中國諸貨，海外人皆仰賴鄭氏。於是通洋之利惟鄭氏獨操之，財用益饒。" Translation: "Koxinga commanded a fully-equipped military force of more than 100,000 men, and a fleet of several thousand warships. He was also able to communicate with people on the Mainland and enjoyed their loyal support. His inexhaustible resources came from the foreign trade. Even though our gov't (Qing) had banned the trade entirely, allowing not even a single ship to put to sea; however, rich businessmen would bribe the border-guarding officials/soldiers to secretly deal with the Cheng Clan in Amoy, and through which to trade with foreign merchants. The distribution of all merchandises treasured by the foreigners must go through this Cheng monopoly, and Cheng became even more wealthy as a result."

There were actually several episodes of Qing sea trade bans, all intended to cut off the economic lifeline of Taiwan. These never really worked, however.

The first ban was imposed in 1657 (Qing 顺治Sun-Zhi Year 13) that prohibited coastal area residents from any contacts with the Cheng Clan, on pain of death. When this had not achieved the desired goal, a far more draconian measure, urged by another Ming-Cheng turncoat 黃梧, was enacted in 1661. An even more drastic version followed in 1664. And the last known reinforcement amendment of the law was declared in 1678. Under this cruel law, residents within ca 17 to 34 km of the coastal areas in 5 provinces, 山東, 江(蘇), 浙(江）, 閩（福建）, and 廣（廣東 and 廣西）, were forced to relocate inland. Again, refusal to comply was punished by death. Hokkien, the homeland of the Cheng Clan and their followers bore the most brunt. All together, the affected were in the millions, not to mention the loss of lives and properties. With the latter, also the loss of tax revenues which were perversely compensated for by raising the taxes of those not under the law. In 1664, Berlin-wall-like structures complete with moats were built and staffed with garrison forces to stop any and all traffic and trafficking. In addition, all residents of offshore islands were also forced to relocate behind the walls.

Far from buckling under these pressures and instead of relocation, coastal people fled to join the Ming-Cheng force in Taiwan. And the Tung-Ning Kingdom continued its foreign trade tradition and amassed a huge fortune for Cheng Ching to mount another attack, as his father had done before him, on China in 1674.

Mackay's landing site

George Leslie Mackay

The site where Dr George Leslie Mackay (1844-1901) landed in 1871 will now be re-built. It will be elevated 60 cm to avoid a disturbing sight of his statue being submerged in water at high tide, every time when a typhoon visits.

Here is an excellent article recounting Mackay's jouney, "...It was in Tamsui that George L. Mackay arrived on the last day of 1871 escorted by Hugh Ritchie, a Presbyterian worker in South Taiwan. "Mackay, this is your parish," Ritchie declared on arrival. After a brief tour and advice Ritchie returned to the south, leaving Mackay alone. He was a solitary foreigner in an alien land, but George Mackay knew why he was there: "My commission is clear; I hold it from the King and Head of the church: ...To get the gospel of the grace of God into the minds and hearts of the heathen, and when converted to build them up in their faith - that was my purpose in going to Formosa." (Mackay p. 135) Shortly after arriving he wrote: "I am shut out from fellowship with Christian brethren, yet I am not lonely nor alone. I feel my weakness, my sinfulness, my unfaithfulness. I feel sad when I look around and see nothing but idolatry ... I can as yet tell little about Jesus, and with stammering tongue. What can I do? Nothing; But, blessed thought, the Lord Jesus can do all things. .. Jehovah is my refuge and strength." (Mackay p 18-19) Mackay was to labour there for the next 30 years, returning to Canada only twice. "Mackay had given himself to the cause of Christ in Taiwan and there would be no looking back." (MacLeod)..."

Landing site now under re-construction

 After the job is done, this under the water scene will recede into memory:

新北投 Xinbeitou Hsinbeitou Train Station

Sometimes, when you get on Taipei Metro Red Line to go to Tamsui, you may inadvertently enter the cars going to 新北投Xinbeitou (it should be spelled Hsinbeitou). On the map, the tiny extension, more like an appendage attaching to Beitou, can be seen up close:

Upper left, MRT Red Line extension from Beitou to Xinbeitou

This extension in fact opened for business in April, 1916, ferrying passengers to Beitou's famed hot spring resorts [*]. It was rebuilt together with Taipei Metro in 1988. Instead of demolition, the old train station itself (below) was relocated to Changhua and preserved in Taiwan Heritage Village until recently when the village ran into management difficulties.  

Today, six pieces of the structure are placed in wooden gift boxes and carried by a wedding palanquin花轎 to Changhua Station. From there, the boxes are sent off and arrive in Taipei Station where they, symbols of Hsinbeitou station, are welcomed home in a celebratory ceremony. After 26 years, the old girl has finally come back to where she belongs. The station will be re-assembled in 七星公園, 50 meters from the original site.

This is an amazing feat. Next on the agenda will the coming-home of steam engine BK24 to Tamsui, now on pointless display on the campus of 成大Cheng Kung University in Tainan.

[*]There is a passage in the British Consulate Report of 1937 (when the 2nd Sino-Japanese war broke out) recording a unique use of the train: "It has been the custom for the gayer spirits of the capital [Taipei] to motor out with their lady friends for an evening's amusement at the hot-spring resort of Hokuto [北投]. On the road there is a bridge with sentries posted. For several weeks these stopped all cars after dark, and took it upon themselves to act as censors of morals. In the cases described, it would be suggested that the pleasure-seekers would do well to reconsider their plan, and hand over to the sentry such funds as they carry, for the defence of their country. Cars are now out of fashion; the man and his lady friends go independently, the one by train, the other by bus."

Bullet holes

Mr 周明德Chou Ming-Der, the famed Tamsui historian and renowned meteorologist, took this picture in 2000. It shows a house with bullet holes, a reminder of US air raids in 1944-45. This was Mr 洪開元Hong Kai-Yuan's house, built with 36.4-cm bricks, different from the conventional 24-cm walls, hence no damages to the interior:

This house was located diagonally across Chung Chen Road from MaZu Temple媽祖宮.

In the absence of air defense, American fighter-bombers, after finishing their scheduled bombing runs elsewhere in Taiwan, often unloaded their unspent ammunition on Tamsui which happened to be a landmark on their return routes.

Mr Chou's father Mr 周炳銘 was among the 20 Tamsui-lang killed in the air raid of Oct 12, 1944, that had targeted the seaplane port, although other parts of Tamsui were also attacked.

For much more on the old Tamsui, please see Mr Chou's new book:

The Ogura maps

A very knowledgeable reader Yosh has commented that the survey map of Tamsui dated Feb, Meiji Year 32 [1899] (here) may not be authentic. In his very informative post (http://www.geocities.jp/yosh_3jp/taiwan2/Takao99.html), Yosh pointed out that 1) additional explanation on the map was in English while it was a Japanese military document, 2) 小倉寛一郎 [Ogura Hiroshi-ichiro] was the correct name, not the "小倉寛一" on the map [and indeed, a Japanese would not have made such a mistake, let alone an IJN officer], and 3) no IJN record of the participation of Capt 小掠元吉 in the Tamsui survey. In addition, the true original map appears to be this one, dated March, Meiji Year 32:

The legend shows the surveyors were Capt 小倉寛一郎 and Lt 飯山仁三郎, both based on gunboat 操江Soukou:

砲艦操江Gunboat Soukou, capture by IJN from the Qing North Sea Fleet
during the first Sino-Japanese war in 1894

A bit more on Capt Ogura: A year after the Tamsui survey, he graduated from the Japanese Naval Academy. He was injured on Aug 10, 1904, while fighting in the Yellow Sea during the Russo-Japanese war, and killed in action on Dec 13 in the same year, as the Chief Navigator of Battleship Takasago

Taipei Song Shan Airport

Taipei Song Shan松山 Airport

Taipei 松山機場Song Shan Airport was originally built by the Japanese in 1936 (松山 is pronounced Matsuyama in Japanese) as a military airbase. After 1946, it was used as an international port of entry until 1979 when the much larger CKS (now Taoyuan) International Airport took over. It has remained underused as a domestic airport. Unfortunately, after the inauguration of Taiwan HSR in 2008, domestic flights could no longer stay competitive; although this was also when cross-strait direct flights gave the airport a new lease on life. It has since been renovated (above), with Terminal 1 receiving international passengers and, starting in 2011, Terminal 2, for domestic flights.

Principally because of the high real estate value of the land on which 松山機場 occupies, plus the many flight restrictions required for safety reasons, there have been calls for a relocation. The question is where can the airport move to. If history is of any guide, there may be two possibilities.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese had built 71 airports in Taiwan (including the seaplane port in Tamsui); detailed records of 46 remained intact while the rest were long lost. After the Nationalist Gov't takeover of Taiwan in 1945, only two, 松山 and 岡山 airports, were slated to be retained. However, starting in 1947, more were resurrected, repaired, and drafted into services again.

Records show that there were actually three military airports in Taipei: 松山機場, the unfinished 南機場, and an unknown airport in 板橋. According to 杜正宇 and 吳建昇, in their 日治下臺南永康機場的時空記憶 [台灣文獻 Vol 63, pp 229-284, 2012]:

"...松山機場就是日本海軍臺北飛行場。此外，美軍在臺北州（Taihoko）的攻擊目標中，除了松山機場外，亦有一座板橋機場(Itahashi）。除標定為第54攻擊目標，並註明此為主要目標。觀其地圖所示，此機場位於松山機場（Matsuyama）西南方，三條河川交會處（經比對後，應為淡水河、大漢溪、新店溪）之南，確實在板橋一帶。根據〈臺灣日陸海軍飛機場一覽圖〉，當時臺北地區標示了三座機場：海軍機場一座、陸軍機場兩座。由於臺北有海軍使用的松山機場與尚未完工，應屬陸軍的臺北（南）機場，因此這座板橋機場，或有可能亦是陸軍的飛行場。"
Translation: "...Matsuyama Airport was the IJN Taipei Airbase. In addition, among the US targets in Taipei-shu, other than Matsuyama, there was also the Itahashi Airbase, designated Target No 54 and noted as a main target. The US map showed that this airbase was located southwest of Matsuyama, south of the junction of three rivers (most likely Tamsui, Da-Han, and Xindian Rivers), within Banqiao area. According to post-war records, Taipei area did have three airbases, one for the IJN, and two, IJA. Since Matsuyama is known to be a naval airbase, and the unfinished Taipei South Airbase, the army, the one in Banqiao must also had been an army airbase."

Therefore, two possible locations for 松山機場 to move to, i.e., 萬華Wanhua and 板橋Banqiao. Part of the land is probably still owned by the state; however, acquiring the rest of the land by eminent domain is certain to encounter great public resistance. In addition, Taiwan HSR also travels through both these districts. All things considered, relocation of 松山機場 to either place or, in fact, anywhere within Taipei City proper may not become a reality at all.

淡水輕軌

淡水輕軌官方宣傳影片