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The Taiwan Shinminpo News Special – Opening of Hualien Port, 1939

The Taiwan Shinminpo and its related newspaper series were the only newspapers published by the Taiwanese during the Japanese colonial era. Among the contents, in-depth special reports on places, events and people are very important historical materials for studies on family histories and local regions. The Institute of Taiwan History has collected almost a hundred local news specials, covering topics such as economy and industry, infrastructure, cultural history, and school education. The issues presented include banana production and industrial economic trends, major infrastructure completion and current political situation, upgrade of towns and villages, rail service resumption and local development. The Taiwan Shinminpo carried what might not be described or documented in regular publications, such as local cultural characteristics and industrial histories, which were precious records for understanding our homeland. With the reference to the news special “Commemorative Special on Opening of Hualien Port” published in The Taiwan Shinminpo on October 1-2, 1939 and other archival collections of Institute of Taiwan History, this article focuses on the completion and opening of Hualien Port in 1939, detailing the construction process and its impact during the Japanese colonial era.

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Today in History- From Showa to the Republic Era
2012-08-15

The Emperor broadcasted himself at noon on the 15th, claiming that the acceptance of Potsdam Declaration was for the sake of world peace and the future development of the Japanese nation; all the subjects should obey his will. Alas, an empire established by military power over 50 years was also lost because of it.

Diary of Lin Hsien-t'ang, August 15, 1945

On 15 August 1945, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the unconditional surrender of Japan on radio broadcast. The World War II had ended, and the fate of Taiwan moved toward a different direction. How did the Taiwanese intellectuals perceive such dramatic change? How were Taiwanese people's life affected by it?

The diaries in 1945 and 1946 kept by Lin Hsien-t'ang, the Taiwanese cultural and political leader, provide valuable primary sources on this transition period. 730 entries and more than 1500 annotations are now available on the Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank. Through these personal records, we can see how the Lin family lived their life suffering from the air raids and material shortages and how their house compound was "borrowed." After Japan's surrender, so many Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese contacted Lin Hsien-t'ang regarding issues such as the future relations between Taiwan and Japan and maintenance of social order.

Social conditions and personal feeling revealed by diaries are often disregarded in the official archives, but they are undoubtedly crucial materials to understand and interpret the past. The Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank features more diary entries of other Taiwanese during this period. It can be accessed at http://taco.ith.sinica.edu.tw/tdk.


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