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The Taiwan Shinminpo News Special – Reopening Ceremony of the Taichung Railway Line in 1938

Publication date: 1 Dec 2023
Author: Lee Yi-ling, Kawashima Naoko |Staff member of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History

The Taiwan Shinminpo was the only newspaper published by Taiwanese during the Japanese colonial era, representing the voices of the Taiwanese people in contrast to the official stance of the Taiwan Nichinichi Shinpo. Its reports covered a wide range of topics, making it a rich source for diverse research subjects.

On July 14-15, 1938, Taiwan Shinminpo published a special issue for two consecutive days titled "Celebrating the Restoration of the Taichung Line," totaling four full pages. This commemorated the reopening of the Taichung railway line, which had been severed since the 1935 Hsinchu-Taichung earthquake. This earthquake caused numerous casualties and severed north-south transportation, significantly affecting local society and economy. Through archived newspapers, diaries, photos, old documents, and maps, this article revisits the scene of the 1935 earthquake, reviewing Taiwan's most severe natural disaster in history and the subsequent reconstruction efforts.

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Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank – New Addition: “The Diary of Tsiang Ting-fu, 1958-1965”
2025-02-19

Tsiang Ting-fu (蔣廷黻, 1895-1965), born in Hunan, China, was a renowned historian and diplomat. In 1912, he went to study in the United States and earned a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University in 1923. After returned to China, he became a professor of history at Nankai University and later at Tsinghua University. In 1935, he left Tsinghua and went into government service as Director of Political Affairs at the Executive Yuan. In 1936-1938, he was Chinese Ambassador to the Soviet Union, after which he returned to his position as Director of Political Affairs at the Executive Yuan. In 1945-1946, he was Director-General of the Chinese National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. In 1947, he was appointed Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations and Representative at the Security Council, striving for ROC to retain its seat at the UN. He held the position until 1962. His last position was Ambassador to the United States, which he served from 1961 to 1965. He passed away in New York in October 1965.

The original diaries of Tsiang Ting-fu are housed in the Harvard–Yenching Library. Spanning from January 1944 to June 1965, the diaries consist of 22 volumes, one per year, written primarily in English with occasional entries also containing Chinese or French words. The content focuses on his daily work and observations, interactions with colleagues, friends, and family, as well as his views on political and international affairs, personal sentiments, and leisure activities.

The Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank has recently added diary entries from 1958 to 1965. With this update, the complete “The Diary of Tsiang Ting-fu”—a total of 7,835 entries comprising approximately 1.37 million words—are now fully accessible. Scholars and the public are welcome to explore and utilize the database.


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