Guardians of memory: Taiwan martyrs’ descendants share memories of joint efforts against Japanese aggression across the Straits
Editor's Note:
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War. Winning the war is a great victory of the national spirit with patriotism at its core, a great victory achieved with the Communist Party of China (CPC) fighting as the central pillar, a great victory fought by the whole nation through solidarity and bravery, and a great victory for the Chinese people, anti-fascist allies, and people around the world who fought shoulder-to-shoulder.
To commemorate this historic milestone and its lasting impact, the Global Times has launched a themed series revisiting the great significance of the victory through three lenses: The "Guardians of Memory," the "Witnesses of Struggle," and the "Practitioners of Peace." It underscores the importance of "learning from history to build a brighter future together."
This is the fourth installment in the "Guardians of Memory" series, which highlights the patriotic efforts of the people on the island of Taiwan in their resistance against Japanese colonial aggression, as well as the collaboration between Taiwan and Chinese mainland patriots during World War II in fending off the Japanese invaders. Together, the people from both sides across the Straits have inscribed a magnificent chapter in the glorious history of the Chinese nation's unremitting self-improvement and united resistance against aggression.
Under the soft glow of the lights, 85-year-old Chiu Shu-nu gazes intently at a piece of calligraphy displayed in a glass case. The calligrapher's author is her great-uncle, Qiu Fengjia, a renowned patriotic educator and a folk leader against Japanese invadors born and raised on the island of Taiwan.
In July 1894, Japan launched its invasion of China, known as the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. In April 1895, Japan forced the defeated Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) government to cede part of its territory, including the island of Taiwan, making the island a Japanese colony until 1945, when Japan was defeated in World War II and Taiwan was restored to Chinese sovereignty after 50 years of occupation.
The resistance of the people on the island of Taiwan against the Japanese colonizers was an important part of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. On Monday, civil groups in Taiwan island gathered outside the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei to mark the 88th anniversary of the July 7 Incident - the beginning of China's whole-nation resistance against the Japanese invaders - calling on the DPP to respect historical facts.
During the five decades of Japanese rule, inspired by patriotism and national spirit, people on the island of Taiwan bravely defended their homeland, playing a significant role in China's anti-fascist war history. Among them, many dedicated Taiwan residents, including Qiu Fengjia, emerged as leaders in the fight against Japanese aggression. Some also supported the fight against Japanese invaders on the Chinese mainland, contributing to the united efforts of both sides of the Straits in defending their homeland.
The stories of these patriots are on display at an ongoing exhibition in Shanghai, which showcases historical materials about the 50-year anti-Japanese resistance of the people on the island of Taiwan. On June 30, the opening day of the exhibition, Chiu Shu-nu carefully looked at the familiar names on the display panels, her eyes shining with emotion.
"I will never forget their stories, nor can we forget this history," Chiu Shu-nu told the Global Times.
A patriotic family of heroes
Growing up in a patriotic family of heroes fighting against Japanese colonists on the island of Taiwan, Chiu Shu-nu, from a young age, listened to her mother recount stories of her ancestors' and forebears' resistance against the Japanese invaders.
Her great-uncle Qiu Fengjia, a Qing Dynasty official, organized a militia to lead the people on the island of Taiwan in their fight against the Japanese, after the Qing Dynasty government was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. In 1931, Japan launched the September 18 Incident, beginning the bloody invasion of China and igniting the first flames of fascist aggression in the Eastern field during World War II. Qiu Fengjia's son, Qiu Niantai, Chiu Shu-nu's uncle, actively organized the Taiwan residents in Guangdong to resist the Japanese invaders, becoming an important anti-Japanese armed civilian force in the region.
For Chiu Shu-nu, although she was only five years old when World War II ended in 1945, the stories of her ancestors' fierce struggles against the Japanese invaders were deeply etched in her heart.
"At home, my father did not allow us to speak Japanese," Chiu Shu-nu recalled. Her father was once imprisoned during the Japanese occupation of the island of Taiwan for secretly teaching Chinese. At that time, Japan's harsh colonial rule forced local people to speak Japanese, but her father remained adamant about forbidding his children from speaking the language at home.
"He instead taught us to read ancient Chinese poems, and guided us through our Chinese textbooks," Chiu Shu-nu told the Global Times. "A textbook said, 'I am Chinese, you are Chinese, we are all Chinese.'"
In 2006, Chiu Shu-nu and some descendants of anti-Japanese heroes on the island of Taiwan together established the Association of Families of Taiwan Anti-Japanese Imperialism (AFTAI). Twenty years on, the association has made numerous trips between the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan, sharing the heroic experiences of their ancestors in various commemorative events.
From June 28 to June 30, some 20 members of the association traveled to Shanghai, to participate in a series of themed activities held by the Shanghai Taiwan Compatriots Friendship Association (STCFA) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's recovery from Japanese occupation, which included an exhibition on Taiwan's 50 years of fighting against Japanese colonial invasion at the Shanghai History Museum.
On June 30, Chiu Shu-nu, now the honorary chairperson of the AFTAI, walked slowly through the museum's exhibition hall, her gaze filled with nostalgia and admiration as she looked at the names of her family members.
"I'm a witness and a guardian of this history," she said.
Shared endeavor between two sides
During China's fights against fascism, people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits supported each other, leaving behind many precious shared memories.
"When the flames of national resistance ignited, countless patriots on the island of Taiwan went to the Chinese mainland. They held high the belief that to save the island of Taiwan, they must first strengthen the motherland, and threw themselves into the torrent of the national resistance against Japanese invaders," Lu Li'an, president of the STCFA, said in a speech at the exhibition's opening ceremony on June 30.
At a seminar themed around the shared memories of cross-Straits resistance against Japanese invaders held by the STCFA on June 29, Shaw Kai-ping, shared stories of some patriots on the island of Taiwan who risked capture and even death at the hands of Japanese colonizers to join the fight on the Chinese mainland.
Shaw's parents were both heroes who had participated in the resistance against Japan on the Chinese mainland. After graduating from a medical program at a university in Taipei, Shaw's father left the island of Taiwan for Guangdong Province due to his dissatisfaction with Japanese colonial rule, and later joined a local anti-Japanese militia with his wife. The couple provided medical assistance in Guangdong.
Shaw's parents were among many Taiwan residents at that time who, driven by patriotism and courage, voluntarily went to the Chinese mainland to participate in the anti-fascist war. "Their participation was evident on almost every battlefield, from North China to Hainan island; they were never absent," Shaw said.
"Under Japanese colonial rule, the hearts of all people on the island of Taiwan were directed toward the motherland," he told the Global Times.
The people from the Chinese mainland had also been continuously supporting the anti-Japanese efforts of the island of Taiwan, since the island was ceded to Japanese colonizers in 1895.
At the exhibition, Lo Chiu-chau saw a portrait of her grandfather. Her grandfather Luo Fuxing was Indonesian Chinese from Guangdong Province, and led and organized many movements against Japanese colonists on the island of Taiwan alongside Chinese mainland patriots, serving as both a participant and witness to the joint resistance across the Straits.
There were many interconnected anti-Japanese activities between the two sides of the Straits in those years, Lo said, emphasizing the importance of not forgetting this history of united resistance.
"The people on both sides of the Straits are one family," she told the Global Times. "Now, some people create conflicts between the two sides for their own interests, which is truly regrettable."
'Should not be forgotten'
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, marking the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. From October 25 of that year onward, the island of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands officially returned to the territory of China, and all lands and peoples have been under the sovereignty of the Chinese government. The island of Taiwan thus ended its 50-year-long dark period of Japanese occupation and returned to the embrace of the motherland.
Chen Wanzhong is the son of Chen Yiding, one of the Chinese military leaders participating in the recovery of the island of Taiwan from Japanese occupation. At the June 29 seminar, Chen Wanzhong shared his father's memories of the recovery: Many Taiwan residents had tears of excitement on their faces, continuously speaking to his military officers in the local dialect and Japanese. A native of East China's Jiangsu Province, Chen Yiding did not understand what they were saying at the beginning, but a translator informed him that the residents were saying how they had been waiting by the railway for two or three days, eager to witness the arrival of the Chinese army.
"My father once told me that, participating in Taiwan's recovery was the proudest moment of his life," Chen Wanzhong told the Global Times after the seminar. "My father said that, despite enduring half a century of Japanese colonial rule, the patriotic spirit of the Taiwan compatriots remained unwavering."
The recovery of the island of Taiwan from Japanese occupation was a great victory achieved through immense sacrifices by all Chinese people, including the Taiwan residents, and it was a significant outcome of the global anti-fascist war, said STCFA president Lu.
"In recent years, the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interference have colluded to sever history and erase memories," Lu said. "However, facts cannot be distorted, and the trend of events cannot be halted. We firmly believe that the historical trend of China's eventual and inevitable reunification cannot be obstructed by anyone or any force," she emphasized.
Today, many members of the AFTAI are in their 70s and 80s, yet they remain dedicated to sharing their ancestors' stories of resistance against Japanese invaders across the Straits, passing down the history of the joint fight against aggression.
"Now that the country has grown stronger and life has improved, the younger generation may gradually forget the humiliating history of the past. But this history should not be forgotten." Lin Ming-tsung, chairperson of the AFTAI, told the Global Times. "By sharing our families' heroic experiences during the war against Japanese aggression, we hope for our small efforts to inspire more people's patriotism and national spirit."