【Straits Focus】
"We must have the right to express Taiwan's history"
——Interview with Chen Zhiping, editor-in-chief of the General History of Taiwan (six volumes).
Guangming Daily reporter Luo Xu
Six large volumes, more than 1.62 million words, lasted seven years, scholars on both sides of the strait jointly wrote a history book - "General History of Taiwan" (six volumes), the original source of Taiwan's history.
A few days ago, the "General History of Taiwan" (a six-volume edition), which was planned and organized by scholars on both sides of the strait and published by the Fujian People's Publishing House, was first published in Beijing. This set of "General Histories of Taiwan," published by the mainland side, proves with conclusive evidence that compatriots on both sides of the strait are a family linked by blood, marking a solid step forward in "sharing historical materials and writing history books" in the historians on both sides of the strait.
What is the practical significance and long-term impact of the completion of this huge cultural project? What kind of cross-strait compatriot sentiments are carried? The reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Chen Zhiping, editor-in-chief of the series, honorary dean of the Minnan Cultural Research Institute of Minnan Normal University, and professor of Xiamen University.
1. Counter the fallacy of "Taiwan independence" with history
[Reporter] The publication of "General History of Taiwan" carries what kind of original intention and responsibility does scholars on both sides of the strait carry?
Chen Zhiping: The study of history is based on wisdom and learning from the past. Speaking of the "General History of Taiwan," the first thing that may come to mind is Lian Heng, the grandfather of Lien Chan, the former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang. Since the first complete publication in Taipei from 1920 to 1921, Lian Heng's "General History of Taiwan" has been reprinted and photocopied in 20 or 30 editions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
On the mainland, there have always been scholars who have written books on Taiwan's history, but there are not many general historical works that comprehensively and completely describe Taiwan's history, mainly the "Local History of Taiwan" compiled and published by Mr. Chen Bisheng in 1982 and the "Brief History of Taiwan" compiled and published by Mr. Zhang Haipeng and Tao Wenzhao in 2010.
General History of Taiwan (six volumes) issued by Xinhua News Agency
Since the DPP authorities came to power, they have continuously promoted a gradual "Taiwan independence" approach, vigorously engaged in "de-Sinicization" in the cultural field, tried their utmost to erase the Chinese hearts of the Taiwan people, and concocted all kinds of lies and seemingly academic fallacies in their historical expressions. For example, from revising the syllabus (deleting the preface to Lian Heng's General History of Taiwan), incorporating Chinese history into the history of East Asia, and reducing the proportion of texts and texts, to "going to Sun Yat-sen", "going to Confucius", not sacrificing the Yellow Emperor's mausoleum, and then degrading the sacrifice of Zheng Chenggong... In promoting "cultural Taiwan independence," it can be said that we have exhausted our efforts.
Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China's territory since ancient times, and we must have the right to express Taiwan's history. Compiling the "General History of Taiwan" is an unshirkable social responsibility and historical responsibility for taiwan's history, and for us historians, it is an unshirkable social responsibility and historical responsibility. When I received this task, it was more excitement. When I invited other authors to participate, they felt the same way as I did, including scholars from Taiwan.
Reporter: What are the main aspects of the academic value of this set of books?
Chen Zhiping: History is the best textbook. As a "13th Five-Year Plan" national key book publishing planning project and a project funded by the National Publishing Fund in 2020, the General History of Taiwan (six volumes) is a general historical work that comprehensively presents Taiwan's development from ancient times to modern times on the basis of extensively absorbing the research results of both sides of the Strait, which comprehensively sorts out the history of the political, economic, social, cultural and other aspects of Taiwan, fully demonstrates the historical process of Taiwan's fate has always been closely related to the motherland, and proves with conclusive evidence that compatriots on both sides of the strait are a family linked by blood.
This book fully absorbs the latest achievements of the academic circles on Taiwan's history and culture on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in recent years, provides the academic circles with many brand-new historical materials and documents, and conducts detailed discussions on many issues that have not been studied or studied in depth by previous generations at different times, correctly explains the views on Taiwan's history, thus forming a general history of Taiwan with the longest time span, the most comprehensive coverage, and the largest length so far, which greatly advances the study of Taiwan's history and has important cultural and academic value.
2. Share historical materials and cooperate between the two sides of the strait
Reporter: Why did Minnan Normal University organize the compilation of this set of books?
Chen Zhiping: Minnan Normal University is located in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, in the forefront of Fujian-Taiwan exchanges, and the compilation of this work has the advantages of favorable times, places, and people.
Chen Zhiping, editor-in-chief of the General History of Taiwan (six volumes), delivered a speech at the launch ceremony. Xinhua News Agency
In 2012, Minnan Normal University established the "General History of Taiwan" (six-volume) project as one of the 10 major key projects in cross-strait research, and invested millions of yuan in funding. Subsequently, the school set up a leading group and a compilation committee, and through the consultation and discussion of more than 20 meetings, the whole book was divided into 6 volumes, including the scrolls from ancient times to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Zheng volumes, the upper volumes of the Qing Dynasty, the lower volumes of the Qing Dynasty, the volumes of the Japanese colonial period and the modern volumes, and the writing team completed the contents of each volume separately. In June 2014, the manuscript was preliminarily completed. In October 2020, the General History of Taiwan (six volumes) was approved and officially published by the Fujian People's Publishing House in December of that year.
Reporter: What is the process of scholars on both sides of the strait sharing historical materials and writing history books?
Chen Zhiping: The Compilation Team of General History of Taiwan (Six Volumes) invited 5 Taiwan scholars to participate. Among them, Xu Hong, who was the director of the History Department of National Taiwan University, was responsible for the compilation of the content of the ethnic minorities in Taiwan, and Song Guangyu, a researcher at Taiwan's "Academia Sinica", and Liu Yichang, director of the Institute of Archaeology of National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, were responsible for the compilation of the volumes from ancient times to the Ming Dynasty.
In the 1990s, I taught at Jinan University and Soochow University in Taiwan for nearly two years. During this period, I collected and sorted out a large number of research results and historical materials of Taiwan scholars, and also visited and got acquainted with many well-known scholars in taiwan's historical circles. It now seems that all this work is the preparation and accumulation of this series of books.
The authors of each volume invited by this book have all made achievements in their respective areas of responsibility, so it is relatively smooth in discussing and studying the writing outline. It must be admitted that the compilation of the ethnic minority part in Taiwan is the most difficult, because the relevant research foundation is relatively weak, the data is small, and the workload is large, fortunately, Mr. Xu Hong has undertaken this part of the work.
In order to convince people with history and speak with evidence, the compilation team spared no effort and collected a large amount of historical evidence in the past 7 years. Some members traveled back and forth between the two sides of the strait many times, doing fieldwork, collecting monographs and documents, and inspecting folk customs activities... In the process of finalizing the draft, especially in the connection of the various volumes, everyone needs to discuss and revise them repeatedly, scholars on both sides of the strait communicate closely, and it happens from time to time that they call in the middle of the night to discuss the details.
It is particularly regrettable that Mr. Song Guangyu passed away due to illness in 2018 and was unable to see the series of books in person. These days, I've been trying to get in touch with his wife and want to send her a set of books as a souvenir.
3. The original source of the source enhances the recognition of historical views
Reporter: What is the practical significance and long-term impact of compiling and publishing this series of books?
Chen Zhiping: Taiwan is a part of China, compatriots on both sides of the strait are Chinese, and the natural feelings and national identity of blood thicker than water and watching out for each other and helping each other cannot be changed by anyone or any force. A history of Taiwan is the history of the Chinese people's arduous struggle, the development and construction of this treasure island, and the history of the Chinese nation's heroic and indomitable resistance to foreign aggression.
When compiling this book, we observed Taiwan from the perspective of Chinese history, completely abandoned the "Taiwan independence" view of history, and comprehensively established the Chinese view of Chinese history that is part of China's history. The publication of this book is a concrete measure to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches on the Taiwan issue, and is of great significance for building an academic system and discourse system for the study of Taiwan history with Chinese characteristics.
The publication of this book has effectively dealt a blow to the sinister intentions of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in their attempt to sever the taiwan people's memory of cross-strait ties and obliterate the national identity of the Taiwan compatriots, and is of very important practical significance and long-term impact on resolving the differences in the views on history between the two sides of the strait, promoting the unity of the hearts and minds of the compatriots, and enhancing the identity of peaceful reunification.
Reporter: What is the most important task at present in enhancing the recognition of cross-strait historical views?
Chen Zhiping: Compatriots on both sides of the strait have the same roots, the same language, and the same species, and Chinese culture is the root and belonging of the hearts of compatriots on both sides of the strait. We are compiling a history of Confucianism in Taiwan to trace the roots of Taiwanese culture. To counter the DPP authorities' perverse practice of "de-Sinicization," we must first clarify where Taiwan culture comes from and where The Taiwanese people come from; these are the two most urgent tasks in the current academic circles.
Don't forget the past, the teacher of the future. We sincerely hope that the academic circles on both sides of the strait will continue to promote the "sharing of historical materials and the joint writing of history books," strengthen the joint research, collation, education, and dissemination of the history of Taiwan and the two sides of the strait, continue to consolidate the common historical memory of compatriots on both sides of the strait, and constantly unite the common vision of compatriots on both sides of the strait to devote themselves to the reunification of the motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Guangming Daily ( 2021-08-24 09 edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily