,, January 1969 ~uil CQ) ~All ((J) IE CQ) CG Ml?> lHl il ([ THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE VOL . 13S , NO . I COPYRIGHT@ 1968 BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, WASHINGTON, O. C. INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED TAIWAN The Watchful Dragon Article and photographs by HELEN and FRANK SCHREIDER National Geographic Foreign Staff HE INCREDIBLE THING is that it A taxi tried a left turn from the right lane. exists. It lies in the Pacific, a brave speck Chang cut him off with a glare. A motorcycle, T in the shadow of a colossus, only 100 all but hidden under its passengers, darted miles from its implacable enemy- the world's from a cross street, father, mother, two babies, most populous country, 700 million strong. dog in box on fender, all blissfully oblivious For nearly 20 years the Communists on main­ to the outraged horns. land China and the Nationalists on Taiwan A broom vendor halted his bristling push­ have waged their quiet war. cart and haggled in the middle of the street Taiwan must be as tightly run as a battle­ with a customer. Chang swerved and sped ship, I thought as we flew into Taipei. In a across the new overpass into the old Japanese­ continual state of war, the island must be an built section of town. austere place to live. Pedicabs scurried like spiders through Austere? Hardly, though to judge by the shop-lined alleys (they have been banned machine-gun-like explosions reverberating since last June as traffic hazards). Wares over­ through Taipei's streets, the quiet war had flowed onto the sidewalks-refrigerators, rice erupted into a shooting one. cookers, television sets, textiles, a bewildering "Firecrackers," laughed Chang, our driver. array of plastic toys and utensils, all Taiwan­ "Big holiday. Birthday of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, fa­ made. Restaurants advertised the typical ther of China. Big dragon dance at City Hall." food of every province of mainland China. Chang raced the hired car away from the Medicine shops prescribed dried sea horses palatial Grand Hotel and penetrated the bed­ for virility and snake glands for the eyes. 1969 Coupe deVllle. Cadi llac Motor Car Division lam of traffic along Chungshan North Road. Talented D ragon Steals the Show Exhaust fumes clouded the air. Cars, buses, 'ac will be an irresistible and taxis clogged the four-lane boulevard. We arrived in City Hall square with the tyling-and spirited Taipei was suffering the pangs of progress. dragon. Drums, cymbals, and a shattering take on new excitement. "Few years ago only rice fields here," Chang blast of firecrackers announced him, a 100- said, waving toward the new high-rise hotels foot-long, 30-manpower dragon of red-and­ and office buildings. "Now too much cars. gold silk and papier-mache. He postured coy­ Too much motorcycles. Terrible, sir." ly and slyly, fearsomely playful, turning hi s rlcrliftae i Fiery breath spews from the mouth of China's folklore fa­ vorite, the dragon, during a parade in Taipei, Taiwan. A dragon teaser deftly lights and tosses a combustible powder in front of the mouth to simulate flaming snorts. Chinese symbol of goodness and strength, the creature dances through the city, on the legs of 30 men. The noisy celebration on November 12 honors the birthday of Dr. Sun · Yat-sen, first President of the Republic of China. Mythological lion JOms the parade on Dr. Sun's birthday. A lion dancer, clad in leopard skin, holds aloft the head of the curly-maned creature that stands for valor and energy. Mammoth outpouring of hu­ manity (pages 4-5) hails the anniversary of Dr. Sun's suc­ cessful revolution that swept the 268-year-old Manchu dy­ nasty from power on October 10, 1911. Both Dr. Sun's portrait and that of his wife's brother­ EKTACHROMES, HELEN AND FRANK SCHREIDER ; KOD ACHR OME ( FOLLOWING PAGES ), TO M DAVENPORT @ N ,G.S. in-law, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, lower right, fill the street. Streaming banner at top awesome head, prancing toward each new flash of fire­ wishes "10,000 years to the crackers, and frequently breathing fire (above). There were Republic of China,'' a theme tributes to Dr. Sun, and flowers for his statue in the square. repeated by other placards. Yel­ low octagonal signs exhort the At last the gala day ended, the crowds scattered, and the mag­ people to persist in the struggle nificent dragon went into storage until the next celebration. against the Communists, and Symbol of power and good, old as China, the dragon is as numbered flags identify march­ much a part of Taiwan life as firecrackers, food, and frivol­ ing units. ity; as much a part of the Taiwan scene as buffalo-drawn After Dr. Sun's death in ·1925, plows and the skeletons of hastily rising apartments. He Chiang assumed control of the roosts on temples and adorns jetliners. And in folklore the Republican forces. Defeated in dragon is credited with the creation of Taiwan. 1949 by the Communists, the Long ago, says the legend, when mists still wreathed the Generalissimo and his followers earth and serpents swam the seas, dragons played off the retreated across Formosa Strait to Taiwan. Since then they coast of China. They played hard, as dragons do, so hard have built an ever-stronger that their tails stirred the ocean bottom and an island rose. military and economic bastion Here the dragons rested and slept, and here they reside still. on the island while continuing Old natives of Taiwan tell this tale and are convinced to· hope for eventual return to that it is true, for, in the northernmost part of the island, the mainland. dragons' breath still colors the air with sulphur fumes, and from fissures and caves comes the rumble of their snores. But I doubt that even an exhausted dragon could sleep through the frenzy of Taiwan's economic boom, maintained, 2 l:"iery breath spews from the :n~ outh of China's folklore fa­ orite, the dragon, during a arade in Taipei, Taiwan. A ilragon teaser deftly lights and ~ sses a combustible powder in front of the mouth to simulate ~ aming snorts. Chinese symbol ~ f goodness and strength, the freature dances through the city ~ n the legs of 30 men. The noisy celebration on November 12 bonors the birthday of Dr. Sun I ~at-sen, first President of the Republic of China. Mythological lion joins the arade on Dr. Sun's birthday. lion dancer, clad in leopard kin, holds aloft the head of he curly-maned creature that. tands for valor and energy. ammoth outpouring of hu­ anity (pages 4-5) hails the 'anniversary of Dr. Sun's suc­ essful revolution that swept he 268-year-old Manchu dy­ asty from power on October 10, 1911. Both Dr. Sun's portrait nd that of his wife's brother­ n-law, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, lower right, fill the treet. Streaming banner at top wishes "10,000 years to the Republic of China,'' a theme repeated by other placards. Yel­ ~ ow octagonal signs exhort the people to persist in the struggle ~gainst the Communists, and pumbered flags identify march­ ing units. I After Dr. Sun's death in 1925, 1Chiang assumed control of the Republican forces. Defeated in 11949 by the Communists, the Generalissimo and his followers 1retreated across Formosa Strait :to Taiwan. Since then they 1have built an ever-stronger !military and economic bastion on the island while continuing to hope for eventual return to Ithe mainland. says the Bank of America in a special report, rise in the gross national product for 196 7. would pose a grave thn at one of the highest rates in the world. While much of the continent wallowed in Korea, the United Stat£ With six years of compulsory education, war and revolution, hunger and discontent, the island. With increas Taiwan's literacy rate exceeds 90 percent. how did tiny Taiwan achieve a standard of the U. S.-almost $1,! With more than 40 percent of the people under living surpassed in Asia only by Japan and years-President Chian 15, one out of four persons is in school. The Hong Kong, an economy so stable that the build a new China on ~ young population has helped create what the United States has ended all but military aid?> The Nationalists still Bank of America calls "Taiwan's most impor­ government of all Chin; Korean War Brings Reprieve tant and least expensive resource .. its supply body, called the Legi. of diligent and intelligent working people." Historically and racially Chinese, Taiwan representatives deliber Japanese, American, Overseas Chinese, and had been a part of China for more than 200 the responsibilities dele European firms are investing in Taiwan at a years when Japan occupied it after the first they were elected in p record rate. The value of industrial exports Sino-Japanese War in 1895. Liberated by Ja­ China 20 years ago. 0 now exceeds that of agricultural exports. The pan's defeat in World War II, the island be­ people remain free to increased production of electronics compo­ came part of the Nationalist China of Chiang representatives. Today, nents, plastics, paper, cement, handicrafts, tex­ Kai-shek. But h_is newly appointed governor that maintain diplomat tiles, and canned goods spurred a 13 percent abused his position and brutally suppressed the two Chinas, 6 7 reco an uprising by the people. 48 the Communists. •ooACHROME "To• oAVENPORT © N.G.s. Great numbers of Taiwan- Helen and I found ese died in the disorders. wan, like so many deve Many more were executed. ing nations, torn bet Another governor was ap­ the two worlds of trans1 pointed.