The landscape of historical memory : the politics of museums and memorial culture in post-martial law Taiwan

The Landscape of Historical Memory explores the place of museums and memorial culture in the contestation over historical memory in post–martial law Taiwan. The book is particularly oriented toward the role of politics—especially political parties—in the establishment, administration, architectural design, and historical narratives of museums. It is framed around the wrangling between the “blue camp” (the Nationalist Party, or KMT, and its supporters) and the “green camp” (Democratic Progressive Party, DPP), and its supporters) over what facets of the past should be remembered and how they should be displayed in museums. Organized into chapters focused on particular types of museums and memorial spaces (archaeology museums, history museums, martyrs’ shrines, war museums, memorial halls, literature museums, ethnology museums, ecomuseums, etc.), the book presents a broad overview of the state of museums in Taiwan in the past three decades. The case of Taiwan museums tells us much about Cold War politics and its legacy in East Asia; the role of culture, history, and memory in shaping identities in the multiply “postcolonial” landscape of Taiwan; the politics of historical memory in an emergent democracy, especially in counterpoint to the politics of museums in the People’s Republic of China, which continues to be an authoritarian single party state; and the place of museums in a neoliberal economic climate. The divide between East Asia’s “Blue Camp” (Nationalist Party) and “Green Camp” (Democratic Progressive Party) has stirred considerable debate about how we should remember Cold War politics in East Asia. Recently, that conversation has been focused on museums. The Landscape of Historical Memory contributes to this ongoing dialogue by analyzing not only the presence of the Blue Camp and the Green Camp in Taiwan’s museums but also the state of these museums over the past three decades. The book also considers political involvement in the establishment, architectural design, and historical narratives of museums within the contexts of museums focused on archaeology, history, war, literature, ethnology, and ecosystems; martyrs’ shrines; and memorial halls. By examining the political narratives that surround Taiwan’s museums, The Landscape of Historical Memory offers readers a compelling exploration of how culture, history, and memory shape identities in Taiwan’s postcolonial landscape, the place of museums in a neoliberal economic climate, and the politics of historical memory in an emergent democracy. 'The Landscape of Historical Memory' explores the place of museums and memorial culture in the contestation over historical memory in post-martial law Taiwan. The book is particularly oriented toward the role of politics, especially political parties, in the establishment, administration, architectural design, and historical narratives of museums. It is framed around the wrangling between the 'blue camp' (the Nationalist Party, or KMT, and its supporters) and the 'green camp' (Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, and its supporters) over what facets of the past should be remembered and how they should be displayed in museums. Contents 6 Figures 7 Acknowledgments 10 Abbreviations and Romanization 11 Introduction 12 1. Taiwan, China, and the National Imaginary 37 2. Multicultural History in a Multicultural Taiwan 59 3. Commemorating the Dead 76 4. White Terror and the Discourse of Peace and Reconciliation 100 5. KMT Martial Memory 124 6. Memory of the Chiang Dynasty 154 7. The “Root of a National Culture” 173 8. Aboriginal Museums and the Construction of a Taiwanese Identity 188 9. Local Culture, the Environment, and Place-Making 208 10. Taiwan Intertwined with the World 227 Epilogue 240 Bibliography 242 Index 272