Three Records of the Cession of Taiwan

Luo DunrongJun 2024

3.8

Word count: 40K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Taiwan formerly belonged to Fujian and was called Taiwan Prefecture; later a Taiwan Circuit was established. In the Yi-you year of the Guangxu reign, it was made a province, the Danshui Subprefecture was elevated to Taipei Prefecture, and a governor was stationed there; the Viceroy of Min-Zhe in fact concurrently governed Taiwan. Liu Mingchuan was governor and vigorously promoted all undertakings: railways, commercial shipping, military colonization, and mining; the new policies were fully instituted. What people today manage so perfectly all builds on Liu Mingchuan's old systems and expands them.

Editor's review

Ge Tai San Ji sketches in concise prose the administrative evolution and modernizing measures of Taiwan around the time it became a province; though brief, it is densely informative. It begins with Taiwan's former attachment to Fujian as Taiwan Prefecture, recounts the establishment of the province in the Yi-you year of Guangxu, the elevation of the Danshui Subprefecture to Taipei Prefecture, the stationing of a governor in Taiwan, and explains the arrangement by which the Viceroy of Min-Zhe concurrently governed Taiwan. The focus falls on Liu Mingchuan's vigorous promotion of all undertakings during his governorship: railways, commercial shipping, military colonization, and mining; the new policies were fully instituted. The author particularly notes that what later generations managed "perfectly" mostly built on Liu Mingchuan's old systems and expanded them. This offers a concise thread for understanding the starting point of Taiwan's modernization. Read it as an entry point, compare it with other materials on Taiwan history, note the distinction between the original narrative and later commentary, and pay attention to the specific wording on the timing of provincehood, administrative levels, and categories of new policies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern Taiwan history and the evolution of its provincehood
History enthusiasts studying Liu Mingchuan's new policies as governor of Taiwan
Students of literature and history who need a brief introduction to historical sources
Readers interested in late Qing local administrative systems

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers expecting detailed chronicles or lengthy textual criticism
Beginners who need modern scholarly annotation and extensive background supplementation
General readers seeking literary works or popular stories

Reading tips

First sort out the hierarchical changes from Taiwan Prefecture to Taiwan Circuit, province, and Taipei Prefecture, then read the section on new policies.
Excerpt the four new policies—railways, commercial shipping, military colonization, and mining—item by item for comparison with other historical sources.
Mark the difference between the author's commentary and records of original events while reading, to avoid conflating them.
Read alongside a chronology of Taiwan's provincehood to verify time points such as the Yi-you year of Guangxu.

版权信息
割台记罗惇曧
台湾唐维卿中丞电奏稿
让台记彰化吴德功着
附录吴统领彭年传

FAQ

What are the key timing and institutional changes of Taiwan's provincehood described in the book?

According to sources, Taiwan formerly belonged to Fujian and was called Taiwan Prefecture; later a Taiwan Circuit was established. In the Yi-you year of Guangxu it was made a province, the Danshui Subprefecture was elevated to Taipei Prefecture, and a governor was stationed there; the Viceroy of Min-Zhe in fact concurrently governed Taiwan. Readers can thereby grasp the changes in administrative levels and the arrangement of principal officials.

What new policies did Liu Mingchuan implement during his governorship of Taiwan?

Sources list railways, commercial shipping, military colonization, and mining, saying the new policies were fully instituted. The author also notes that what later generations managed perfectly all built on Liu Mingchuan's old systems and expanded them, showing that his measures are regarded as an important foundation of Taiwan's modernization.

How is this short record best used?

It is brief and focused, suitable as introductory material on Taiwan's provincehood and Liu Mingchuan's new policies, to be read alongside chronologies or other works on Taiwan history; it should not be used alone as a detailed chronicle.

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About the author

Luo Dunrong Author · Chinese · 1872–1924

Luo Dunrong (1872–1924), courtesy name Xiaoyu and style names Yandong and Yinggong, was a native of Shunde, Guangdong, and a modern poet, calligrapher and playwright. A disciple of Kang Youwei, he rose to a post as a director in the Ministry of Posts and Communications and in the Republican era served as a secretary in the Presidential Office and a councillor in the State Council. He was counted, together with Liang Dingfen and others, among the Four Masters of Modern Lingnan. His writings span historical reading, prose and miscellaneous notes, folk literature and literary appreciation. Fifty of his works are held in the collection, including The Taiping Rebellion, Three Records of the Cession of Taiwan, Remaining Tales of the Boxer Upheaval, The Empress Dowager's Remarriage and A Private Record of Emperor Dezong's Succession, most of which draw on late Qing and early Republican historical events and court lore; Bintui Suibi is noted for its miscellaneous sketches. He also wrote several plays for Cheng Yanqiu, contributing to opera creation.