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Listening to the World Locally – The Homecoming Tour of Taiwanese Musicians

Publication date: 20 Aug 2024
Author: Lee Yi-ling, Wang Li-Chiao | Staff member at the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History

Ninety years ago, in August 1934, a group of young Taiwanese musicians embarked on the first Western music concert tour in Taiwan’s history. The Homecoming Concert Tour began with great fanfare during the scorching summer of the South Island, kicking off at the Taipei Medical School Auditorium. With a packed itinerary, the tour traveled southward, stopping at public assembly halls in Hsinchu, Taichung, Changhua, Chiayi, and Tainan, before culminating in a final performance at the Kaohsiung Youth Hall. Despite the demanding schedule, the musicians delivered exquisite piano melodies and harmonies to audiences across Taiwan, sparking widespread acclaim.

This article focuses on Taiwan’s first “Homecoming Concert Tour,” which was rapidly organized in just over a month. The program primarily featured Western musical compositions. During the scorching summer of the South Island, this grand musical feast unfolded with enthusiasm, traveling from north to south with seven performances. It offered audiences across Taiwan an auditory delight, broadened their horizons, and brought Western music closer to the local population. This tour marked the beginning of Taiwan’s musical diversity and led to Taiwan’s music being recognized on the Olympic stage, where Taiwanese music shone brightly on the global scene.

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Invasion of Taiwan

Since Meiji Restoration, the Empire of Japan had actively expanded its imperial power. In 1874, Japan sent troops to Taiwan on the grounds of the beheaded incident of Ryukyun crews. Japan classified the islands of Taiwan into Shina and Huan lands, and excuded the power of sovereignty over Huan lands from Qing dynasty, which is the first step of the Japanese invasion. Due to Joseon problems, Qing dynasty and Japan broke out a war again in 1894. With Weihaiwei fell and Beiyang Fleet surrender, on March 1895, while Qing dynasty and the Japanese were still negotiating the peace treaty at Shimonoseki, the Japanese had sent the armed forces to occupy Penghu. 4 days later, Penghu was taken by Japanese.

Figure of the Islands of Formosa from the《臺灣戰事紀聞》
Figure of the Islands of Formosa from the《臺灣戰事紀聞》
(Source:日本宮內廳書陵部所藏臺灣寫真,,Digital archives of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History)
The book records the course of how Japan sent troops, launched an expedition, and occupied local Huan settlements after the Mudan incident. The Islands of Formosa in the book divided the islands into two major regions: Shina territory and Huan lands.
Telegram Copy Book by Taichang firm in 1894
Telegram Copy Book by Taichang firm in 1894
(Source:〈泰益號文書〉,Digital archives of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History)
The “Duplicate Code Recordings between Chinese and Japanese Police and Military Forces” is a telegram sent from Yuanchang firm in Shanghai to Taichang firm in 1895. It shows the war situations between China and Japan, which concerned the firms who dealt with business between the two places.
Figure of a Violent Battle near Surrounding Islands
Figure of a Violent Battle near Surrounding Islands
Source:戰役浮世繪,Digital Archives of the Archives of Institute of Taiwan History
On January 1895, the Japanese landed Rong-Cheng bay on Shandong Peninsula and attacked immediately a rear area of Weihai. In February, Japanese armadas who blockaded the harbors, sent torpedo boats sneaked into naval port and used torpedoes attacked some fleets such as “Chinese ironclad Dingyuan”. The crew at sea in danger of being killed at any time by explosions, burns or drowning. All of Qing sailors and Japanese sailors were desperate in order to defeated the other side.
Figure of the Great Victory of Occupation of the Penghu Islands in 1895
Figure of the Great Victory of Occupation of the Penghu Islands in 1895
(Source:Provide by Prof. Yang, Rur-bin)
The three-cell figure interprets that when the Japanese invaded Penghu, they first occupied the Fisherman Island, then won the victory by the cannons on battery at the Magong city, and forced the captive Chinese soldiers to cut their braided hair.
 

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