Abstract：
　　In 1624, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a factory in Taiwan, which subsequently became a vital node in the VOC’s expanding maritime trading network. In addition to serving as an entrepôt, Taiwan exported local products like deerskin, venison and sugar. While sugar is primarily produced by Chinese immigrant settlers, deer-related products were acquired through trade with the island’s Indigenous communities. Cotton textiles, sourced from either China or India, were commonly exchanged for these products, particularly with Indigenous peoples. This article examines the quantities and prices of cotton textiles such as cangan, bafta, guinees lywaet, and salempouris imported to Taiwan from Surat and Coromandel. It further explores the social and cultural impacts of Indian cotton textiles in Taiwan during a period when domestic turmoil in China likely disrupted its supply to Taiwan. Special attention is given to the role of Indian textiles as substitutes and their influence on the island’s inhabitants, especially the Indigenous population. This study contributes to a broader understanding of early modern material exchange in maritime East Asia and highlights Taiwan’s unique commodity landscape at the crossroads of European, Chinese, and Indian commercial systems.

Keywords：Taiwan, VOC, Indian Cotton Textile, Surat, Eight-Petaled Flower Motif

Abstract：
　　This study explores the crucial role that school desks and chairs played in materializing modern education in Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule, focusing on their use in kōgakkō ─ public elementary schools primarily attended by Taiwanese children. By examining the interplay between educational ideals, furniture design, school administration, and student health, this research underscores how classroom furniture helped shape the everyday experiences of colonial schooling.
　　The rise of modern schooling in Taiwan was characterized by mass education, which required standardized spatial arrangements. Classrooms were organized with blackboards and podiums at the front and rows of forward-facing desks and chairs, facilitating the disciplinary order essential to collective instruction. This marked a sharp contrast with the informal, often improvised furnishings of traditional sishu (private schools), where students typically brought their own desks and stools. Beginning in 1896, alongside the establishment of Japanese-language training institutes, the colonial government introduced standardized desks and chairs in 1896. While Japan experimented with multifunctional school furniture in the early 1900s, a simpler model ─ a double desk paired with two separate chairs ─ became standard in Taiwan’s public elementary schools. As enrollment increased, local furniture workshops emerged to meet the increasing demand.
　　Health concerns, especially those related to posture and body height, also influenced furniture design. The Government-General of Taiwan conducted body height surveys in 1903 and 1942 to determine appropriate desk and chair dimensions. Although not officially mandated, many schools adopted furniture in multiple sizes to accommodate students’ physical differences.
　　Drawing on archival documents, photographs, and school reports, this study traces the development of school furniture in colonial Taiwan and argues that desks and chairs were more than mere functional objects; they were material expressions of modern pedagogical ideals. As instruments that structured collective learning and embodied discipline, they offer valuable insights into how educational spaces were conceived, managed, and experienced within the colonial context.

Keywords：Modern Schooling, School Furniture, Kōgakkō, Material Culture, Classroom Space, Educational Hygiene

Abstract：
　　This article draws on a wide array of historical sources — including the Liu Ran Ju Archival Collection, issues of the daily Taiwan Shin Minpao, personal diaries, and contemporary memoirs — to reconstruct the full trajectory of the “Zuguo Incident,” an episode that has remained obscure due to the loss of The Diary of Lin Hsien-tang, 1936. While previous research has largely attributed the incident to attacks on Lin Hsien-tang orchestrated by right-wing rōnin under the direction of the Taiwan Army Headquarters, this article offers a new interpretation. It argues that the Taiwan Shin Minpao, in an effort to boost its daily circulation and establish clear market differentiation, strategically organized the “South China Investigation Mission” as a promotional initiative. This maneuver placed significant competitive pressure on the Taiwan Daily News, which, in response, collaborated with the Taiwan Army Headquarters to orchestrate the Zuguo Incident as a means of undermining its rival.
　　This article analyzes the context, development, and implications of the Zuguo Incident through three interrelated dimensions. First, it examines the motivations, objectives, and strategic rationale behind the South China Investigation Mission — part of the Taiwan Shin Minpao’s broader “China Investigation Plan” — and details the delegation’s observations and experiences throughout their visit. Second, it traces the course of the attack, the media coverage it generated, and the resulting shifts in public opinion, while also revealing how right-wing groups and newspapers coordinated to stage the assault. Third, it explores the central role of Taiwan Daily News in the incident, arguing that its collaboration with the Taiwan Army Headquarters was driven by the fierce competitive dynamics of colonial Taiwan’s newspaper market in the mid-1930s.

Keywords：Zuguo Incident, Lin Hsien-tang, South China Investigation Mission, Taiwan Shin Minpao, Taiwan Daily News, Daily Newspaper Market

Abstract：
　　This article explores the complex entanglement between Free China Fortnightly and its American sponsor, The Asia Foundation (TAF), through the lens of cultural Cold War dynamics in East Asia. It uncovers previously overlooked dimensions of the publication’s role in propaganda, its transnational circulation networks, and its affiliations with Cold War powers, particularly the covert involvement of the U.S. government in Taiwan’s political and cultural arenas during the early Cold War period. The study highlights how Lei Chen, the publication’s director, skillfully navigated the competing interests of the U.S. and Kuomintang (KMT) to advance his own political agenda. Beginning in 1953, the CIAfunded TAF subsidized the publication’s overseas distribution to promote cultural anticommunism among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Together, TAF and Free China Fortnightly worked to construct the narrative of “Free China” — an aspirational label that bore little resemblance to Taiwan’s political reality. As Free China Fortnightly grew increasingly critical of the KMT’s authoritarian rule, TAF found itself entangled in Taiwan’s domestic politics, confronting what this research terms as the “Free China dilemma.” Ultimately, pragmatic concerns led TAF to align with the KMT regime, withdrawing its support for Lei and Free China Fortnightly.

Keywords：Cultural Cold War, Covert Operations, Information Activities, Overseas Chinese, United State Information Service, Union Press

Abstract：
　　This study examines trends in Indigenous historical research in Taiwan between 2022 and 2023, with a particular focus on the influence of government policies. The Indigenous Historical Justice Project, initiated by former President Tsai Ing-wen, has had a significant impact. Following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, the original functions of the Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee (IHJTJC) have been incorporated into formal government structures, signaling a continuation of related policies. Among recent developments, tribal history research has emerged as a central focus, increasingly led by Indigenous scholars. This shift has deepened the understanding of local socio-cultural contexts and reflects methodologies rooted in both transitional justice and decolonization. However, there is a need to guard against essentialism and to maintain engagement with broader historical frameworks. Additionally, the rise of “writing back” has also prompted dominant ethnic groups to reflect on established historical narratives and adopt inclusive perspectives. Nevertheless, ethnic relations should not be viewed solely through the binary lens of oppression and resistance. A rigorous methodological approach is necessary to critically examine historical sources and uncover the complexities of interethnic interactions. Government institutions should continue to support the publication and educational dissemination of Indigenous history, though challenges remain in balancing diverse perspectives and building a shared historical understanding.

Keywords：Indigenous Historical Research, Historical Justice Project, Transitional Justice, Tribal History, Writing Back, Decolonization