Source: Global Times
[Global Times reporter Fan Lingzhi and Lin Xiaoyi] At the beginning of this month, U.S. Congress Speaker Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan, causing cross-strait relations to remain tense. There have been many discussions and rumors on the island recently, such as "the safest refuge in the Taipei Palace Museum during wartime" and "the museum will transport cultural relics to the United States and Japan". There are even reports that "90,000 of the 700,000 cultural relics can only be protected", which has caused great controversy in Taiwan. As an important link for cross-strait cultural exchanges, the discussion on relevant information of the Palace Museum in Taipei has almost become the "thermometer" of cross-strait relations. It is precisely for this reason that the people on the island pay special attention to the protection of the Forbidden City’s cultural relics, and the DPP authorities have also attempted to "de-Sinicize" them. Recently, in an exclusive interview with a reporter from " Global Times ", former director of the Palace Museum in Taipei, Feng Mingzhu, introduced in detail the museum's current management model, its cultural influence in Taiwan, and the cultural community on the island's efforts to make up for the current situation of Chinese cultural education that was deliberately weakened by the Democratic Progressive Party.
Former President of the Palace Museum, Feng Mingzhu,
No cultural relics are missing
Global Times: How do you view the recent rumors that "the Palace Museum in Taipei may transport cultural relics to the United States and Japan"? Why do the people on the island have such concerns? The relevant departments of the Taiwan authorities then made a "refutation of the rumors". Is it trustworthy?
Feng Mingzhu: The cultural relics of the Palace Museum are national treasures. The Taiwanese society is very concerned about the whereabouts of the cultural relics and the development and future of the Palace Museum in Taipei, so this speculation has occurred.
After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Taiwan's "Legislative Yuan" asked the current president of the Palace Museum in Taipei Wu Micha , what should be done if a war breaks out? President Wu couldn't answer at the time, perhaps because he didn't have a deep understanding of the Forbidden City and had no experience in dealing with relevant situations. He agreed at the time to submit a response report in July.
Based on my 38 years of work experience at the Palace Museum in Taipei, the museum does have irregular fire protection, disaster prevention, terrorist prevention, explosion prevention and other drills. In fact, most museums have such emergency management mechanisms, but most of the drills at the Palace Museum in Taipei are confidential. Unexpectedly, President Wu disclosed the exercise to the media, but did not explain it in detail, which aroused social doubts.
Previously, news came out on the Internet on the island saying that "it is planned to select 90,000 collections to transfer." This made the public ask: Where to ship it? Where is a "safe place"? There are about 700,000 cultural relics in the Palace Museum in Taipei. According to principles, no one should be missing. If it is really as the news says, "only 90,000 are selected to evacuate", then (the management of the museum) cannot be said to be incompetent, but has ulterior motives. In fact, all professional colleagues in the Forbidden City know that the safest thing is to stay still. Who would be so stupid that he attacked the cultural relics of the Forbidden City?
"Downgrading" will lack supervision
Global Times: What are the channels for the head of the Palace Museum in Taipei to be selected? What qualities are needed? In today's Taiwan, is the political stance of candidates one of the factors to consider?
Feng Mingzhu: The person in charge of the Taipei Palace Museum is a special officer appointed by the Taiwan authorities (ruling party). I think the person in charge may not have a lot of museum experience, but must respect the profession.
Wu Micha is my junior at National Taiwan University. After the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, he became a government official from a professor in the history department and first served as the "Vice Chairman of the Executive Yuan Cultural and Construction Association." Later, he became the director of the " National History Museum ", and once banned scholars from mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao from visiting the "National History Museum" to review materials, which was opposed by many people. After all, doing historical research is to make public. Although he is a scholar, ideology and his propositions are in line with the DPP.
However, compared with Lin Zhengyi and Chen Qinan before, Wu Micha is already the head of the Taipei Palace Museum who is relatively professional after Tsai Ing-wen took office. At least he is relatively familiar with the field of archival studies and management of books and literature. But he also did whatever order the authorities had, and did not have his own opinions on the Palace Museum in Taipei.
Global Times: How do you think the DPP authorities have planned to "relegate" to the Forbidden City in Taipei?
Feng Mingzhu: Since 1933, the National Government at that time positioned the Palace Museum (called the National Palace Museum in Peking at that time) as a second-level unit under the "Executive Yuan". However, the DPP authorities had an issue that they would delegate the Taipei Palace Museum to the "Ministry of Culture". Regarding this matter, senior officials and media have asked me, and I said that the museum’s positioning and practices have not changed since 1933, and it must be true that predecessors are wise.
Taipei Palace Museum is directly under the supervision of Taiwan’s “Executive Yuan” and will be subject to multiple supervisions such as the “Executive Yuan”, “Legislative Yuan”, “ Supervision House ” and “Ministry of Finance”. But if it is downgraded to the Ministry of Culture and becomes a three-level institution, and organizes reduction and degradation, the Ministry of Culture can lead the development of the museum, deal with cultural relics in the Forbidden City, and reduce more than half of the supervision forces, will it be safe for cultural relics? Will the development of museum be good? There is even a voice that makes the Taipei Palace Museum "legalized", which is even more terrifying. The board of directors will decide everything, and there is almost no supervision. Therefore, most people oppose the DPP’s idea of downgrading the Palace Museum in Taipei. The cultural relics of the Forbidden City are cultural heritages of the Chinese nation. I oppose unreasonable changes and dwarfs. At present, there is no clear statement about the "downgrade" of the museum, but every once in a while, there will be a little news coming out, making those who care about the cultural relics of the Forbidden City worry about future changes.
is worried about "de-Sinicization"
Global Times: During your tenure as the head of the Palace Museum in Taipei, the Palace Museum on both sides of the Taiwan Strait had close exchanges, and the exchanges in the cultural and museum circles also reached the highest peak since 1949. What positive effects did these communications bring?
Feng Mingzhu: The close exchanges between the Palace Museums on both sides of the Taiwan Strait began after Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008. Zhou Gongxin, the director of the Palace Museum in Taipei, was my chief. I thanked her for being promoted to vice president and worked with her for 4 years. The Cross-Strait Museum "breaks the ice" was driven by President Zhou Gongxin, such as "For the Lord: Yongzheng Cultural Relics Exhibition", "Whole Landscape: Huang Gongwang Fuchun Mountain Residence Exhibition", etc. I am just an executor.
The exchanges over the years have made compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait very excited and enhanced their understanding. Especially after the complete opening of the " big three links ", mainland tourists flocked to the crowd, and compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait reached a situation of harmony and harmony. As the number of visitors continues to increase, the international popularity of the Palace Museum in Taipei has increased. For example, there is a world-leading art publication in the UK called Art News, which selects some of the world's most popular museums and exhibitions every year. The Palace Museum in Taipei has been on the list continuously because of the opening of exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait that it has become more famous internationally.
I think it is precisely because the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have the same roots and the language and culture are not separated, so that the exchanges between the two sides can be more closely connected.
Global Times: After resigning as the president of the Palace Museum in Taipei, you began to serve as the president of the Feng Mingzhu Literature and History Research Institute of Baojixiang Group. What are the main areas of the current research institute? What role does it play in inheriting Chinese culture and promoting cross-strait cultural exchanges?
Feng Mingzhu: The Feng Mingzhu Literature and History Research Institute was established in 2016 and the Baojixiang Literature and History Education Association was established in 2020. Both were supported by President Yan Zhenghao of Taiwan’s Baojixiang Group. He contributed money and effort, hoping to turn the tide and make up for the literary and historical education that was deliberately weakened by the DPP.
Recently, we are working hard to promote cultural and historical education. For example, during the severe epidemic, the association gave a series of lectures online on "Stus people: Taiwanese people and Taiwan affairs worth our memory". It is summer vacation now, and many children come to the association to study "The Analects of Confucius". We will also teach elementary school students to recite " Thousand Family Poems ". In addition, the courses of Chinese art history in Taiwan’s high schools have been cut, and I will give consecutive lectures to explain Chinese art history to middle school teachers and students to make up for what is lost in current textbooks. Some children are too young and need their parents to accompany them to study. Taking today as an example, there are about 28 primary school students reading "The Analects of Confucius", plus about 40 elders, which can be said to be full of people.
Our work is also to make up for the losses of the authorities' "de-Sinicization". Of course, I am not a lone hero - about 40 people from Taiwan's cultural, academic and educational circles initiated the Baojixiang Literature and History Education Association, which now has more than 300 members. Because everyone is worried about "de-Sinicization", those who have money contribute money and those who have strength are strong. The cultures on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of the same origin. We absolutely do not support division, and we cannot divide them.
