Vignettes of China in the Eyes of a Drifting Individual: Taiwanese Musician Ke Zhenghe’s Social Observation and Writing in Beijing during 1922-1945
Vol. 54 No. 4 12/2024
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Title |
Vignettes of China in the Eyes of a Drifting Individual: Taiwanese Musician Ke Zhenghe’s Social Observation and Writing in Beijing during 1922-1945 |
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Author |
Lo Shih-yun |
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Genre |
Article |
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Pages |
841-881 |
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DOI |
10.6503/THJCS.202412_54(4).0005 |
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Download |
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Language |
Chinese |
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Key words |
Ke Zhenghe 柯政和, wartime Beijing, drifting, vignettes |
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Abstract |
Ke Zhenghe 柯政和 (1889-1979) was a Taiwan-born musician and educator who contributed greatly to the development of music education in modern China. He spent his entire life in Taiwan, Japan, and China, and was particularly active in the cultural circles in war-time Beijing; from mid-1910s to World War II, his articles frequently appeared in newspapers in Taiwan and China. However, his role as a pioneer of modern music education is rarely discussed in Taiwan. The reasons for this are threefold: information about him has been scarce; he was primarily active in China and did not return to Taiwan after 1945; and his wartime activity, which involved a teaching position in Japan-occupied Beijing, was sensitive. Nevertheless, Ke is a significant figure for the research of Taiwanese migrations in East Asia under Japanese rule, of the Taiwanese diaspora in general, and of cultural networks in wartime Beijing. For these reasons, this study investigates the evolution of Ke’s image in China and Taiwan by looking at his cultural activities and interpersonal relationships from 1922 to 1945, as well as by examining his narratives about China in his two wartime publications, Vignettes in the Life of the Chinese and Vignettes in Chinese Society. Through these materials, this study aims to present images and cultural perspectives of Taiwanese under Japanese rule, thereby showcasing the spiritually-drifting landscape of prewar Taiwanese people in Beijing. |