These difficulties are highlighted by the latest attempts at finding a suitable exhibition space in Taipei dedicated to the late Lin Hai-yin, a highly-regarded writer, editor and publisher in Taiwan.
“More than 70 percent of our nation’s writers, publishers and editors live and work in Taipei, but when we were looking for a place to preserve and exhibit the works of an author of Lin’s stature, we could not find one,” lamented Feng De-ping, chief executive officer of the Taiwan Literature Development Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the literary history of the island.
Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1918, Lin moved with her parents to Taiwan when she was four. At five, she moved again to Beijing, where she lived until she was 30. In 1948, when it became clear the mainland was quickly falling to the communists, she moved with her family back to Taiwan, where she lived until her death in 2002.
Her life is a microcosm of the twists and turns of contemporary history, but throughout the years she remained dedicated to her true love: literature.
A collection of her short stories, entitled “Memories of Peking: South Side Stories,” documents the ancient but disappearing city through the eyes of a young girl. Published in 1960, the book has been hailed as one of the 100 most important literary works published in Chinese in the 20th century, and has been read and admired by countless readers.
As editor-in-chief of the literary supplement of local newspaper United Daily News from 1953 to 1963, Lin played a key role in making the supplement a must read for hundreds and thousands of readers in Taiwan. She also helped discover Huang Chun-ming, Cheng Chin-wen and Lin Hwai-min, all of whom published their first novels in the UDN supplement and would go on to make significant contributions to the arts and culture in Taiwan in one way or another.
Nevertheless, Lin was forced to resign from her position as editor in 1963, after she oversaw the publication of a poem that Military Police Headquarters considered an oblique criticism of Chiang Kai-shek, the nation’s leader at the time.
Not content to leave the literary scene, Lin subsequently founded a magazine in 1967 and a publishing house in 1968, both of which were called “Belles Lettres.” The publishing house ran until 1995, providing, according to literary historian Ying Feng-huang, a spiritual outlet for both writers and readers throughout a time of repressive politics and quick social change.
A mother of four and wife of columnist-cum-editor He Fan, Lin was also a diligent writer, and her novels represent a feminist perspective well ahead of her time, Ying added.
An ardent photographer and letter writer, Lin kept her correspondence with the literary personalities she knew, as well as pictures of them, which today are a valuable asset in the history of Taiwan literature, according to Ying.
Thanks to the efforts of Lin’s children, some of whom also became writers, more than 2,000 letters, pictures, documents and other items from Lin’s literary life spanning over half a century, have been sorted out and documented.
According to Feng, Beijing responded far more enthusiastically than Taipei in the search for a place to preserve her manuscripts and personal items. With regard to Lin’s legacy, for example, the mainland capital not only reserved a space for her archives but also tried to keep houses and places mentioned in her “Memories of Peking” intact.
Lin’s belongings might have been sent to Beijing, had Feng not personally intervened to ensure that Lin’s archives were donated to the National Taiwan Museum of Literature in southern Taiwan. The NTML, in turn, recently made good use of the precious donation to put on a comprehensive exhibit on Lin’s life as well as Taiwan’s post-war literary history.
“Lin built her career and spent her best years in Taiwan. This is where her legacy should be preserved,” Feng insisted.
Although Feng is grateful to the NTML, she feels that a literary museum in Taipei would be the most appropriate place to house Lin’s work in a permanent collection.
“Her house in Chongqing South Road of southern Taipei was in effect a literary salon, where writers young and old got to know each other while enjoying meals made by their hostess,” Feng said.
Not only Lin, several renowned writers, publishing houses, journals and newspapers have all called southern Taipei home, according to Feng. And within this part of the city, she added, the best place for such a museum is at the site of an old-time posh restaurant known as the “Jizhou An,” which used to entertain the political and cultural elites of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945).
Indeed, many renowned Taiwanese writers, such as novelist Wang Wen-hsing and poet Yu Kuan-chung, used to live near Jizhou An and their work is based in large part on their memories of this area.
“This part of the city is so important for keeping our literary memory alive that we fully support the idea of having Lin’s archives displayed in the rebuilt Jizhou An,” Feng said.
After years of urging, the Taipei City government this year opened a house of literature adjacent to the old Jizhou An. Its very first exhibition, which runs until the beginning of August, is the Lin Hai-yin collection, on loan from NTML.
With luck, Feng’s efforts will bear fruit in the not-too-distant future. The Taipei City government recently announced that it would combine the three-story structure with adjacent buildings and open space nearby into a literary park. After the park is completed, perhaps the works of Lin and many other Taipei-based writers will have finally found a home in the city.
“Although there are many good university libraries and bookstores in Taipei, we still need a space where literary exhibitions can be held, where writers and readers interact regularly, and where literature lovers can look for what they want,” Feng said. “Supporting literature is what makes a city great.” (HZW)
Write to June Tsai at june@mail.gio.gov.tw