Sunday, September 30, 2007

Children picture book tells ancient Formosa story

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) A children picture book launched Thursday told the 16th century story of Cheng Cheng-kung's attack on Taiwan during the Dutch occupation era, when Taiwan was known as Formosa, and tried to review well-known story in a foreign perspective.

The picture book, titled "Farewell Formosa: History of Taiwan and Holland at the Age of Exploration, " was a translation of the 2002 original work of a Swedish illustrator Anita Steiner, who had visited Tainan, Taiwan, where the story took place more than three hundred years ago, for a seven-week stay to study the history.

Steiner became interested in the story after learning that the last Dutch Governor of Taiwan Frederik Coyett was actually Swedish, said Henrik Bystrom, Representative of Swedish Trade Council's Exportradet Taipei in the book-launching ceremony.

The book became the most popular guide for Swedish children to understand the links between Sweden and Taiwan, he added.

"This is the story of what happened here on the island. It's only natural that it is finally published here, " Bystrom said, adding that the English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese versions were published before the Traditional Chinese version.

The picture book was published with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). MOFA Vice Minister Yang Tzu-pao said that the ministry was involved in the effort after learning of the book and the fascinating story of Bystrom during the Swedish National Day celebration June 6 this year.

Publishing the book has in itself been a unique story linking three countries of Taiwan, Sweden and the Netherlands, Yang said, because it told the story of Cheng Cheng-kung, who was called Koxinga by the Dutch, and Dutch-occupied Formosa (Taiwan) but the illustrator and the last Dutch Governor were Swedish.

"Hopefully it [the picture book] can contribute to the understanding between people of Sweden and Taiwan, " said Bystrom, who estimated there are currently 200 Swedish nationals living in Taiwan.