An English translation of a Dutch novel set in 17th century Taiwan was released April 26 by Camphor Press, offering readers insights into a pivotal period in the nation’s history.
Translated from the 2015 work by author Joyce Bergvelt, “Lord of Formosa” opens with the birth of Zheng Cheng-gong, aka Koxinga, a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) loyalist general who drove Dutch colonizers from Taiwan in 1662. The 480-page work of historical fiction interweaves his story with a depiction of the Dutch East India Co.’s (VOC) 38-year occupation of present-day Tainan City, southern Taiwan.
At the center of the narrative is the military showdown between Koxinga and Frederik Coyett, the island’s last VOC governor. Concluding with the nine-month siege of Fort Zeelandia, the epic tale portrays the battle of wills between the Chinese general and European commander.
According to the author, while the history of Dutch colonization is common knowledge in Taiwan, this past, and the island’s former title of Formosa, is little known in the Netherlands. The loss of the lucrative colony was a painful and embarrassing defeat for the VOC, she wrote on English-language literary platform Asian Books Blog.
At the launch of the Dutch novel in 2015, Chou Tai-chu, head of Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands, said the book showcases the long connection between the two nations and helps bring people in the European country up to speed on a missing page in their shared history.
The author first learned about this aspect of Taiwan’s past when she joined her parents in the country for a gap year in the early 1980s. She later researched Dutch colonial history in Taiwan while studying for a degree in Chinese studies at the University of Durham in the U.K.
Now in its third run, the Dutch-language novel, titled "Formosa voorgoed verloren," has received positive reviews, earning 4.7 out of 5 stars on bol.com—a leading online book and electronics retailer in the Netherlands. (CPY-E)
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