Only three copies of the original Yellow Tiger Flag are known to have been produced. One of these, believed to have been flown at a coastal fort in Keelung City on Taiwan’s northern tip, was taken to Japan after the republic fell. The item in the NTM’s collection is a replication of that flag produced by Japanese painter Untei Takahashi in 1909 for the institution, which was set up the previous year during Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945) as Taiwan’s first modern museum.
The Republic of Formosa was founded as an independent state shortly after Taiwan was ceded to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki following the defeat of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). The new republic was unable to repel invading Japanese forces, however, and was defeated within five months.
“Given the loss of all three known original flags, the reproduction is the oldest depiction as well as the most authentic,” NTM researcher Li Tzu-ning said.
The set of three smartcards was issued in the wake of the Ministry of Culture’s announcement April 19 that a reproduction of the flag in the NTM’s collection had been named a National Treasure, Taiwan’s highest designation for cultural antiquities.
In addition to a card based on the artifact in the NTM’s collection, the EasyCard set includes two other designs. One of these is based on another copy of the flag made in 1953 by Taiwan painter Lin Yu-shan, while the other is derived from a carefully researched digital reconstruction created by the museum.
At the unveiling of the smartcards May 10, NTM Director Chen Chi-ming said he believes the series can help boost public awareness of the short-lived state and this period of Taiwan’s history. Meanwhile, EasyCard President Lin Shang-kai noted that the Republic of Formosa was the first democratic state in Asia, and said he hopes that the smartcards can help “remind people of the need to jointly safeguard a free, democratic way of life.”
NTM researcher Li said the history of the flag reveals much about Taiwan’s development, noting that during the 38-year period of martial law, which ended in 1987, the museum was often warned by authorities not to display its reproduction. The fact that it has now been granted formal recognition reflects acceptance of “different interpretations and ideas concerning Taiwan’s history,” he said. (PG-E)
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