Taiwan Church News
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Church News is a publication of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
. It was first published in 1885 as the Tâi-oân-hú-siâⁿ Kàu-hōe-pò under the direction of missionary
Thomas Barclay, and was Taiwan
's first printed newspaper
. This early edition was also notable for being printed in romanised
Taiwanese using the Pe̍h-ōe-jī orthography. The publication was banned during the latter stages of Japanese rule
and editions were also impounded on several occasions during the martial law
era in post-war Taiwan for discussing forbidden subjects.
In Taiwan in the late 1800s only the educated elite could read and write, in Classical Chinese
. Christian missionaries in southern Taiwan were anxious that their congregations should learn to read and write, and were convinced that romanised script (i.e. Pe̍h-ōe-jī) was easier to learn than Chinese characters. James Laidlaw Maxwell
, a medical missionary, donated a small printing press to the church in 1880, but at the time nobody in Tainan
knew how to operate it.
In 1881 while on furlough in Glasgow
, Thomas Barclay studied printing techniques, and on his return to Tainan he sent others for printing training and set up a machine shop, which started printing in 1884. Then in June 1885 came the first issue of the Tâi-oân-hú-siâⁿ Kàu-hōe-pò (Tainan Church News), which thus became the first printed newspaper in Taiwan.
The newspaper was just one of the products of the new press, and William Campbell
was later able to proudly write that "our Taiwan Mission Press turned out 700,357 pages, chiefly in the dialect or brogue of South Formosa during 1913". In 1915 the newspaper was reported as having a circulation of roughly 1,600.
and the United States
declared war on each other, the missionaries were expelled from Taiwan, which was at the time a Japanese colony, and the press was closed. After the defeat of Japan and the takeover by the Kuomintang
, the Taiwan Church News resumed publication. However, in 1969 the printing of the Taiwan Church News in Pe̍h-ōe-jī was banned by the Kuomintang government of the time, who were taking action to restrict the use of local languages.
From that point on, the publication appeared in Mandarin Chinese characters, and even after the restrictions were lifted in the 1980s, Mandarin continued to be the dominant language, with "native languages" (Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka and Formosan languages
) confined to a "Mother Tongue Section" from 1991 onwards. On several occasions the magazine was confiscated by the authorities for running articles on forbidden topics, such as a discussion of the 228 Incident
which saw the entire print run of 6,700 copies seized in 1987.
The modern incarnation of the periodical takes the form of a weekly magazine, plus ad hoc English reports on the organization's website.
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan was planted in Taiwan in the 19th century by Dr James Laidlaw Maxwell Snr of the Presbyterian Church of England and Dr George Leslie Mackay of the Presbyterian Church in Canada....
. It was first published in 1885 as the Tâi-oân-hú-siâⁿ Kàu-hōe-pò under the direction of missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Thomas Barclay, and was Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
's first printed newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. This early edition was also notable for being printed in romanised
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
Taiwanese using the Pe̍h-ōe-jī orthography. The publication was banned during the latter stages of Japanese rule
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
and editions were also impounded on several occasions during the martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
era in post-war Taiwan for discussing forbidden subjects.
Early years
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
. Christian missionaries in southern Taiwan were anxious that their congregations should learn to read and write, and were convinced that romanised script (i.e. Pe̍h-ōe-jī) was easier to learn than Chinese characters. James Laidlaw Maxwell
James Laidlaw Maxwell
James Laidlaw Maxwell Senior was the first Presbyterian missionary to Taiwan . He served with the English Presbyterian Mission....
, a medical missionary, donated a small printing press to the church in 1880, but at the time nobody in Tainan
Tainan
Tainan City is a city in southern Taiwan. It is the fifth largest after New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei. It was formerly a provincial city, and in 2010, the provincial city merged with the adjacent Tainan County to form a single special municipality. Tainan faces the Taiwan Strait in...
knew how to operate it.
In 1881 while on furlough in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Thomas Barclay studied printing techniques, and on his return to Tainan he sent others for printing training and set up a machine shop, which started printing in 1884. Then in June 1885 came the first issue of the Tâi-oân-hú-siâⁿ Kàu-hōe-pò (Tainan Church News), which thus became the first printed newspaper in Taiwan.
The newspaper was just one of the products of the new press, and William Campbell
William Campbell (missionary)
William Campbell was a Scottish missionary to Taiwan. He wrote extensively on topics related to Taiwan and was also responsible for founding the island's first school for the blind. Interested in the early history of the island , his knowledge of the time was such that he was called "without...
was later able to proudly write that "our Taiwan Mission Press turned out 700,357 pages, chiefly in the dialect or brogue of South Formosa during 1913". In 1915 the newspaper was reported as having a circulation of roughly 1,600.
World War II to the present
In 1942 after JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
declared war on each other, the missionaries were expelled from Taiwan, which was at the time a Japanese colony, and the press was closed. After the defeat of Japan and the takeover by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
, the Taiwan Church News resumed publication. However, in 1969 the printing of the Taiwan Church News in Pe̍h-ōe-jī was banned by the Kuomintang government of the time, who were taking action to restrict the use of local languages.
From that point on, the publication appeared in Mandarin Chinese characters, and even after the restrictions were lifted in the 1980s, Mandarin continued to be the dominant language, with "native languages" (Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka and Formosan languages
Formosan languages
The Formosan languages are the languages of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Taiwanese aborigines currently comprise about 2% of the island's population. However, far fewer can still speak their ancestral language, after centuries of language shift...
) confined to a "Mother Tongue Section" from 1991 onwards. On several occasions the magazine was confiscated by the authorities for running articles on forbidden topics, such as a discussion of the 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
which saw the entire print run of 6,700 copies seized in 1987.
The modern incarnation of the periodical takes the form of a weekly magazine, plus ad hoc English reports on the organization's website.