Islands in the Wind
Islands in the Wind
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HARBOURFRONT CENTRE
TORONTO ON
ABOUT TAIWANFEST
ABOUT
TAIWANFEST
In 2016, TAIWANfest began a "Dialogue with Asia" series. Each year, the festival starts the conversation with a different culture, sharing untold stories of Taiwan in the global context. In 2022, TAIWANfest has embarked on a new chapter with the "Dialogue with the World" series.
Scotland
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Portugal
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Spain
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The Netherlands
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Indonesia & Malaysia
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South Korea
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Vietnam
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Philippines
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Japan
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Hong Kong
Programs
Programs
Formosa Pavilion
When the Mountains Sing
Nanwang Sisters ft. Special Guest
Gender Forum
Island Love
P!SCO
Hakka Pavilion
Collective Island
Ted LIAO
Craft
Artist Market
Local & International Artists
Hakka Pavilion
The New Soul of Hakka Mountain Song
ZiXuan HUANG
Formosa Pavilion
The Red Brick Era of Northern Taiwan
LI Chien-lang, Ron SHIEH
Formosa Pavilion
From Scotland to Changhua: Taiwan’s Healthcare Education History
Changhua Christian Hospital Historical Museum
Hakka Pavilion
From Tartan to Floral Fabric: Cultural Symbols or Stereotypes?
TAIWANfest
Formosa Pavilion
From Heroic Narratives to Historical Reflection
TAIWANfest
program category
#behindTaiwanfest
Dialogue with Scotland?
Scottish people migrated to both Canada and Taiwan in the 18th century. The Scots that settled in Canada and the missionaries sent to Taiwan all had lasting impacts on each society. The Scottish Enlightenment played a role in Canada and Taiwan’s medical and education institutions. There are other similarities, too—such as the language reclamation movement happening across all three countries. In this Dialogue, we are exploring the lines between self-expression and belonging.
Photo Source: Getty Images
Today, Taiwan’s healthcare system is one of the best in the world. Did you know this was influenced by Scottish missionaries? In the 1800s, many Presbyterian missionaries came to Taiwan. During their respective Missions, they built clinics, schools, and even established the first printed press on the island. The impact of the Scottish Enlightenment can be seen across modern day Taiwan.
Source: Changhua Christian Hospital Historical Museum
Many universities across Canada were established by Scottish-Canadians-among them, McGill and Dalhousie. Canada's higher education system is influenced by the Scottish Enlightenment. Schools were modelled after “seminaries”, expanding beyond theology courses, into the lectures and electives system we are familiar with today.
Born in Canada in 1844, George Leslie Mackay was the first Canadian Presbyterian missionary to northern Taiwan. The Mackay family comes from the Scottish Highlands, immigrating to Canada in 1830. In 1872, Mackay and his companions arrived at what is now known as Tamsui.
Source: Wikipedia
In 1869, John Dodd, of Scottish descent, and Li Chun-sheng of Dadaocheng, Taiwan, shipped Taiwanese oolong tea from Taiwan to New York City in the United States, marking a milestone in the international expansion of the Formosa Oolong brand. The two men were respectively honoured with the titles ‘Father of Taiwanese Oolong Tea’ and ‘Father of Taiwanese Tea’.
Photo Source: Getty Images
Scottish people are one of the first to immigrate to Canada and settle. The first two Prime Ministers were Scottish-born. The Scottish migration came because of conflicts within Scotland at that time—such as the Jacobite Risings or the Highland Clearances—and also because of famine, when farmers were encouraged to take up farmland in Canada.
Nowadays, when we think of Scotland, the iconic tartan comes to mind. The colourful checkered wool is actually from Scotland’s Highland culture. Can you think of other regional specialties that have been used as national cultural symbols? Do these symbols pique our curiosity to learn more about cultural identity, or do they become stereotypes for a country?
Photo Source: Getty Images
Did you know? You can find Greek columns in the architecture around Edinburgh. These columns, while Greek in origin, symbolize wisdom and advancement in knowledge. During the Scottish Enlightenment in the late 18th century, the city became the centre for philosophical, medical, and academic thought. Many of the Scottish missionaries that came to Taiwan were educated in Edinburgh.
Source: Edinburgh Expert – Gareth Davies
Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, along with his wife Margaret Macdonald, were influential figures in the Art Nouveau movement. His innovative approach to architecture and interior design was influenced by modernism, and also Japanese art. When Japan ended its isolationist policy, many Western artists were heavily intrigued and inspired by Japanese art, giving rise to the French term “Japonisme”.
Music is an excellent way to preserve language. In Nova Scotia, there are communities that are fluent in Gaelic, using song and storytelling to pass onto the next generation. We also see Indigenous communities do the same in both Taiwan and Canada.
James Laidlaw Maxwell established the first Presbyterian church in Taiwan; he and his sons were also associated with the first Western hospital in Taiwan. Thomas Barclay introduced the first printed newsletter on the island, the Taiwan Church News, using the printing press that Maxwell donated to the church. David Landsborough III founded the Changhua Christian Hospital and performed the first skin graft in Taiwan’s history. Landsborough IV was born in Changhua, and continued his father’s medical legacy in Taiwan, serving the people of the island selflessly.
Source: Wikipedia
George Leslie Mackay founded Taiwan’s first modern Western-style school, the Oxford College. He also founded the Tamsui Women’s School with his wife, 張聰明 Tiuⁿ Chhang-miâ, who became a teacher at the school. She was the first Taiwanese woman to travel around the world, accompanying her husband. The school was the first women’s school in Taiwan.
Source: Rather Burn Out Than Rust Out: Mackay and His Beloved Formosa (Wu Che Yu)
Deep Dives
Deep Dives
AUG 29 SAT
Formosa Pavilion - Sung-En LIN (Senayan)
AUG 29 SAT
Gender Forum - Nathalie CHANG (CHANG Yi-Hsum)
AUG 29 SAT
Formosa Pavilion - Ipo DEMALADAS aka. Hilo WANG (Nanwang sisters)
AUG 30 SUN
Paige WEN
AUG 30 SUN
Formosa Pavilion - Mimi SUNG
AUG 30 SUN
Kevin JAMES
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Toronto TAIWANfest is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.