Island Fantasy

Island Fantasia: Imagining Subjects on the Military Frontline between China and Taiwan

"One island, one life" is a familiar slogan for unity in Taiwan today against the epidemic. In fact, this spiritual slogan appeared half a century ago and was widely distributed in the Matsu Islands, which are familiar to us yet unfamiliar to us - familiar in terms of its geographical existence, unfamiliar in terms of everything else.
This book is the first ethnography of Matsu. Rather than adopting a Cold War framework of viewing Matsu from above, the author explores a bottom-up perspective, bringing us closer to the lives and inner experiences of the Matsu people.
For a long time, the Matsu Islands were merely a collection of islands scattered off the coast of southeastern China. However, due to the US-Soviet Cold War and the cross-strait conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the islands suddenly became a frontier battlefield and were forced to accept military rule. However, after military rule faded into history in 1992 and Matsu emerged from its battlefield status, the island faced a crisis of marginalization, leaving the Matsu people perplexed and anxious about their future.
Lin Wei-pin, the author of this book, first visited Matsu in 2006 and has since returned repeatedly over the past decade for in-depth field research, reflecting on how the people of Matsu are re-imagining themselves and the island's future. Her vibrant prose vividly depicts Matsu from its early days as a fishing village, through the military rule of the 20th century, and into the 21st century. Throughout the book, the core concepts of "working small to achieve great things" and "imagination" are meticulously analyzed, demonstrating how these have evolved throughout history and continue to influence the actions of the island's inhabitants.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the island's history, describing the stark differences between Matsu society before and after 1949 and revealing the special significance of gambling on Matsu. With the end of military rule, new media technologies (the internet) were introduced to Matsu. The second part explores the importance of the internet in building an imagined community on Matsu. The third part discusses the various post-Martial Law era imaginaries of the island's future (including cross-sea pilgrimages and gambling schemes) and the generational differences revealed in these imaginaries.
Taiwan and Matsu share similar circumstances. As islands sandwiched between powerful powers, each time local geopolitics shifts, they must quickly adapt, reposition themselves, and strive to strengthen and even forge connections with the world. Therefore, the story of Matsu is the story of Taiwan; the attempts and efforts of the Matsu people are worthy of reflection and learning for Taiwan.
The English version of this book is the first in the "Cambridge Taiwan Studies Series", and the Chinese version was rewritten and revised by the author himself.

2023-03-07

春山出版公司

360

9786267236185