The Culture Bridge

Here is a fascinating article in the Asia Times on the People's Republic of China's (PRC's) attempt to draw Taiwan closer through cultural ties.

It is interesting to note that while China has absorbed much of Taiwan's popular culture in the past, the nature of the relationship on the ground is beginning to shift almost irrespective of the positions taken by the two governments. Because Taiwan was able to preserve many of the old Chinese traditions lost on the mainland during the Cultural Revolution, the island is looked at by many as a caretaker. Taiwan's use of traditional characters in contrast to the simplified version used in the PRC is one example. Of more interest is the initiative on the part of Chinese temple officials to reach out to Taiwan.

Temple officials in China's Fujian province have sought help from Taiwan's Da Jia Jenn Lann Temple in rebuilding their destroyed or neglected temples to honor the Fujian-born Goddess of the Sea, Mazu - and in reviving the tradition of honoring her. Immigrants from Fujian brought their faith in Mazu to Taiwan in the 17th century. Since then, Taiwanese people's worship of her has never waned, but only grown in scale and elaborateness.

Mazu is a powerful symbol in Chinese and Taiwanese culture, acting as a patron saint of many Southern Chinese and Southeast Asians. She not only is regarded as the protector of fishermen and sailors, but also hears concerns regarding farming, health, and relationships. Fujian province - where Mazu originates - was a source of many Chinese immigrants to Taiwan. This shared history and culture has helped foster cross-strait relations independent of the government initiatives.

The general trend of improving Taiwan-China relations is a good thing in and of itself, but there are valid concerns with Taiwan getting lost somewhere in all of this. Yet the growing links at the local level, such as those regarding the legacy of Mazu, are much more honest and less problematic. They are free of the level of bureaucracy found in government relations which are plagued by concerns of security and sovereignty.

While these local relations have the potential to influence the higher levels, they will be slow to develop and relatively limited in scope at first. With the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) now in effect, cross-strait relations are set to undergo some major changes. If China allows Taiwan to pursue free-trade agreements with other countries and does not simply flood the Taiwanese market with cheaper goods, then ECFA could work in tandem with local solidarity. If not, these local-level ties will not amount to much in the big picture.