Whose "Motherland" Is It? 「祖國」是誰的國？

Rethinking Taiwan's History From the Age of Exploration Onwards

從近代初期海洋看台灣歷史

The term “祖國 Ancestral Land” often refers to the People’s Republic of China governed by the Chinese Communist Party within Taiwan’s historical and contemporary context. However, the term originates from Western concepts such as homeland—terms like fatherland, motherland, pátria, or patria. In early East Asian and Taiwanese history, the idea of a “nation-state” or nationalist identity as we know it today did not actually exist. At the time, when people left their hometowns to build new lives elsewhere, their longing was more for “home” or “hometown,” or what is called “祖家 Ancestral Home” (chó͘-ke) in Taiwanese (Zhangzhou dialect).

To clarify this historical context, we must revisit the history of East Asia and Taiwan. By examining the movement of maritime communities during that period, we explore how diverse ethnic groups interacted across the seas. An extraordinary number of people traversed the ocean: From the first Portuguese arrivals to other Western powers, how did they engage with the local populations in East Asia? On a small island like Taiwan, how many untold stories and hidden footprints remain?

Through a deeper investigation into the ocean, language, and culture, we will re-examine East Asia’s international dynamics and see how Taiwan, as a small island inhabited by ordinary people, was swept into the turbulent currents of global history. Let’s re-evaluate the debates on Taiwanese subjectivity and national identity—and open new directions for dialogue and understanding.

 

「祖國」這個看似清晰的概念，在台灣的歷史與現實語境中，常特指由共產黨統治的中華人民共和國。然而，「祖國」一詞源於西方「homeland」（如fatherland、motherland、pátria、patria）的概念。在早期的東亞與台灣歷史中，這種「國族國家」的概念其實並不存在。當時，人們離鄉背井、建立新家園時，更多的思念是關於「家」、「故鄉」，或台語（漳州語）所稱的「祖家」（chó͘-ke）。

為了釐清這段歷史脈絡，我們將回溯至近代初期的東亞與台灣歷史。從當時海上人群的頻繁活動中，探究多元族群如何往來互動。當時，超乎想像的人群在海上航行，留下豐富的歷史痕跡。從最早抵達的葡萄牙人，到其他西方勢力，他們如何與東亞在地居民互動？在「台灣」這樣一個小小的東亞島嶼上，究竟能承載多少不為人知的足跡？

透過對海洋、語言與文化的深入探索，我們將重新審視東亞的國際局勢，看台灣如何從小島小民，捲入世界的歷史漩渦。最終，這一切都將引導我們重新檢討「台灣」主體性與國族再認同的紛爭根源，並開啟新的論述方向。

 

Conducted in Mandarin with English Interpretation