There are some remarkable facts and insights in the book, Formosan Odyssey: Taiwan, Past and Present, by John Grant Ross, and they made me change my ideas on various issues quite a bit. Firstly, I had not realised that Taiwan had been a dependency of Japan from 1895 until 1945. That’s a long period of fifty years, but the fact that I knew nothing of this merely shows my previous ignorance of Taiwanese history. Secondly, I had not known that the French bombarded Taiwan during the war between France and China from 1884 to 1885. Again, this shows my lack of knowledge of the history of this region. Thirdly, I had not realised how densely populated is Taiwan. If you discount small island countries like Singapore, Malta, Barbados, Bahrain, and similar, Taiwan ranks behind only Bangladesh and Palestine for density. But it was the fourth revelation that got me thinking the most, and it is a very peculiar thing. You would not guess what it is even if you tried.
In Chapter Five, Ross tells us that he visited a doctor’s private collection of ‘golden lotus’ shoes in a small suburban hospital in Taipei. He is amazed by what he discovered there, from talking to Dr. Ko Chi-sheng the owner, and from further studies on the topic. He explains that the practice of foot-binding started in China during the reign of Li Yu (961-975) and that it therefore existed for almost a thousand years. At various times during these thousand years, up to 90% of women had their feet bound, and Ross quotes the doctor who started the golden lotus collection as having estimated that three billion women suffered in this way, in other words, the number of women who have had their feet bound throughout time is equal to the number of women on earth today. Women with bound feet could not walk far, because it was too painful. They couldn’t do much physical work; they found travel difficult; the design of households and urban architecture had to take their situation into consideration; it was a way to control their lives; and there were various sexual reasons (which I won’t go into here, but they involve much more than foot fetishism) why foot binding was encouraged. Hindering the physical freedom of such a large proportion of womankind, plus the pain endured during the years of binding, must have had a profound effect on Chinese society and history in numerous ways. Is this also the reason why so few Chinese, apart from those from Guandong where foot binding was not generally practiced, travelled to other parts of the world until relatively recently? The Hakkas, who settled Taiwan and are now the second-largest ethnic group in the country, did not practice foot binding. They were from Guandong.
Elsewhere in this book there are more fascinating facts. We all know that fireworks were invented in China, but the list of inventions also includes the compass, paper and printing, the wheelbarrow, matches, playing cards, ringing bells, the iron plough, the stirrup and the rudder. Some of these things, especially the plough, have had a profound effect on society.
And there is more. In the 17th century, in certain parts of the island, nudity was a legal requirement, and people could get fined if they were caught wearing clothes. Parts of the island were wild and inhospitable, and headhunting was common.
I enjoyed reading about Ross’ travels. He cycles up the east coast, visits the Taroka Gorge, finds various noisy religious processions to watch, talks to some interesting characters, gives a feel for the history of Taiwan, especially the indigenous people, and does so with a sense of humour.