“Colonies and Cities” is a compilation of the symposium in 2012 by the group “The Modernization and Transition of Literature and Art”. And professor Wu and Chi were specially invited to give a talk with the readers.

Professor Chi said that Taiwan was special with the fact that it was colonized by plenty of political powers while this situation made Taiwan be able to connect with the world with various angles.

Professor Wu indicated that, speaking of the colonial problems in Taiwan, the relations with Japan was most likely to be associated with. In the duration between 1895 and 1945 Taiwan was a colony of Japan. Why Japan could become this sort of country of imperialism and modernization at that time?

Professor Wu explained that from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 Japan commenced to develop toward modernization. In1894 there happened the First Sino-Japanese War and in 1905 the Russo-Japanese War occurred. The victories of japan in the two wars shocked not merely the Asian countries but around the world; furthermore, that period was a turning point for Japan to become a modern country.

Nevertheless, modernization brought both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, Japan was acclaimed with the conquest of the two great powers. On the other hand, the triumph cost it a lot because Japan borrowed a great amount of national debt from the United Kingdom due to the war; therefore, it was faced with the fiscal difficulties and this situation, undoubtedly, directly gave rise to the impact on the commoners.

The similar process of modernization also occurred to Taiwan. Take a piece of work of new Taiwanese literature as an instance. The establishment of the sugar refineries showed the prosperity of the cities while, in contrast, the peasants were exploited by the colonialists.

Professor Chi elaborated that the name of the book “Colonies and Cities” was worth noticing that the so-called cities indicated not only one city but several. In other words, not just Taipei but how Tokyo reigned Taipei were discussed, and Seoul was not the exception.

There’s no doubt that Taiwan’s internal problems were greatly discussed in this work. For example, in the past time the love stories were popular with the operation of the railway system between Taipei and Kaohsiung. It’s a truly modern event and, simultaneously, the heritage of colony.

Professor Chi also indicated that the gender study from female issues, problems of female employment and female workers to poor female, homosexual and transsexual, were the aim of the research group in the future.

In the end of the symposium both professor Chi and Wu considered that Taiwan was ruled by several foreign regimes so that a number of materials and the inner thoughts of people then were covered in the literary works. And the researchers have to earnestly explore the facts and once again make the public know what is Taiwan.