Taiwan Church News
3373 Edition
October 13 – 23, 2016
Church Ministry
Rev Thomas Barclay And Rev Duncan Ferguson Remembered In A Tainan Peace Parade
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan
For Tainan, the most populous and important city of southern Taiwan in 19th century, 20th October 1895 is a historical date about her fate. A seemingly inevitable bloody fighting, ready to be launched by the Japanese military forces to take over Tainan after Qing dynasty’s signature of the treaty of Shimonoseki, was finally negotiated with a peaceful outcome. This remarkable peaceful achievement is attributed to the courage and wisdom of two Scotland missionaries: Rev Thomas Barclay And Rev Duncan Ferguson who were commissioned by local businessmen and nobility to avoid a possible brutal killing and belligerent devastation.
To let Taiwan society acknowledge and learn more about this historical story, a parade remembering Tainan Peace Day was held at Tainan on 20 October 2016. Many organizations and renown guests, including Tainan Theological College and Seminary(chief secretary Mr Lin Wen-tze), Chang Jung Girls’ High School(principal Tsai Yu-ming), Chang Jung High School(former principal Tsai Chung-hsiung), Culture and Arts Foundation of Tainan Enterprise(Mr Yeh Chong-li), Chu-Ting Tông(Director Wang Tse-soh), Ersing Li Community Development Association(president Wu Chong-ching and general secretary Kuo Ching-long) and Ta-chia Elementary School(principal Ru Che-chong) and etc, were invited to join this commemorative parade with a traditional Taiwanese dress which was a common wear in 1895.
At the destination of this parade, now called Ching Wang Temple, where two Scotland missionaries met the Japanese commander general Nogi Maresuke, a series of tutorial activities were held to explain the historical details for the public. Noteworthy were that several manual printing plates with images, like Rev Thomas Barclay, the first printing machine of Taiwan Church press and Thomas Barclay Memorial Church, were manufactured by Tang Fu Printing Museum and installed at site for remembering those peaceful contributions made by missionaries, church and media.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
Rev Dr Thomas Barclay is remembered and thumbed up as ” A Man Dedicated His Whole Life And Love To Formosa” before a tutorial board set up at the destination of Tainan Peace Parade on 20 October 2016.
Children and adolescence have fun in learning manual print of the images like Rev Thomas Barclay, the first printing machine of Taiwan Church press, Thomas Barclay Memorial Church and etc.
Photos by Culture and Arts Foundation of Tainan Enterprise
