For the first time in Taiwan’s history, a novel awarded the ‘International Booker Prize’ has reignited discussions surrounding the island’s evolving identity. This novel presents an authentic historical experience of Taiwan that sharply contrasts with the long-standing narrative promoted by Beijing.
The discussions about the novel titled ‘Taiwan Travelogue’ have emerged amidst highly sensitive cross-strait (China-Taiwan) relations. Divergent interpretations of Taiwan’s history influence the public debates about the island’s future and its relationship with mainland China.
Set in 1938 during Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan, the novel is presented as a fictional translation. Its storyline follows a Japanese novelist and his Taiwanese translator as they embark on a culinary journey across the island. Through explorations of food, language, personal relationships, and the unequal dynamics between colonial rulers and the colonized, themes of power, memory, and identity are illuminated.
While such themes might typically be confined to literary circles, tensions in the Taiwan Strait and disputes over Taiwanese identity have imbued the novel with significant political weight. Beijing maintains a policy asserting Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force for unification if deemed necessary.
Although the United States and many other countries do not officially recognize Taiwan as an independent state, Washington has committed to supplying arms and opposing any forceful attempts at takeover.
Author Yang Huang-ji portrays Taiwan as a society shaped by a blend of indigenous, Chinese, Japanese, and local influences. This cultural amalgamation distinguishes Taiwan socially and historically from both Japan and China. The novel’s international acclaim has helped amplify this message globally.
The novel previously won Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Tripod Award in 2021 and the National Book Award for Translated Literature in the United States in 2024. Recently, it also secured the esteemed International Booker Prize. Translated into multiple languages, the book enjoys popularity among readers outside Taiwan.
Yang openly connects the novel to questions surrounding Taiwan’s identity and future. Translator Lin King shared her perspectives at the Booker Prize ceremony in London on May 19, announcing a decision to focus on translating works from Taiwan after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lin emphasized her commitment to preventing any provocation or mockery regarding Taiwan’s situation.
The novel’s prospects of entering the mainland Chinese market appear slim. Beijing has already issued indirect criticism of the book. Following its international success, the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office advised Taiwanese authors to “appropriately confront the history of Japanese aggression” and encouraged works promoting national revival and cross-strait exchanges.
On popular mainland Chinese social media platforms like the video site Bilibili, the novel has faced harsh criticism. Some vloggers accused the author of glorifying Taiwan under Japanese occupation in the late 1930s — a period when mainland Chinese were enduring the brutalities of Japanese invasion.
The critique of glorifying Japanese colonialism is a primary source of Beijing’s displeasure. China is also unhappy with Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its leader William Lai Ching-te on this basis, repeatedly accusing Lai of distorting history and aligning Taiwan with Japanese factional interests against China.
Each chapter of the novel is titled after Taiwanese dishes, using food not only as a cultural backdrop but as a symbol of Taiwan itself. This reflects a society shaped by diverse cultural influences, none of which exclusively define it.
Critics suggest the novel reinforces Taiwan’s separate identity. Huang Hui-hua, director of Taipei’s think tank Taiwan Global Talk, stated, “During Japanese rule, people spoke fluent Japanese, adopted Japanese names, and wore Japanese clothing, yet they could not be transformed into Japanese.”
Japanese colonial assimilation policies failed to make Taiwanese people Japanese. Afterwards, Chiang Kai-shek’s government and the Kuomintang (KMT) promoted Chinese identity, but that too could not fully assimilate Taiwanese identity.
In 1949, following defeat in China’s civil war, Chiang’s Kuomintang fled to Taiwan and ruled the island under authoritarian governance until the late 1980s.
Huang added, “Therefore, it is challenging for China to alter Taiwanese identity based on shared language and ancestry. Although China has sought to impose Chinese identity through unification policies, Taiwan’s identity today has fully evolved into a distinct Taiwanese one without strong Chinese characteristics.”
Offering a different perspective, Wang Kung-yi, head of Taipei’s Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, noted that since the DPP’s administration, Taiwanese identity has become more politicized, focusing on independence and self-determination.
According to Wang, the emphasis on “resisting China and defending Taiwan” has strengthened, especially among younger generations, and has become mainstream public opinion.
She added, “If mainland China desires peaceful unification, it must first address the changing public attitudes in Taiwan, which is no easy task. Beijing needs to promote a more inclusive Chinese identity and continue favorable policies and cross-strait integration initiatives that can gain popular support on the island.”
Wang said that if the Kuomintang party returns to power, it could also play a significant role. The KMT’s stance towards mainland China differs considerably from the DPP’s. KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wun asserts that an individual can simultaneously be both Taiwanese and Chinese, and that peace across the strait must be maintained.
Wang identified upcoming local elections in November and the 2028 presidential vote as important indicators. A strong KMT performance could signal rising acceptance of broader Chinese identity and peaceful coexistence among the Taiwanese population.
