GBH Openvault

Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan; Interview with Ong Yuan, Part 1 of 2

Part of Stories of East and South East Asia.

Interview with Ong Yuan. Question 1. You told us a story the last time about how, when the Nationalists were losing the war, the communists sent a peace delegation to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, saying they wanted him to resign as president and go abroad. Could you tell us this story again, and how this showed Chiang Kai-shek's determination and patriotism... (question is repeated twice more) Question 3. You told us that the loss to the communists wasn't the Generalissimo's fault, that he worked and worked but it was like "an ocean wave taking people away." Could you describe how hard he worked, how it was like this "wave"? Question 4. Could you tell us your impressions of Taiwan and the Taiwanese, when you landed here? Did the people seem Japanese-influenced? or Chinese? Question 5. Did you feel you were still in China? or you had left China behind? just part of retreat, just follow his orders, really loyal. (question is repeated one more time) Question 7. You described the marriage of the Generalissimo and Mme Chiang Kai-shek as "political." Could you explain this? Question 7A. What are the words you would use to describe the Generalissimo? Question 9. You tell in your book a lovely story about President Eisenhower's 1960 visit to Taiwan, how President Chiang Kai-shek's office was so modest that it didn't even have air conditioning. Could you tell that story for us, briefly?


License Clip
Program
Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan
Title

Interview with Ong Yuan, Part 1 of 2

Program Description

Weaving personal testimonies with rare archival film, this documentary examines the forces that have shaped the past and present of the tiny island 90 miles off the shores of China -- forces that continue to make Taiwan vulnerable to major power confrontations in the near future. The rare footage -- carefully stored and preserved over the years in a major film archive in Taiwan -- is a critical element of this program, which begins in 1895 as the Sino-Japanese war was ending in victory for Japan.

Duration

00:30:09

Asset Type

Raw Footage

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Peoples of East Asia
Military Forces and Armaments
Politics and Government
History
Genres
Documentary
Topics
Global Affairs
Creators
Vecchione, Judith (Producer)
Wren, Deborah (Narrator)
Contributors
Yuan, Ong (Interviewee)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan; Interview with Ong Yuan, Part 1 of 2,” GBH Archives, accessed December 22, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_833895029740430799811DCFB1B130EE.
MLA: “Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan; Interview with Ong Yuan, Part 1 of 2.” GBH Archives. Web. December 22, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_833895029740430799811DCFB1B130EE>.
APA: Tug of War: The Story of Taiwan; Interview with Ong Yuan, Part 1 of 2. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_833895029740430799811DCFB1B130EE
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