Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou spent part of his final day in office at a ceremony in honor of Cang Jie (Cāng Jié / 倉頡 / 仓颉), the mythical inventor of Chinese characters. According to Ma, this was the first time in history that such a formal ceremony has been held for Cang Jie.
The ceremony was part of a plan to promote the use of traditional Chinese characters (something that doesn’t need promoting in Taiwan itself) and to make Taipei the world’s “capital of traditional Chinese characters.” Perhaps Hong Kong, which is a much larger city, will be disqualified by the World Capital Police for now having too many simplified characters here and there.
Taipei officials also appear to view traditional Chinese characters as a potential tourist draw. (They could be a draw for foreigners wanting to learn Mandarin — if only the government would clarify its rules and make it easier for people to study here.) Officials, however, seem to be thinking more of potential tourists from China, always a good group to keep in mind. Nevertheless, Taipei wants the tourists on its own terms and is prepared to dole out some tough love. The city, according to Ma — who, as someone in the final hours of his time in office, wouldn’t seem to have much authority on this — will “continue to use traditional Chinese characters in the tourism pamphlets and maps that it publishes so that the Chinese tourists will have an opportunity to learn about the characters and appreciate their beauty.”
Doesn’t Taipei think PRC tourists would get more than enough opportunities here in Taiwan to see traditional Chinese characters without making it harder for them to read tourist maps and tourist brochures? After all, even the DPP-run central government, which can hardly be accused of being friendly to China, has allowed government brochures and Web sites in simplified characters.
sources:
- Taipei mayor urges preserving traditional Chinese characters, CNA, published in the Taiwan News, December 25, 2006
- Hànzì wénhuà jiérì Mǎ Yīngjiǔ: Yán-Huáng zǐsūn yīnggāi bǎocún Hànzì (漢字文化節 馬英九：炎黃子孫應保存漢字), CNA, December 24, 2006