The Yellow Tiger Flag of the Republic of Formosa

• National Treasure Intro
• National Treasure Appreciation
• Remaking the Yellow Tiger Flag
• References
• Collection
• Recommended objects

The Yellow Tiger Flag of the Republic of Formosa is one of the three major pieces in the collection of the National Taiwan Museum, and was designated as a national treasure in 2016. But this flag is not the original, rather it is a copy by a Japanese painter called Takahashi Untei during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. So where is the original now and why is the Yellow Tiger Flag of the Republic of Formosa in the Taiwan Museum’s collection a copy?

In 1895, the Qing dynasty signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan, ceding Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan, making it the first Japanese colony. The news was shocking for officials and ordinary people in Taiwan. At that time, Tang Jingsong, the highest official and Governor of Taiwan Province, wrote to the Qing court many times, but he only received unenthusiastic responses. Therefore, Tang Jingsong believed that if he wanted to avoid Japanese rule, he should follow the example of the “Triple Intervention” of Russia, Germany and France who wanted to stop Japanese expansion by preventing some of the Treaty of Shimonoseki’s harsh terms. Therefore, on May 15 of the same year, after close talks between Qiu Fengjia, Tang Jingsong and the Taiwanese gentry, they decided to issue the “Proclamation of the People of Taiwan,” expressing their wish for “self-governance” and appealed to various countries to intervene. On May 25, the “Republic of Formosa” was established, with Tang Jingsong serving as the president. He made an official seal and three yellow tiger flags in blue, which were hung at the Keelung Fortress, the Governor’s Office, and the Tamsui Customs Office. However, Hosea Ballou Morse, the customs officer, refused to hang it in front of the Customs Office.

After Japan viciously attacked Taiwan, Tang Jingsong made a hasty escape and the Republic of Formosa lasted for only 13 days, making it just a flash in the pan.

On June 15 of the same year, Japan begun ruling Taiwan. But what happened to these three flags? According to the memoirs of Hosea Ballou Morse, the flag that he had refused to hang at the Tamsui Customs Office was taken away from Taiwan by him and its whereabouts are still unknown; the location of the flag that was hung at the Governor’s Office is also unknown; the last one that was hung at Keelung Fortress was collected by the Japanese army and presented to the Japanese royal family by Governor Kabayama Sukenori and placed in the Shintenfu at the Japanese Imperial Palace. However, with the passage of time, it is not known whether this flag is still kept there now.

In 1909, when the Museum of the Government-General of Taiwan was preparing to display captured items gained by Japan from the First Sino-Japanese War, Teruaki Miyamoto, the Chief of Staff of the Army Department of the Government-General, was dispatched to collect the war trophies. There, he stumbled across the Yellow Tiger Flag stored in the Shintenfu. The Government-General received royal permission to make a copy of the Yellow Tiger Flag, so he hired Takahashi Untei to make an exact copy of the flag. It is said that there is no difference between the original and the copy. That is why the Yellow Tiger Flag of the Republic of Formosa in the National Taiwan Museum is a copy made by Takahashi Untei, which is the closest to the original flag and has become the most important cultural asset in Taiwan’s history.

According to historical records, the size of the original Yellow Tiger Flag of the Republic of Formosa is about 360cm wide and 242cm long. This shows that the flag is very large and does not differ much in size to the Yellow Tiger Flag now stored in the National Taiwan Museum. James Wheeler Davidson, an American journalist who was invited to observe the ceremony, described the flag as having “a blue background with the center decorated by a hungry-looking yellow tiger possessing a tail of greater length than is customarily allotted to a real tiger.” Hosea Ballou Morse also described the yellow tiger as “waving a long and very aggressive tail in the air.”

For Tang Jingsong, the act of establishing a republic was a last resort for the future of Taiwan, therefore, he did not dare to override the Qing court in designing an official seal and flag. Hence, he chose blue to be the color of the flag for it was the same color as the Han military troops that were the lowest in the Eight Banners system; and used the image of a tiger for it is deemed lower than a dragon, and designed the flag in the form of a square, which resembles a traditional general’s flag.

The National Taiwan Museum (NTM) is the oldest museum in Taiwan, it was formerly known as the Taiwan Governor Museum, which was established in 1908. The artefacts on display were broadly divided into history, anthropology, “south China and south seas policy,” flora and fauna, and mineralogy. Before WWII, there were nearly 10,000 pieces in the museum’s collection; after Japan was defeated in WWII, the administration of the museum was transferred to the Republic of China, and was later renamed Taiwan Provincial Museum. In 1999, due to the Taiwan Provincial Government Restructuring, the management of the museum was transferred to the Ministry of Culture, and renamed NTM.

The NTM inherits the collection of the Taiwan Governor Museum during the Japanese rule, and has accumulated over 120,000 items, including historical materials, indigenous artefacts, flora and fauna, and geological specimens of Taiwan. These items provide a window for the public to learn more about the history of Taiwan. These items have also been digitized and can be seen at “National Taiwan Museum Digital Archive Information System.”

In addition to the rich collection of artefacts related to history, culture, flora and fauna located at the main site of the NTM, the Land Bank Exhibition Hall of the NTM(Natural History Branch) also has a paleontological exhibition, the Nanmen branch of NTM presents the glory days of Taiwan’s camphor industry, and the Railway Department Park at NTM presents the history of Taiwan’s railways and the trajectory of Taiwan’s modern development.