Fieldnotes From History (3)

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Fieldnotes From History."

Part of an occasional “Round and Square” series that follows the blog’s main theme (east meets west, round meets square, and past meets present), these snippets from my early fieldnotes are reproduced as they were written by hand—and then revised on an ancient desktop computer—during my fieldwork stay in Taiwan (1985-1987).  All entries are the way that I left them when I returned to the United States in 1987 (some nicely-stated and some embarrassing). I will allow myself an occasional comment when something makes me wince after a quarter century.


Comment—While I generally still hold the views stated on "Confucianism," my confident use of the "—ism" and my certainty about its place in Chinese culture has given way to shades of gray.
 

5 May 1985

Taipei

I spent the day wandering through temples in Taipei. I began by going to the Confucius Temple, a new structure, dedicated in 1972, on Ku Lun Road. It was quiet and open, with many ponds and walkways. People walked, read books, and talked quietly. Serene is an overused word, but it fits the Confucian Temple. Right across the street was the Pao An (Bao An) Temple, a 230 year-old Daoist structure. The differences between the two could not have been more marked. The Bao An Temple was crowded with people, from the very young to very old. There were two shows going on in separate areas of the park. One was an amateurish opera, the other an amateurish comedy act. Bao An was a gathering place; the Confucian Temple was a place for walking and thinking, like Confucianism itself. Westerners often think of Confucianism as a religion. It isn’t. It is closer to the philosophy of Aristotle or Plato, but its doctrines cover everything from relations between family members to government policy. Confucianism has shaped Chinese culture in a way that most Westerners can’t understand. Even the People’s Republic’s government, which has officially denounced Confucius and his teachings, can’t ignore Confucianism’s influence; the governmental pronouncements they put out are like a cake: only the frosting is Marxist.

After the temples, I hoped to have a good look at the city as I whole. I traveled from the temples to the Grand Hotel, which is one of the highest points in the Taipei. I could see that the mountains form a background on all four sides of the city. Taipei is set in a basin, and this is a significant cause of the area's humidity and pollution. The stale, dirty air just sits here for weeks; only typhoon winds give the city respite, with an infusion of oxygen that also sends the refuse to the Philippines. Before long, though, my pulmonary reverie was broken by a distinguished woman who, with great fanfare, stepped out of her limousine and entered the hotel. A small crowd happened to be at the front of the hotel. Everyone hushed. In one arm she carried an alligator purse; in the other she lugged a jumbo box of Pampers.