| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 台灣文化及語言文學研究所 === 96 === More and more people are now taking tours around Taiwan, whether by foot, by bicycle, by roller skate, by canoe, by boat, or by plane…etc. It’s worth noticing that some takes it as a way to understand more about the homeland, some takes it as a life’s dream and challenge, while others circle the island declaring their determination to start a new life, to advocate love and peace, to fight for human rights and even against the nuclear power plant! As a result, this thesis focuses on the journeys and voyages around Taiwan, both during the past few centuries and the present time, in order to figure out the cultural meaning of travelling around Taiwan.
According to different motives, the journeys around Taiwan can be divided into three types: productive ones, tourist ones and challenging ones. Productive ones, related to political, commercial and martial affairs such as investigation, inspection, and advertising, are always the first step taken by foreign powers to seize and even to take over Taiwan. Tourist ones come along with the blossom of economy, and therefore can be taken as a part of mass / popular culture. Challenging ones care more about travelers’ spiritual improvement and their interactions with nature. These travels of different types may exist at the same time, but actually with a tendency from productivity to tourism or challenge, from official business to popular recreation.
Moreover, travel may be contributive for barrier breaking, information exchange, and cultural communication; therefore, we can tell from those journeys people’s relationship with nature, and even find out the process Taiwan changing from a passive “Object” to an active “Subject.” Finally comes the dialectical discuss of “diversity and unity,” along with the idea of “diversified community,” with which hopefully to enrich and modify today’s discourse of Taiwan Identity.
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