On April 1, the National Central Library, in partnership with University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, jointly hosted a lecture. The event featured Dr. Lin Yu-ju as the keynote speaker. The lecture, titled "Commercial Resilience between the Cracks of Empires: A Leading Seafood Merchant in Southern Taiwan (1894-1941)," was moderated by Ms. Lucy Li, UW’s China & Taiwan Studies Librarian.
Dr. Lin is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica, and a professor at National Taipei University. A 2024 recipient of the NSTC Outstanding Research Award, she has served as a visiting scholar at prestigious institutions globally, including Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of Tokyo. Her research encompasses Taiwan's commercial, socio-economic, and maritime history, alongside Qing dynasty and regional studies. Dedicated to the internationalization of Taiwan historical studies, Dr. Lin has authored and edited numerous influential publications. Her notable works include the co-edited volume Merchant Communities in Asia 1600-1980 (2015) and the Chinese monographs Coastal Lives: Port Cities, Communities, and Society in Qing-Era Taiwan (2022) and The Transformation of the Colonial Frontier by a National Policy Company (2011).
During her presentation, Dr. Lin focused on the life of Wang Ruzhen (1880–1953) and his Jinyixing Firm. She explored how Wang, despite originating from a modest family of civil servants, built a thriving enterprise and achieved upward social mobility during the tumultuous transition from Qing rule to Japanese colonial administration. To reconstruct this historical narrative, Dr. Lin utilized diverse primary sources, including Nagasaki Taiyi Firm documents, household registration records, newspapers, autobiographies, and travel permits. Her analysis highlighted how the firm adapted its strategies to navigate shifting imperial power dynamics and global economic fluctuations.
Furthermore, Dr. Lin examined Wang’s identity transformation as a merchant and his proactive adoption of modern business practices to excel under the new colonial system. His story serves as a profound testament to the "commercial resilience" of Taiwanese merchants operating between competing empires.
The lecture drew an enthusiastic response from the UW academic community. Following the presentation, Dr. Lin engaged in fruitful exchanges with faculty, including Professor Matthew Mosca, and students. Ultimately, the event provided a rich historical perspective, significantly deepening the international academic community's understanding of Taiwan’s complex socio-economic and maritime heritage.