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John chats with Michael Aldrich, author of “Old Lhasa: A Biography,” about relations between Taiwan and Tibet (specifically the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala, India). Despite Taipei and Dharamshala sharing a common foe, this relationship was for decades a difficult one. First of all, there was Taiwan’s rather comical claim of sovereignty over the Roof of the World (as reflected in the ROC government agency responsible for it, the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission.) And although Taipei’s various aid programs were appreciated, there was also often-secret involvement in Tibetan exile politics.
A turning point came in 1997 with the landmark visit of the Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and head of the Tibetan exiles, or, according to the Chinese Communist Party, a “splittist” and a “wolf in monk’s robes.” His visit was a tremendous success and led to the establishment of an Office of Tibet in Taiwan. We hear (via a translation read by Eryk) from Kelsang Gyaltsen, the chief representative of the office, about the warm Taiwan–Tibet relations enjoyed today.
Cover image: His Holiness the Dalai Lama meets with Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui in Taipei, Taiwan on March 27, 1997. (Photo courtesy/OHHDL)
Below: Old Lhasa: A Biography by Michael Aldrich,
Below: President Ma Ying-jeou, then Taipei City Mayor, greets the Dalai Lama during his 2001 visit to Taiwan.(Photo via Taiwan Today/CNA)
Below: Via Trip Advisor: "Located in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. Dharamshala also has beautiful tea gardens and its Kangra tea is famous all over the world. On this day-long tour explore the Tibetan quarter of McLeodGanj, visit St. John’s church, walk around the Dal Lake and watch Tibetan artisans at work."
Read the story of the 1959 Tibetan uprising.
Below: the logo of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC), a ministry-level commission of the Executive Yuan in the ROC (Taiwan). It was disbanded on 15 September 2017.
Below: The current Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center 蒙藏文化中心 in Da An District, Taipei. It is run under the Ministry of Culture. Photo via By Tzuhsun Hsu/Wikimedia Commons
Below: Taipei Times article - ‘Something about the quietude’ Photo by Thomas Bird, Taipei Times
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Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
