Artist paints legacy of patriotic general

Hsueh Ying-tung, an anime director from Taiwan, aims to breathe new life into the story of the legendary hero Zheng Chenggong (1624-62) through captivating animations and immersive gaming experiences that portray the general's struggles at sea and his courageous defense of the homeland.

"I really admire him navigating the treacherous waters and fighting to safeguard the nation's land and sovereignty," said Hsueh, who has heard the legendary tales of Zheng from a young age as the general made land on the island at his hometown Tainan.

Hsueh's childhood explorations would often lead him to the historical sites where Zheng clashed with the Dutch invaders, particularly at the fortress originally constructed by the Dutch as Fort Zeelandia, later renamed Anping Old Fort after being taken by Zheng. In his hometown, a special temple dedicated to Zheng further solidified the hero's place in local lore.

"From a young age, I knew that he led a formidable army to liberate Taiwan from Dutch rule and reclaim China's territories. He was a renowned naval commander in our country, a symbol of maritime power," Hsueh said.

"He engaged with different people from other countries, and his thinking was very progressive at that time. His name is also quite cool — Chenggong — meaning success."

Last year marked the 400th anniversary of Zheng's birth, and Hsueh incorporated his understanding of this naval commander into a cartoon character, who was adorned with a ship-shaped headdress and shoes with sea waves.

The character design, predominantly in red, symbolized him as a Chinese general.

Hsueh is also developing a card game that simulates Zheng's historic journey from Xiamen in Fujian province, crossing the sea to the Penghu Islands, landing in Tainan, and engaging in confrontations with Dutch forces.

"I hope to spark curiosity among young people to learn history while playing the game, allowing people to learn about this great hero who defended national interests in our history," he said.

Despite the current attempts by the Democratic Progressive Party to distort this period of history, Hsueh believes that the story of Zheng in Taiwan is deeply ingrained in the hearts of local people.

As he is currently developing cartoon products based on characters from the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period, while learning about the history, he discovered that even back then, people were sent to Taiwan when it was still undeveloped.

It was through the efforts of generations of mainland immigrants settling in Taiwan that it prospered in later years. Hsueh said the oral tradition in his family claims that their ancestors migrated from Fujian to Tainan during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

He is searching for his family genealogy among relatives in Taiwan, hoping to find clues that will lead him to the specific ancestral home in Fujian and reconnect with relatives on the mainland.

"Tracing our roots holds significant meaning," he said.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn