A writer from the Taiwan region recently retraced the footsteps of underground operatives of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on the island, shedding light on a long-overlooked chapter of Taiwan's modern history.
In a quiet corner of Miaoli County, nestled among mist-shrouded mountains, a weathered pavilion stands as a silent witness to this hidden past.
Writer Lan Bozhou recently visited the site, once a discreet teahouse that served as a clandestine meeting place for members of CPC underground organizations.
Lan described Miaoli as the center of CPC underground activity on the island in the early 1950s.
"This way, the road leads to Yutengping in Sanyi Town. There were reliable local supporters there who could shelter them (members of CPC underground organizations). This way, the road leads to Dahu and Shitan towns. Heading north, along Provincial Highway 3, they'd pass messages about whether an area was safe or not," Lan said, gesturing toward the surrounding hills.
Following the exposure of the CPC Taiwan Provincial Working Committee, established to resist the Chinese Kuomintang's (KMT) rule in Taiwan, and the arrest of its key figures, some of the remaining members who hadn't been caught fled to places like Miaoli, according to Lan.
"This was a 'no-man's-land' where they felt relatively safe. This is Tongxiao Town, where they were also active. Shengxing became the CPC underground organization's new headquarters. The leaders gathered here, among the mountains. But by 1952, with the leaders arrested, the revolution history of the CPC in Taiwan was effectively over. The last stronghold of revolution in Taiwan was right here, among these mountains," said the writer.
Writer uncovers hidden history of CPC's underground operatives in Taiwan
