Soft Power: Theme for a Golden Decade

Soft Power: Theme for a Golden Decade
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
June 21, 2010

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-ping led a delegation to Shanghai to discuss direct flights between Songshan Airport and Hongqiao Airport. He spoke of using soft power to move the world. What exactly is Taiwan's "soft power?" How can it move the world?

The theme song of the Taiwan Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo is "Taiwan's Heartbeat." The lyrics proclaim: "I piously light the incense stick. My hand holds a column of hope; A little less hate, a little more us; A little less chill, a little more gentleness; Use freehand to render Cloud Gate, use fireworks to build a city; Matsu abides, generation upon generation of the pious; Sky lanterns ascend, carrying aloft our wishes, no need to delay." The lyrics mention Taroko Gorge and the Lungshan Temple. They mention Mei Nung paper umbrellas and Sanyi woodcarvings. They mention Pingtung Bluefin Tuna and the neon lights of the night market. Visitors from Taiwan were moved to tears.

Make no mistake. This is the Taiwan we grew up with. This is the Taiwan we know and love. This is the Taiwan clear in our memories, the one we are eager to promote to the world. But this Taiwan reflects only Taiwan's inner cohesion. To move the world, we must bolster Taiwan's connections to the outside world. We must make Taiwan's connections to the outside world as strong as its internal cohesion. Only then can Taiwan's "soft power" flex its muscles.

The film "Cape No. 7" set box office records on Taiwan. It reduced many to tears. It made many laugh. But it left audiences in Hong Kong, mainland China, and even Japan cold. The reason was its local color, which included a mixture of Mandarin, Hoklo, Japanese, and English jokes. It was a uniquely "Taiwanese" experience. By the same token, if the Taiwan Pavilion theme song were to emphasize the Ba Jia Jiang and Yunghe Soybean Milk, many visitors would be left scratching their heads. That is why the song includes rap, and the lead singer is Jolin Tsai. That is why the Taipei Pavilion hired Wong Lee Hom as Goodwill Ambassador. They were popular in Chinese cities everywhere. These icons of pop culture in Southeast Asia attracted popular attention.

In recent years, Taiwan has gradually developed another kind of introspective self-confidence, rooted in "native" values, different from reckless "Taiwan is knee-deep in money" self-confidence. Today Taiwan needs more than just the ability to "connect with the outside world." It needs a more universal vision. It needs to connect with a more international aesthetic. The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and Franz Porcelain are no longer the only cultural creative achievements capable of showcasing Taiwan's achievements. Other bits and pieces of culture and cultural artifacts are also worth introducing to the world.

For example, Luo Chi-cheng, newly appointed Chairman of the Kuanghua Cultural Centre, recently organized a series of exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan. He invited 20 cultural leaders from Taiwan to attend a forum in Hong Kong. Included were works by famed crossover Hong Kong author Wang Wenhua, "knowledge as value" illusionist Chan Hong-chi, and "First Witch of Taipei" Han Liang-lu. These people are all champions of high culture. They also command local market appeal on Taiwan. What matters today is not quasi-official efforts on behalf of "cultural exports." The marketing of art in the modern market place has helped MIT products rid themselves of the OEM label. It has given Sun Chui-feng and Yen Chang-shou the opportunity to represent Taiwan culture.

Today's Taiwan is no longer the OEM Taiwan that sells cheap umbrellas and plastic shoes. Today's Taiwan is not just Acer and Giant. Giant promoted local "bike culture" on Taiwan. It used cycling to encourage the "discovery of a new Taiwan." The Eslite brand has created an elevated "bookstore culture" on Taiwan, the mainland, and Hong Kong. Such achievements are truly remarkable. Proud people on Taiwan how have the courage to promote Taiwan. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-ping personally presented high school students in Shanghai with tickets to Taipei's Flower Expo. Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-chih treated people to Taiwan mangoes in a Beijing supermarket. Their efforts were similarly motivated. They expressed the beauty of both content and form. They elevated Taiwan's soft power to new heights.

As Taiwan connects with the rest of the world, it has proclaimed a desire for peace. "Fewer scars, more applause. Fewer conflicts, more simplicity." The bottom line is that as Taiwan connects with the outside world, it must eventually return to person to person, lifestyle to lifestyle relationships. The best way to enhance the quality of life on Taiwan is summed up in lyrics of the song, "Taiwan's Hearbeat." "This is a land of many, many choices." This was a hard-won achievement. But this soft power is the best way to create a Golden Decade.

在軟實力的主軸上打造黃金十年
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.06.21 02:16 am

松山機場對飛虹橋，台北市長郝龍斌率團訪上海，說要用軟實力感動世界。台灣的「軟實力」是什麼？要如何能讓世界感動？

正在上海世博展出的台灣館，主題曲「台灣心跳聲」，是這麼唱的：「我虔誠點著香，手拿一炷希望；少一點仇恨，多一點的我們；少一點寒冷，多一點的溫存；用狂草寫雲門，用蜂炮築一座城；媽祖永恆，世世代代的虔誠；天燈冉冉在上升，可以許下願望，就別等……」歌詞裡還講到太魯閣和龍山寺，講到美濃紙傘和三義木雕，講到屏東黑鮪魚和夜市霓虹燈，讓很多台灣人聽來熱淚盈眶。

沒錯，這就是我們生長於斯的台灣，是我們熟知且熱愛的台灣，是我們記憶鮮明、樂意向世人推銷的台灣。不過，這些台灣之美，只是台灣內在的強項；要以這樣的力量去感動世人，還需要加強一下台灣和世界的「連結」。把台灣內部的力量和外部的連結搭配起來，才是完整的台灣「軟實力」，也才能彰顯台灣的優勢。

曾經在台灣創下票房紀錄，讓多少人哭、多少人笑的「海角七號」，在香港、大陸、甚至日本上演，並未能引起那麼大的共鳴，因為其中獨特的本土味，包括混雜了國、台、日、英語的對白笑點，可能只有具「台灣經驗」的觀眾群能心領神會。同樣地，世博台灣館的主題曲如果儘在強調八家將和永和豆漿，也未必能讓參觀者全然理解欣賞。於是，這首歌裡有ＲＡＰ，又由蔡依林主唱，就像台北館找來了王力宏當親善大使，這些紅遍華人城市、甚至整個東南亞的流行文化偶像，果然吸引了人氣鼎盛。

這些年，台灣漸漸發展出一種不同於「台灣錢淹腳目」的狂飆年代的自信心，比較能回頭省視、怡然自得於台灣本土之美。現在，台灣需要的不只是「走出去」的動力，更要經由一種比較普世化的途徑，來和國際的美學眼光接軌。可作為文創內涵或示範的已不只是例如雲門舞集或法藍瓷這種「台灣之光」的成績，點點滴滴還有各種精緻文化的代表性人和物，值得向世界推出。

舉例而言，新往香港上任的光華文化中心主任羅智成，最近設計一連串港台交流活動，邀請二十位台灣文化人赴港座談，包括作品已為港人熟知的「跨界修道的蛋白作家」王文華、「用知識創造價值的魔法師」詹宏志、「台北首席女巫」韓良露等人。這些人都是台灣精微文化生活的推手，名單拿出來，在台灣本地也足有市場吸引力。現在重點不僅是台灣的半官方代表努力於「文化外銷」的工作，而且加上了現代市場機制中的行銷藝術，使得行走世界的ＭＩＴ標籤不再只貼在代工商品上面，而是讓從孫翠鳳到嚴長壽，都有了為台灣文化代言的機會。

今天的台灣，已經不是賣廉價雨傘和塑膠鞋的「加工廠」台灣，甚至不只是賣宏碁和捷安特的「品牌」台灣。捷安特在台灣本地帶動了「自行車文化」，擴散而至單車環島的「發現新台灣」風氣；而誠品的品牌，甚至為兩岸三地創造了「書店文化」的高標竿。這樣的成績真是不簡單！自豪的台灣人，如今勇於向外行銷台灣，台北市長郝龍斌親自向上海中學生致贈花博門票，台南縣長蘇煥智在北京超市裡笑顏請人試吃芒果，出於同樣的心意加上努力，結合了台灣之美的內容和手段，把台灣的軟實力推上高峰。

台灣走向世界，不但宣示「少一點傷痕，多一點掌聲；少一點戰爭，多一點單純」這樣的和平心願；說到底，台灣和世界的接觸，最終要回復到人對人、生活對生活的層面。台灣在營造生活品質方面的最強項，正是「台灣心跳聲」歌裡所說的，「這塊土地上有很多很多的選擇」。這是得來不易的成績，要以這種軟實力作為打造黃金十年的主軸。