Green History, Green Mountains - (A Long Historical Novel)

Author: Yan Yanwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The History of Youth is the third book in author Yan Yanwen's "Taiwan Trilogy." It is the first full-length historical novel in mainland China centered on Jiageng, the grandfather of former Kuomintang honorary chairperson Lien Chan, author of The General History of Taiwan. The novel portrays the brilliant and resilient life journey of Taiwanese intellectuals. In 1895, when Li Hongzhang signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki ceding Taiwan to Japan, Liu Yongfu led the Black Flag Army to defend the island. The 17-year-old protagonist, Lien Heng, formed a deep bond with Liu Yongfu in the Black Flag Army headquarters at Lien's residence, marking the beginning of a glorious and heroic historical saga. Set against the backdrop of Taiwan's 50-year resistance against Japan from 1895 to 1945, the novel brings to life the forgotten heroes of history, such as Jian Dasli from the resistance movement and Cai Zhikan of the Wushe Uprising. It vividly depicts the Miaoli Uprising, the Xilai'an Uprising, the "Tanaka Memorial," the Wushe Uprising, the liberation of Taiwan, and the tragic yet heroic struggle of the Taiwanese people under Japan's oppressive colonial rule—"preferring to be a free soul, not a slave of a lost nation."
Lien Heng, the protagonist, devoted his life to writing The General History of Taiwan, a miracle of modern Taiwanese history. His unwavering spirit—"a nation may perish, but its history must not"—allowed him to pen the annals of the Chinese nation's arrival and establishment in Taiwan, serving as irrefutable proof that Taiwan is an integral part of China. The novel weaves the fate of the protagonist Lien Heng through the history, successfully shaping the intricate destinies and rich emotional stories of characters such as Shen Shaohuo, Jiang Haixiao, and the female figures Shen Xiaoyun, Wang Mengning, Wada Meihi, Shen Yuhuo, and Yamashita Meiko.
The novel is full of artistic expression and linguistic charm, a long-term masterpiece meticulously crafted by the author over several years. It has been selected as the opening work for a serial broadcast of a novel by Beijing News Broadcasting, recorded and broadcast by renowned actors such as Wang Gang, receiving widespread acclaim from listeners.