Mona Rudao

Mona Rudao

Mona Rudao Statue and Wushe Incident Monument
Born May 21, 1880
Taiwan
Died July 1, 1930 (aged 50)
Nationality Taiwan under Japanese occupation
Occupation Chief of Mahebo
Children 3
Parent(s) Luhe Rudao

Mona Rudao, or Mouna Rudao (1882–1930) was the son of a chief of the Seediq tribe of Taiwanese aborigines. In 1911, he made a visit to Japan. He succeeded his father as a chief of the village of Mahebo 馬赫坡 and became one of the most influential chiefs of the area of Wushe. Mona Rudao was from the Tgdaya group of the Seediq.

He became famous for having carried out the revolt of Wushe in what is now Nantou County in 1930 against the Japanese authorities. He ended up committing suicide by shooting himself with a pistol during the revolt to prevent the Japanese from capturing him alive. His remains were found at forest in 1933, and were taken to the Department of Archaeology of the Taihoku Imperial University where they were exhibited as a warning to future rebels. The bones were "identified" by his daughter and not positively confirmed by DNA. After the arrival of the Kuomintang the bones were placed in a warehouse until 1974 when they were reburied near the Kawanakajima (川中島, current Chingchuan (清泉)) tribe. The Taiwanese viewed him as a hero for carrying out a revolt and he is now one of the figures on New Taiwan Dollar coins.

In 2005 the Kuomintang displayed a massive photo of Mona Rudao at its headquarters in honor of the 60th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession from Japan to the Republic of China.[1]

Mona Rudao has been part of Taiwanese popular culture, entering books and manga. His character took the part of protagonist in the 2003 TV Drama Dana Sakura w:zh:風中緋櫻 and the 2011 Taiwanese film Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 記者舞賽台北報導 (2005-10-26). "國民黨紀念光復稱莫那魯道抗日英雄". 台灣立報 lih pao.

See also