When Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day visited Tainan at the end of March, Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che promised to donate 100 sets of Elizabeth Blackburn Christie and Elisa Caroline Cooke picture books to Edinburgh. Earlier this May, Council Leader Day hosted a receiving ceremony of the books at Edinburgh Central Library, demonstrating that Edinburgh Council values this friendship with Tainan.
Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed that among all cities in Taiwan, Tainan has the longest history of interactions with Scotland. Doctor James Laidlaw Maxwell, Minister Thomas Barclay, Doctor Elizabeth Blackburn Christie, and Missionary Eliza Caroline Cooke all traveled to Tainan and contributed greatly to the modernization of Tainan’s medical care, education, and irrigation works; and these contributions are still enjoyed by present residents. The Mayor hopes that children in Edinburgh can learn more about Tainan and Taiwan through these picture books and know that the two places already had such positive interactions in the past.
Mayor Huang also mentioned that during Council Leader Day’s visit, both parties expressed the will to continue interactions and collaborations. Tainan and Edinburgh share not only strong historical ties but also common visions and values, and both value freedom, democracy, sustainability, and technological innovations as well as the development of art and culture. Tainan looks forward to establishing more concrete collaborations with Edinburgh and carrying on the friendship that started centuries ago.
Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day expressed during the ceremony that he is happy to accept these books that talk about the historical interactions between Scotland and Taiwan centuries ago. These books will be made available for Edinburgh residents to borrow from libraries and copies will also be circulated in local schools. Since Doctor James Laidlaw Maxwell established Taiwan’s first hospital in Taiwan in the 19th century, interactions between Edinburgh and Tainan have continued to the present day, especially in the areas of trade and culture, and Edinburgh expects to deepen collaborations with Taiwan and other partners.
Eliza C. Cooke worked hard to eradicate the custom of foot binding and set up Taiwan’s first girls’ high school (present Chang Jung Girls’ High School). She also contributed significantly to women’s rights and women’s education in Taiwan. Doctor Elizabeth Blackburn Ferguson served as a missionary and doctor in Taiwan for nine years and saved countless lives. She dedicated her life to Taiwan and unfortunately died of sickness. The book set includes three languages (Taiwanese Southern Min, English, and Mandarin Chinese). Author Jenny Jamieson, translator Robert R. Redman, as well as Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taipei Representative Office in the U.K., Edinburgh Office Director General Chang Chia-cheng all attended the book-receiving ceremony.