Mona Rudao, or Mouna Rudao (1880–1930; ) was the son of a chief of the
Seediq tribe of
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese may refer to:
* Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien
* Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa)
* Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan
* Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan
* Taiwanese peo ...
. In 1911, he made a visit to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. He succeeded his father as a chief of the village of Mahebo () 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 orchestrating the
Wushe incident in what is now
Nantou County
Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...
in 1930 against the
Japanese authorities. He ended up committing
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
by shooting himself with a
pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, a ...
during the revolt to prevent the Japanese from capturing him alive. His remains were found in a forest in 1933, and were taken to the Department of
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...
of the
Taihoku Imperial University
National Taiwan University (NTU; ) is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan.
The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served d ...
(now called National Taiwan 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 Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
the bones were placed in a warehouse until 1974 when they were reburied near the tribe at the
Wushe Incident Memorial Park
The Wushe Incident Memorial Park () is a memorial park in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan commemorating the Musha Incident in 1930.
History
The park was set up by the government to commemorate the Seediq people who perished during th ...
. The Taiwanese viewed him as a hero for carrying out a revolt and he is now one of the figures on
New Taiwan Dollar
The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT) is the official currency of Taiwan. The New Taiwan dollar has been the currency of Taiwan since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar, at a rate of 40,000 old dol ...
coins.
In 2005 the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
displayed a massive photo of Mona Rudao at its headquarters in honor of the 60th anniversary of
Taiwan Retrocession Day
Retrocession Day is the name given to the annual observance and a former public holiday in Taiwan to commemorate the end of Japanese rule of Taiwan and Penghu, and the claimed retrocession ("return") of Taiwan to the Republic of China on 25 O ...
.
Mona Rudao has been part of Taiwanese popular culture, appearing in books and
manga
Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...
. His character took the part of protagonist in the 2003 TV Drama Dana Sakura () and the 2011 Taiwanese film ''
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale''.
Mona Rudao's daughter Mahung Mona became known as the "woman who washed her face with tears" because all members of her immediate family, including her parents, siblings, uncle Tado Mona, first husband Sapu Pawan, and their children died as a result of the Wushe incident.
See also
*
Musha Incident
The Musha Incident (; ), also known as the Wushe Rebellion and several other similar names, began in October 1930 and was the last major uprising against colonial Japanese forces in Japanese Taiwan. In response to long-term oppression by Japanese ...
*
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
External links
*
Mona Rudao*
Mona Rudao
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudao, Mona
History of Taiwan
1880 births
1930 deaths
People from Nantou County
Seediq people
Taiwanese revolutionaries
Suicides by firearm
Suicides in Taiwan
1930 suicides