"Xi Lang, obey my command! Lead the fleet to Penghu and conquer Taiwan to restore peace!" This narration by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty appears in the trailer for the historical war blockbuster film 'Penghu Sea Battle' (澎湖海戰), which was released on October 25 last year. The trailer concludes with the slogan, 'Unification of Taiwan, an unstoppable trend (統一台灣,勢不可擋).'
'Penghu Sea Battle' depicts the events of 1683 when the Qing navy, led by Admiral Xi Lang, defeated the Zheng regime (Dongning Kingdom) that ruled Taiwan, claiming to restore the Ming Dynasty. The film's trailer was released on October 25, a date designated by China as 'Taiwan Liberation Day' to commemorate the return of Taiwan's sovereignty to China. The film appears to connect the historical military conquest of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty with the current issue of unification between mainland China and Taiwan.
Produced as a key project by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party and the National Film Administration, the film was initially set to premiere on July 25, but rumors of a delay have emerged. This marks the second postponement, following a delay from its original release during the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
With a production budget of 500 million yuan (approximately $107.9 million), the film has generated significant anticipation as a major domestic war film since 'The Battle at Lake Changjin.'
However, the film's historical backdrop of the Qing Dynasty's conquest of Taiwan has sparked controversy as it is promoted in connection with contemporary narratives of national unification and patriotism. Some in Taiwan have labeled it a 'Chinese military unification blockbuster.'
The Taiwanese media outlet Fengjianmei noted, "The attempt to forcibly fit complex historical events into a modern political framework is the source of the controversy, leading to serious negative effects in terms of emotional impact, historical perspective, and propaganda effectiveness."
In an interview with Fengjianmei, Liu Xingren, an associate professor at the National Development Institute of Chinese Culture University, expressed concern that the film's message could send a misleading signal to the international community that China intends to initiate war. This could also hinder the Chinese authorities' strategy of flexibly balancing 'peaceful unification' and 'gray zone pressure' regarding Taiwan. He pointed out that if the film does not screen, it would signify that it has crossed a politically sensitive red line in terms of censorship.
Another reason for the film's controversy is its potential to exacerbate ethnic identity issues, as it clashes with the increasingly prevalent Han-centric '1644 historical perspective' in China.
The year 1644 marks the fall of the Ming Dynasty, established by the Han Chinese, and the beginning of Qing rule by the Manchu people. The '1644 historical perspective' views the Ming as the last Han dynasty of ancient China and interprets the Qing's overthrow of the Ming as a historical rupture and humiliation for Han civilization. It centers on denying Qing history and attributing China's decline to the Qing's incompetent rule.
From this perspective, the protagonist Xi Lang, who turned against the Ming and surrendered to the Qing, could be interpreted as a 'traitor to the Han.' The film's portrayal of him as a hero leading the victory at the Penghu Sea Battle has drawn criticism from nationalistic netizens.
The Chinese authorities promote a historical narrative that includes both Han and Manchu peoples as part of a multi-ethnic unified nation, viewing the Qing as a legitimate dynasty in Chinese history. Consequently, they have been cautious of Han-centric historical narratives like the '1644 historical perspective' that could incite ethnic conflict.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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