Lin Wang
Encyclopedia
Lin Wang was a famous Asian elephant
that served with the Chinese Expeditionary Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War
(1937–1945) and later relocated to Taiwan
with the Kuomintang
forces. Lin Wang lived out most of his life in the Taipei Zoo
and unquestionably was the most popular and famous animal in Taiwan. Many adults and children alike affectionately called the bull elephant "Grandpa Lin Wang."
After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
in 1941, the Sino-Japanese War, which began in 1937, became a part of the greater conflict of World War II
. When the Japanese proceeded to attack British colonies in Burma, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
formed the "Chinese Expeditionary Force" (中國遠征軍) under the leadership of General Sun Li-jen
, to fight in the Burma Campaign
. After a battle at a Japanese camp in 1943, Lin Wang, along with twelve other elephants, were captured by the Chinese. These elephants were used by the Japanese army to transport supplies and pull artillery pieces. The Allied forces also used these elephants to do similar tasks. At this time, Lin Wang was named "Ah Mei" (阿美), meaning "The Beautiful".
In 1945, the Expeditionary Force was recalled back to China. The elephants and their handlers marched through the Burma Road
and six elephants died during the difficult trek. By the time they arrived in Guangdong
, the war ended. However, the elephants' service with the army was not over. They participated in building some monuments for the martyrs of the war, and in the spring of 1946, they also performed for a circus to raise money for famine relief
in Hunan
province. Later, four elephants in the group were sent to the zoos of Beijing
, Shanghai
, Nanjing
and Changsha. The remaining three elephants, including Lin Wang, were relocated to a park in Guangzhou
.
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In 1947, Sun Li-jen was sent to Taiwan to train new troops. He took the three elephants with him, though one sick elephant died during the trip across the strait
. The two remaining elephants were used to transport logs and accomplish other simple tasks near the army base in Fongshan, Kaohsiung
. In 1951 the other elephant died and Lin Wang became the only one left of the original thirteen elephants from the Burmese days.
In 1952, the army decided to give Lin Wang to Taipei Zoo at Yuanshan (圓山), where he met his life-long mate Malan (馬蘭). At this time, Lin Wang was still named "Ah Mei" and the keeper of the zoo felt that the name was too feminine. Thus, his name was changed to "King of the Forest" (森林之王), abbreviated "Lín Wáng" (林王). However, a reporter misheard the name and published his name as Lín Wàng (林旺, different character
and different intonation
), and this name stuck forever.
Lin Wang became the most famous and popular animal in Taiwan, and in 1983 the zoo threw the first birthday party for his sixty-sixth birthday. Since then, his birthday was celebrated every year on the last Sunday of October at the zoo, attracting thousands of visitors, including visitations from Taipei mayors. In 1986, the zoo relocated from Yuanshan to Mucha (木柵), and many Taipei citizens crowded along the streets to see the animals, particularly Lin Wang's, "house moving." (搬家)
In early 2003 Lin Wang suffered arthritis on his left hind leg. He started to lose appetite along with other complications, his condition started to go down hill rapidly and on February 26th, Lin Wang died.
His "memorial service," which lasted several weeks, was visited by tens of thousands of people, many of whom left cards and flowers for the elephant. Lin Wang was posthumously awarded "Honorary Taipei Citizen" by Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou
. President Chen Shui-bian
sent a wreath, with a card addressing "to our forever friend, Lin Wang."
In addition to his service to the army, Lin Wang also became a cultural icon
and an inseparable part in the memories of many. His life mirrored important events in history, such as the wars in China and later the economic miracle of Taiwan, and three generations of people remember him fondly as a part of national identity. In 2004 Lin Wang was immortalized in a life-size specimen in Taipei Zoo.
. Like most of Wang's recent productions, it is a combination of traditional animation
and computer generated imagery, however computers will have the dominant role instead of drawings. http://www.wangfilm.com.tw/linwang.php
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
that served with the Chinese Expeditionary Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
(1937–1945) and later relocated to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
with the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
forces. Lin Wang lived out most of his life in the Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo
The Taipei Zoo , sometimes referred to as the "Muzha Zoo" , is a public zoological garden in Taipei City in Taiwan. It is the most famous zoological garden in Taiwan and a leader in conservation, research and education, and recreation...
and unquestionably was the most popular and famous animal in Taiwan. Many adults and children alike affectionately called the bull elephant "Grandpa Lin Wang."
Sino-Japanese War
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in 1941, the Sino-Japanese War, which began in 1937, became a part of the greater conflict of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. When the Japanese proceeded to attack British colonies in Burma, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
formed the "Chinese Expeditionary Force" (中國遠征軍) under the leadership of General Sun Li-jen
Sun Li-jen
Sun Li-jen was a Kuomintang General, best known for his leadership in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. His achievements earned him the laudatory nickname "Rommel of the East". His New 1st Army was reputed as the "1st [Best] Army under heaven" and credited with defeating...
, to fight in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. After a battle at a Japanese camp in 1943, Lin Wang, along with twelve other elephants, were captured by the Chinese. These elephants were used by the Japanese army to transport supplies and pull artillery pieces. The Allied forces also used these elephants to do similar tasks. At this time, Lin Wang was named "Ah Mei" (阿美), meaning "The Beautiful".
In 1945, the Expeditionary Force was recalled back to China. The elephants and their handlers marched through the Burma Road
Burma Road
The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
and six elephants died during the difficult trek. By the time they arrived in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, the war ended. However, the elephants' service with the army was not over. They participated in building some monuments for the martyrs of the war, and in the spring of 1946, they also performed for a circus to raise money for famine relief
Famine relief
Famine relief is an organized effort to reduce starvation in a region in which there is famine. A famine is a phenomenon in which a large proportion of the population of a region or country are so undernourished that death by starvation becomes increasingly common...
in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
province. Later, four elephants in the group were sent to the zoos of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
and Changsha. The remaining three elephants, including Lin Wang, were relocated to a park in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
In Taiwan
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
. The two remaining elephants were used to transport logs and accomplish other simple tasks near the army base in Fongshan, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
. In 1951 the other elephant died and Lin Wang became the only one left of the original thirteen elephants from the Burmese days.
In 1952, the army decided to give Lin Wang to Taipei Zoo at Yuanshan (圓山), where he met his life-long mate Malan (馬蘭). At this time, Lin Wang was still named "Ah Mei" and the keeper of the zoo felt that the name was too feminine. Thus, his name was changed to "King of the Forest" (森林之王), abbreviated "Lín Wáng" (林王). However, a reporter misheard the name and published his name as Lín Wàng (林旺, different character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
and different intonation
Tone (linguistics)
Tone is the use of pitch in language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning—that is, to distinguish or inflect words. All verbal languages use pitch to express emotional and other paralinguistic information, and to convey emphasis, contrast, and other such features in what is called...
), and this name stuck forever.
Lin Wang became the most famous and popular animal in Taiwan, and in 1983 the zoo threw the first birthday party for his sixty-sixth birthday. Since then, his birthday was celebrated every year on the last Sunday of October at the zoo, attracting thousands of visitors, including visitations from Taipei mayors. In 1986, the zoo relocated from Yuanshan to Mucha (木柵), and many Taipei citizens crowded along the streets to see the animals, particularly Lin Wang's, "house moving." (搬家)
In early 2003 Lin Wang suffered arthritis on his left hind leg. He started to lose appetite along with other complications, his condition started to go down hill rapidly and on February 26th, Lin Wang died.
His "memorial service," which lasted several weeks, was visited by tens of thousands of people, many of whom left cards and flowers for the elephant. Lin Wang was posthumously awarded "Honorary Taipei Citizen" by Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
. President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
sent a wreath, with a card addressing "to our forever friend, Lin Wang."
Legacy
Compared to the average life expectancy of 70 for a typical Asian elephant, Lin Wang lived much longer and died at the age of 86. He is the longest-living elephant in captivity, surpassing Lakshmikutty from India who reached the ripe old age of 84 before she died in 1997.In addition to his service to the army, Lin Wang also became a cultural icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
and an inseparable part in the memories of many. His life mirrored important events in history, such as the wars in China and later the economic miracle of Taiwan, and three generations of people remember him fondly as a part of national identity. In 2004 Lin Wang was immortalized in a life-size specimen in Taipei Zoo.
Animated Film
A computer animated film, Lin Wang, (a.k.a The Story of Grandpa Lin Wang) will tell the true story of the oldest elephant ever lived. It is currently in production at Wang Film StudiosWang Film Productions
Wang Film Productions is one of the oldest and most prolific Taiwanese animation studios...
. Like most of Wang's recent productions, it is a combination of traditional animation
Traditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
and computer generated imagery, however computers will have the dominant role instead of drawings. http://www.wangfilm.com.tw/linwang.php
Further reading
- Beloved elephant Lin Wang passes away, by Chang Meng-jui, translated by Jonathan Barnard, from Sino.
- Taipei's Elephant to be included in Guinness Book of Records, from the Central News Agency.