March 28, 1719, Qing dynasty
The National Palace Museum houses several invaluable memorials in both Manchu and Chinese languages, some of which are unique records detailing Taiwan’s natural resources. These items provide future generations with a broader perspective on Taiwan’s rich natural offerings.
Upon receiving the tribute and list, Emperor Kangxi did not merely glance over the items but personally evaluated each entry. For instance, regarding “16 barrels of foreign jasmine,” he wrote: “Useless.” Similarly, next to “4 boxes of foreign rice,” he added: “Useless,” and further commented below: “Now planted both in the capital and Jehol, yielding favorable results,” expressing his delight. For “4 pairs of Formosan macaques from the mountains,” he simply marked them as “useless.” As for the “4 Taiwan native hunting dogs,” which Jueluo Mambao had noted as being capable of catching deer, Emperor Kangxi also dismissed them, writing: “Useless” and “Not as good as the dogs in the capital,” reflecting both the emepror’s personal assessment and limited familiarity with Taiwan’s native products at the time.