Kao, Y.-T., & Wang, C.-H. (2024). Relocating the imaginary nation through nature: The performance politics of Arbor Day in postwar Taiwan. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486241302588
This article examines the transformation of Arbor Day in postwar Taiwan, focusing on how it has been used to relocate the imaginary nation—shifting from associations with mainland China toward alignment with the island-based regime in Taiwan. Using the framework of performance politics, we analyze how Arbor Day serves as a contested arena where various social actors—ranging from the central government and local authorities to civil society—compete to reassemble the mise-en-scène of nature. We argue that performative acts from these different sectors collectively distance Arbor Day from its early reliance on the mainland-oriented Founding Father narrative, redirecting attention toward localized concerns such as urban greening, environmental conservation, and urban governance. In this process, a “relocated” nation gradually emerges as the imagined setting of Arbor Day, reflecting Taiwan's shifting national identity. While Arbor Day continues to express nationalism, what changes over time is the scale of the nation these performances seek to address at different historical moments and for various purposes.