TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Publisher Comma Books President Sharky Chen (陳夏民) promoted the latest book on Taiwan independence fighter Su Beng (史明) on Saturday.
At the Su Beng Memorial Museum’s annual year-end runbing (Taiwanese spring roll) making event, Chen said “The Treasured Possessions of a Revolutionary” tells the late Su Beng’s life story through objects he used and places he visited.
“This way, more people can understand that while he is seen as a hero by many, he was also someone with a sense of style and who took good care of himself,” he said.

The book contains 40 illustrations detailed by National Chi Nan University’s Department of History Professor Weng Chi-an (翁稷安). The book’s illustrator, Arnold Lee (阿諾), is a skilled comic artist known for capturing the essence of characters with simple yet expressive lines. At 256 pages, the year-long project hit the shelves in November.
Su Beng was born in 1918 in Shilin, Taipei, during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). Influenced by his grandmother and father, he began supporting Taiwan independence from an early age.
After finishing his studies in political science in 1943, he went to China to fight in the war against Japan, serving as a spy for the CCP. Disillusioned with the party, he journeyed back to Taiwan in 1949, just as the KMT retreated to the island.

In 1951, the KMT discovered his plot to assassinate Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), forcing him to exile in Japan. There, he opened his noodle and dumpling shop New Gourmet in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, while penning his famous historical work “Taiwan’s 400 Year History” after work hours.
Su Beng returned to Taiwan in 1993, where he would reside for the rest of his life. He continued to advocate for Taiwan independence through seminars, an underground radio, and a nationwide motorcade.
The lifelong Taiwan independence fighter passed away on Sept. 20, 2019, at the age of 100. In 2021, his apartment was converted into a museum, with former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) present at the inauguration ceremony.
Su Beng Memorial Fund Director Huang Min-hung (黃敏紅) said Su Beng was deeply attached to Taiwanese culture. The runbing-making event is a way to keep Taiwanese tradition alive while honoring what Su Beng did for Taiwan, she added.
