Rashomon at Maokong

The scenario tells of a robbery cum rape in the bush near Kyoto, where the robber, the raped woman, her husband and an eyewitness each tell a different story about what actually happened. Kurosawa's theme is: Nobody tells the truth and everybody tells a story in his or her favor. Who doesn't? It's a movie classic.

Well, Rashomon (羅生門), which means Life Net Gate, was a gate to Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto. The Chinese in Taiwan now use it, pronounced “loshengmen” in Mandarin, to mean everything is really in the bush. You never know who is telling the truth.

That seems to be what is happening at one of Taipei's top tourist attractions. Maokong Gondola is a cable car service built and operated by the Taipei municipal government. Maokong (貓空) or Cat Empty used to be known as Niaukang in Amoy or Hoklo.

In fact, the “kang” in Amoy means “hole” or even “lair” or “nest.” It was known for hundreds of years as Cat's Lair among the people of Muzha, whose tourist attraction used to be the Temple of One Thousand Steps or Zhinangong (指南宮), meaning Compass Palace. It is dedicated to Xiankong (仙公) or Lord Immortal, who is Lu Dongbin (呂洞賓).

Maokong is really a Rashomon.

The service was disrupted by landslides that were touched off by Typhoon Jangmi on September 28 last year. Repairs were started at once, but have since been suspended.

On Monday, the municipal government announced that it was going to sue a city councilman for trespassing and intrusion onto public property.

A spokesman showed video footage of Hung Chien-yi, the councilor, breaking into the Maokong terminal, together with two other men and a woman, accompanied by two Formosa TV reporters.

Hung, of course, denied the charges, though he admitted he entered the restricted premises atop Maokong Hill. He said he didn't remember whether he kicked open the doors as was charged. If he admits to this, charges of forcible entry or intrusion would stick.

He was accused of stage-managing the expose, which was aired on Monday.

The city councilor counterattacked. The footage was taken not on Sunday but one day before, he claimed, to discredit the municipal authorities.

Then came a counter-counterattack. The city government produced some footage recorded by a monitor camera on Saturday showing an assistant to Hung casing the Maokong terminal.

A worker at the terminal, closed to the public while under repairs, saw Chang Pai-hui, the aide, and questioned her. She had a camera at the ready when she was stopped.

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