Film Script: An-ping Romance

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[Story Summary]

A young Dutch doctor, Jansen, arrives by ship at Tayuan (modern-day Anping Port, Taiwan) and is fascinated by the bustling prosperity of the port town. While strolling through the market, he encounters Kaleh, a young Siraya tribesman suffering from malaria, who is being treated with traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Seeing no improvement, Jansen administers quinine from his medical kit. The next day, Kaleh shows signs of recovery. Jansen gives him a bottle of quinine cream and instructs him to use it regularly.

After curing Kalehs malaria, Jansen is welcomed into the Siraya community. Kaleh, the son of Chihkan tribal elder Dari-Kuan, becomes Jansen’s close friend and brings him to their village. At the time, the Chihkan tribe and surrounding Siraya villages are plagued by malaria and typhoid fever. With support from Kaleh and the tribal leaders, Jansen treats the infected and educates them on hygiene, such as drinking boiled water and eliminating sources of disease, significantly improving public health in the region.

Jansen’s benevolence earns him admiration and the affection of two women: Lalu, Kaleh’s sister and a female hunter, and Saiyun, the daughter of tribal chief Tapanya. Lalu, to win Jansen’s heart, sews him a set of deerskin clothing. Saiyun, trained in Chinese herbal medicine, becomes Jansen’s capable assistant. As they work together closely, mutual affection develops.

Kaleh and Saiyun were childhood sweethearts, and Kaleh had secretly hoped to marry her and join the chief’s family. The villagers saw them as a perfect match. However, after Jansen’s arrival, Kaleh realizes Saiyun has only ever seen him as a brother. Though heartbroken, he graciously wishes Saiyun happiness. But when he discovers Lalu also loves Jansen, Kaleh changes his stance. For Lalu’s happiness and his own unspoken love for Saiyun, he convinces his father Dari-Kuan that Saiyun should not be allowed to marry an outsider unless Jansen is willing to join the chief’s family.

Understanding his son’s motives, Dari-Kuan convenes the tribal elders and urges Tapanya to uphold ancestral traditions. Tapanya is deeply troubled. Her Han Chinese husband, Li Qinghua, also believes they should try to keep Jansen in the village. Tapanya asks Jansen about his intentions. Jansen explains that he is the only son in his family and would need his parents’ permission to marry into another clan. Tapanya asks Saiyun, who declares she is willing to wait for him.

Jansen and Kaleh’s friendship is strained by Kaleh’s actions, which saddens Jansen. Though deeply in love with the gentle Saiyun, he knows their future is uncertain. Meanwhile, Lalu—bold and forward—continues to pursue Jansen, misinterpreting his politeness as affection. To quell rumors, Li Qinghua urges Saiyun to stop meeting Jansen in secret. However, her younger brother Talai, sympathetic to her sorrow, helps the couple pass messages. Tapanya appears to tacitly allow their meetings.

Before Jansen departs for other villages to practice medicine, Talai brings Saiyun to see him. That night, a storm rages. Jansen suddenly falls ill with chills. Saiyun finds quinine cream in his kit and administers medicine, holding him naked through the night to keep him warm.

The next morning, Talai comes for Saiyun. Lalu, having secretly followed her, sees the two lying naked together and runs away in tears. News of the incident spreads quickly. Dari-Kuan and the elders demand that Jansen declare his intentions—either marry into the tribe or never return. To protect Saiyun’s honor, Jansen agrees. Kaleh and Lalu regret forcing his hand.

After recovering, Jansen and Saiyun marry in a tribal ceremony presided over by Tapanya and Li Qinghua. As husband and wife, they travel to various villages offering medical care. Jansen’s kindness earns the deep respect of the villagers. However, tensions rise as Dutch tax collectors extort both Han Chinese and Siraya people.

When the tax officer in Xiaolung unilaterally imposes an additional levy of one deerskin per household, village leaders from Xiaolung, Matagaluwan, Hsinkang, and Madou unite in rebellion. They capture Dutch officials and Christian missionaries, including Jansen, who is confined in the Madou chapel.

Tapanya, deeply worried, travels with Li Qinghua to Madou and convinces the village chief Itong to release Jansen and Saiyun. The Dutch governor Peter, wary of harming hostages, pretends to agree to tax reductions upon advice from his advisor Bakker. Once the officials and missionaries are freed, Peter sends troops to punish the villages, capturing tribal leaders and causing civilian casualties.

Jansen and Saiyun bring medicine to treat the wounded. There, Jansen meets his old friend Matthews, a missionary in Madou, who is outraged by Peter’s betrayal. With support from Bishop Candidius, they appeal to Peter to release the tribal leaders to prevent further unrest. Peter, fearing conflict with the Dominicans and the Vatican, stalls and demands guarantees that no such rebellion will recur.

Suffering from chronic rheumatism, Peter calls on Jansen for treatment. Matthews accompanies Jansen, who agrees only if Peter promises to release the leaders. Jansen uses Chinese medicine to treat Peter’s condition, and as Peter’s health improves, he relents. The tribal leaders sign declarations promising no further resistance, and Peter reduces taxes to show goodwill.

Matthews spreads word of Jansen’s integrity, and the tribal leaders express gratitude. Just as Saiyun becomes pregnant, Jansen receives a letter from Amsterdam—his father is gravely ill. With the tribe’s blessing, he decides to return home. Saiyun, though wishing to accompany him, stays behind due to the pregnancy. At his departure, the entire Chihkan tribe and village chiefs gather to bid farewell. Jansen gives Saiyun his gold ring, a heart-shaped locket, and a crucifix necklace as tokens of his promise to return.

Back in Amsterdam, Jansen finds his father Jan on his deathbed. Jan reveals that Jansen is engaged to Viana, daughter of the Visser family, per an old family arrangement. Pressured by his mother Helena and wanting to give his father peace, Jansen marries Viana. After the wedding, Jan dies with a smile.

Unhappy in the marriage, Jansen avoids intimacy. Viana, empathetic, learns of his feelings and supports his longing to return to Taiwan. They secretly plan a voyage, but Viana’s widowed mother Stephanie discovers their intentions and alerts Helena. Together, the two mothers intervene and, to sever Jansen’s ties to Taiwan, relocate the newlyweds to England.

Poor Saiyun lost all contact with Jansen, but she continued his mission, practicing medicine in the local communities using the knowledge he had taught her. Through Jansen’s old friend, Andrew—the ship’s first mate—Saiyun tried to get news from the Netherlands. Every evening, she would wait at Tayuan Bay’s dock for word of Jansen. Her solitary figure and steadfast devotion gradually became well known, earning the sympathy of sailors and foreign merchants. Whenever ships entered or left Tayuan Port, they would sound their whistles in greeting upon seeing her.

Saiyun successfully gave birth to a daughter, Maya, a mixed-race child with pronounced Western features and golden hair. Holding little Maya’s hand, Saiyun continued to wait by the dock every day, unaware that Jansen had married another woman—Viana—and had children with her.

Tapanya, distressed by Saiyun’s long wait, hoped to match her with Kaleh. But Saiyun refused to betray Jansen, firmly believing in his promise. Kaleh respected her wishes and cared for Saiyun and Maya without complaint, treating Maya as his own and showering her with affection. Maya, in turn, honored Kaleh as a father. When Andrew returned from the Netherlands, he reported that Jansen had moved away from Amsterdam with his new family, but his whereabouts were unknown. Andrew advised Saiyun to find someone new, but though saddened, she refused to give up hope.

A few years later, Tapanya passed away, and Saiyun succeeded her as tribal leader. As Maya grew up, she blossomed into a stunning young woman. Many foreign merchants and tribal leaders came to propose, hoping to marry her into their families. Kaleh, however, did not want Maya to end up like Saiyun—entangled with a foreigner and left behind. Out of personal bias, he forbade Maya from seeing any foreign merchants and actively sought a suitable local match for her.

Dongleh, a Siraya youth from Madou, engaged in the deerskin and herbal trade, was well-acquainted with Saiyun and fell in love with Maya at first sight. Saiyun also thought highly of the young man. Dongleh invited Maya on an outing, and while Saiyun approved of the match, Maya found Dongleh dull and too business-minded—more like her mother’s friend than a suitor.

Then came Williams, a young and kind-hearted merchant from England. Frequently donating supplies to the local church, he met Maya while she was teaching children literacy and hymns. They admired one another and began dating. However, Kaleh discovered their relationship and forbade it. He even summoned Dongleh to propose marriage, but Maya rejected him.

Distressed, Maya confided in her uncle Talai, who encouraged her to pursue her own happiness. He spoke to Saiyun on her behalf, and that night, Saiyun personally escorted Maya to Williams and put her on a ship to leave Tayuan Port with him. Though Kaleh was furious afterward, there was nothing he could do.

The young couple enjoyed sweet days aboard the ship. One day, Williams happened to notice a photo inside Maya’s necklace and recognized Dr. Jansen—his childhood physician. Maya was skeptical but intrigued by the possibility and longed to meet her birth father.

Upon arriving in England, Williams took Maya to meet Jansen. Their emotional reunion was deeply moving. Jansen asked about Saiyun, and Maya told him everything. Feeling ashamed for abandoning her, Jansen decided to return to Taiwan to see Saiyun, hoping to bring her back to England if she was willing. Understanding and supportive, Viana encouraged her husband to go, so he would have no regrets.

Williams returned with Jansen and Maya to Anping (Tayuan Port), only to find that Saiyun had passed away from acute pneumonia a month earlier. Led by Kaleh, Jansen brought his daughter and son-in-law to Saiyun’s grave to offer flowers and silent prayers. Jansen wept uncontrollably, and even Kaleh couldn’t hold back his tears.

(The End)