TAIWAN

A Brief History of Taiwan

Early History, Modern Era, and Cold War Period

Early History

For thousands of years, Taiwan had been home to nine plains tribes. The island has attracted
explorers for centuries that have come to mine sulfur, gold, and other natural resources. Han
Chinese began crossing the Taiwan Strait during the 15th century. Then, the Spanish invaded
Taiwan in 1626 and, with the help of the Ketagalan (one of the plains tribes), discovered sulfur, a
main ingredient in gunpowder, in Yangmingshan, a mountain range that overlooks Taipei. After
the Spanish and Dutch were forced out of Taiwan, Mainland Chinese returned in 1697 to mine
sulfur after a huge fire in China destroyed 300 tons of sulfur. Prospectors looking for gold started
arriving in the late Qing Dynasty after railroad workers found gold while washing their lunch
boxes in the Keelung River, 45 minutes northeast of Taipei. During this age of maritime discovery,
legends claimed there was a treasure island full of gold. Explorers headed to Formosa in search of
gold. A rumor in 1636 that gold dust was found in today’s Pingtung in southern Taiwan led to the
arrival of the Dutch in 1624. Unsuccessful at finding gold, the Dutch attacked the Spanish who
were searching for gold in Keelung on Taiwan’s northeastern coast, but they still didn’t find
anything. When gold was later discovered in Jinguashi, a hamlet on Taiwan’s east coast, it was a
few hundred meters from where the Dutch had searched in vain.

Entering the Modern Era

After the Manchus overthrew the Ming Dynasty on the Chinese mainland, the rebel Ming loyalist
Koxinga retreated to Taiwan in 1662 and drove out the Dutch, establishing ethnic Chinese control
over the island. Koxinga’s forces were defeated by the Manchu Qing Dynasty’s forces in 1683 and
parts of Taiwan began to come under the control of the Qing empire. During this time, many
aborigines retreated to the mountains where many remain to this day. During the Sino-French War
(1884-1885), Chinese forces routed French troops in battles in northeastern Taiwan. In 1885, the
Qing empire designated Taiwan as China’s 22nd province. The Japanese, who had had their eye
on Taiwan since the late 16th century, succeeded in gaining control of the island after China was
defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). When China lost the war with Japan in 1895,
Taiwan was ceded to Japan as a colony and the Japanese occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Japan relinquished control of Taiwan and the government
of the Republic of China (ROC), led by Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), re-
established Chinese control over the island. After the Chinese Communists defeated ROC
government forces in the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), the KMT-led ROC regime retreated to
Taiwan and established the island as a base of operations to fight back to the Chinese mainland.
The new People’s Republic of China (PRC) government on the mainland, led by Mao Zedong,
began preparations to “liberate” Taiwan by military force. This began a period of Taiwan’s de
facto political independence from the Chinese mainland which continues today.

The Cold War Period

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the United States, seeking to prevent the further spread
of communism in Asia, sent the Seventh Fleet to patrol the Taiwan Strait and deter Communist
China from invading Taiwan. US military intervention forced Mao’s government to delay its plan
to invade Taiwan. At the same time, with US backing, the ROC regime on Taiwan continued to
hold China’s seat in the United Nations. Aid from the US and a successful land reform program
helped the ROC government solidify its control over the island and modernize the economy.
However, under the pretext of ongoing civil war, Chiang Kai-shek continued to suspend the ROC
constitution and Taiwan remained under martial law. Chiang’s government began allowing local
elections in the 1950s, but the central government remained under authoritarian one-party rule by
the KMT. Chiang promised to fight back and recover the mainland and built up troops on islands
off the Chinese coast still under ROC control. In 1954, an attack by Chinese Communist forces on
those islands led the US to sign a Mutual Defense Treaty with Chiang’s government.
Official name
Republic of China (official name)
In 1949, after losing the civil war to the Chinese communists, Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang
forces fled to the island province of Taiwan and set up a Republic of China government-in-exile.
Though the ROC government no longer claims to represent the mainland, the Republic of China
remains the official name of Taiwan.

Capital of Taiwan
Taipei

Form of government
The government of Taiwan is headed by the President of Taiwan who is elected by popular vote.
Taiwan is a multiparty representative democratic republic whose head of state is the president. The
Premier is the head of government and president of the Executive Yuan. The government of
Taiwan is based on the Three Peoples principle of the "government of the people, by the people,
and for the people." The Constitution of the Republic of China maps out the structure of the
government and the legal duties of each division. The constitution, effected in mainland China in
1947, was first used in Taiwan in 1987 after the end of the martial rule in Taiwan.
Currency
New Taiwan dollar
The New Taiwan dollar is the official currency of Taiwan (Republic of China). The currency
code is TWD and is commonly abbreviated as NT$ or simply $ in front of the amount, or a
Chinese character 元 (pronounced yuán) following the amount.

Religion
For the most part, the traditional religions practiced in Taiwan are Buddhism, Taoism, and folk
religions; except for a small number of purely Buddhist temples, however, most of the island's
traditional places of worship combine all three traditions.

Official Language

Statutory
Percentage
Recognized National languages
Language of home Regulated by
variants language for public
use
transport

Taiwanese Required Ministry of

83.5% 1 Yes
Mandarin nationwide Education

Council of
Formosan
1.4% 16 (42) Yes Depends Indigenous
languages
Peoples

Taiwanese Required Ministry of

81.9% 1~6 Yes
Hokkien nationwide Education

Taiwanese Required Hakka Affairs

6.6% 6 Yes
Hakka nationwide Council

Department of
Required
Matsu dialect <1% 1 Yes Education,
in Matsu Islands
Culture and Tradition
Sports
Baseball
The most popular sport in Taiwan by far is baseball, and
it has the potential to take off as the national sporting
obsession of Taiwan. The Japanese propensity for the old
American stick-and-a-ball game is said to have rubbed
off on the island while it was a under Japanese rule in the
early 20th century. Taiwan has its own Major League,
the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
There are four teams in total, the most popular being the Brother Elephants, based out of Taipei
City.

Ice Hockey
Ice hockey has a healthy following here
among the foreign community, and is
dominated by the Canadians (surprise
surprise). The league is centered in Taipei
where currently eight teams square off for
bragging rights. Before each season a draft is
held to form teams based on players abilities.
Each year there are also a number of
tournaments held throughout Asia that brings together some of the top teams in the region. In fact,
teams from Taiwan have dominated many of these tournaments in recent years, but regardless,
these tournaments offer a great opportunity to travel and meet other English teachers in Asia.
BASKETBALL
Basketball is the most popular
ball sport in Taiwan that people
actually play. The men's and
women's basketball leagues are
the Super Basketball League
(SBL) and the Women's Super
Basketball League (WSBL),
respectively. The Chinese
Taipei men's national basketball team won the silver medal at the Asian Championship in 1960
and 1963 and bronze in 1973 and 1989. The Chinese Taipei women's national basketball team won
the silver medal at the 1972 Asian Basketball Championship for Women. The team won bronze at
the event in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1988, 1999 and 2005. Further, the women's team won
silver at the 2006 Asian Games.
Cuisine

Oyster vermicelli
is a kind of noodle soup famous in taiwan. Its main ingredients are oysters and misua (Chinese
vermicelli). One of the famous places serving this is in Dihua Street, Dadaocheng, Taipei. A tan-
brown variety of vermicelli used for this dish is made primarily with wheat flour and salt, and
gains its unique colour due to a steaming process which caramelizes the sugars in the dough
allowing it to be cooked for longer periods without breaking down.An alternative is vermicelli
with large intestine, in which oysters are substituted with small segments of pig's large intestine.
 POPIAH
A popiah "skin" is a soft, thin paper-like crepe or pancake made from wheat flour. The method of
producing the wrapper involves making an extremely wet and viscous dough. A ball of this dough
is held to the right hand, then quickly "rubbed" literally "to rub a lumpia crepe") against a hot steel
plate in a circular fashion, and lifted.Through this process, a very thin layer of the wet dough
adheres to the plate and begins to cook. The upper surface of the crepe is then usually cleaned of
excess pieces of dough using the dough ball through a dabbing process. When the dough has been
cooked to completion, it is peeled off of the hot steel plate before being removed. The rubbing is
typically done over two or three plates at once, which allows the baker to continuously produce
crepes and gives the proper time for each crepe to be properly cooked.
 SUNCAKES
A suncake, or taiyang bing, is a popular Taiwanese dessert originally from the city of Taichung,
Taiwan. The typical fillings consist of maltose (condensed malt sugar), and they are usually sold
in special gift boxes as souvenirs for visitors. Some famous suncake pastry shops always have
long lines of people waiting to buy boxed suncakes. The shape of suncakes is round, and they
may vary in size. They are characterized by flaky crusts. Most people eat them with Chinese tea,
and some people dissolve them in hot water to make a porridge-like dessert.
Clothing
The clothing of Taiwan's indigenous people represents the prominent features of each tribe. It
symbolizes cultural ideas and beliefs with vivid colors and diverse styles. Every indigenous tribe has
its own unique clothing style and characteristics.

English name：Male Long sleeve Jacket

Rukai name：IBIBOGO Theme and keyword：
Tribe：Rukai Tribe Description：Application：
Daily menswear. Content Description: Rukai menswear is similar to female garments. All the
patterns and weaves are alike. Only the sewing style alters between the sexes. Men's trousers can
be categorized into open-seat pants and culottes, which usually were worn with exquisite long-
sleeved tops.

Former name：Women's top Theme and keyword：

Tribe：Rukai Tribe Description：
Application：Daily female garment
English name：Female Garment
Rukai name：DALABU Theme and keyword：Tribe：
Rukai Tribe Description：Application：Daily female garment.
Content Description: Rukai female garments are more exquisite than menswear. Those wearing a
whole suit were considered elegant and graceful. Figures, lilies, Hundred-pace Snakes, and
pottery pots are the themes of tokens woven on clothes.

Flag Carrier
China Airlines China Airlines (CAL) (Chinese: 中華航空; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Hángkōng) is the
national carrier of Taiwan and its largest airline.

Flag

The blue-and-white canton of the ROC flag is often used as the party flag of the KMT. ... At one
level, the flag represents a clear symbol that Taiwan is not governed by the same government as
Mainland China, as this flag is different from the flag of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The blue stands for nationalism and liberty.

The white represents democracy and equality.

The red represents the people’s fraternity and livelihood.

The twelve rays of the white sun represent the twelve months of the Chinese calendar and the
twelve traditional shichen, which are old units of time that correspond to two hours on a modern
clock.

History of Taiwan’s Flag

The original white sun on a blue field was created by Lu Hao-tung in 1895 as a flag to represent
the revolutionary army in China. It was later adopted as the official emblem of the KMT political
party, which opposed the Communist Party in China’s civil war. In 1906, the leader of the KMT,
Sun Yat-sen, asked for a modification of the flag and requested that the flag be placed on a field
of red. It was once the national flag for all of China, but when the KMT-ruled government were
exiled to Taiwan it became the Taiwanese flag.
ATTRACTIONS (Top 5)

TAIPEI 101

is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building was officially
classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj
Khalifa in Dubai. Its elevators, capable of 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph) used to transport passengers from
the 5th to 89th floor in 37 seconds, set new records. In 2011 Taipei 101 received a Platinum rating
under the LEED certification system to become the tallest and largest green building in the world.
.Taipei 101's postmodernist architectural style evokes Asian traditions in a modern structure
employing industrial materials. Its design incorporates a number of features that enable the
structure to withstand the Pacific Rim's earthquakes and the region's tropical storms. The tower
houses offices and restaurants as well as both indoor and outdoor observatories. The tower is
adjoined by a multi-level shopping mall that claims the world's largest ruyi symbol as an exterior
feature.Taipei 101 is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. The skyscraper opened on 31
December 2004.
 Alishan Scenic Mountain Area

The Alishan area was originally settled by the Tsou tribe of the Taiwanese aborigines; the name
derives from the aboriginal word Jarissang. Ethnic Han Chinese settlers first settled on the plains
near modern-day Chiayi as early as the late Ming Dynasty (around the mid-17th century), but did
not move into the mountains until the late 18th century, establishing the towns of Ruili, Ruifeng ,
Xiding , and Fenqihu . The resulting armed clashes between the settlers and the aborigines pushed
the aborigines even further into the mountains. Following the cession of Taiwan to Japan at the
end of the First Sino-Japanese War, Japanese expeditions to the area found large quantities of
cypress. This led to the development of the logging industry in the area and the export of local
cypress and Taiwania wood. A series of narrow-gauge railways were built in the area during this
time to facilitate the transportation of lumber from the mountains to the plains below, part of which
continues to operate as the Alishan Forest Railway. Several new villages also began to sprout up
along the railway lines. It was also during this time that the first tourists began to visit the area.
Plans were even drawn up to incorporate the area into the new Niitaka (New Highest) Arisan
National Park With the exhaustion of forest resources by the 1970s, domestic and international
tourism overtook logging to become the primary economic activity in the area.
 National Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum located in Taipei and Taibao, Chiayi County, Taiwan, has a
permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chineseimperial artifacts and artworks,
making it one of the largest of its type in the world. The collection encompasses 8,000 years of
history of Chinese art from the Neolithicage to the modern. Most of the collection are high quality
pieces collected by China's emperors. The National Palace Museum shares its roots with the Palace
Museumin the Forbidden City, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon
the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The National Palace Museum was
originally established as the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City on 10 October 1925, shortly
after the expulsion of Puyi, the last emperor of China, from the Forbidden City by warlord Feng
Yuxiang. The articles in the museum consisted of the valuables of the former Imperial family.
 Taroko National Park

This national park was originally established as the Tsugitaka-Taroko National Park by the
Governor-General of Taiwan on 12 December 1937 when Taiwan was part of the Empire of Japan.
After the Empire of Japan's defeat in World War II, the Republic of China took over Taiwan in
consequence. The ROC government subsequently abolished the park on 15 August 1945. It was
not until 28 November 1986 that the park was reestablished. Taroko National Park covers an area
of 92,000 hectares. It is located in Hualien County, Taichung City and Nantou County– and is
home to unique geological and natural resources, including twenty seven peaks over 3000 meters
(Baiyu, 100 Top Peaks in Taiwan) located in and around the Qilai and Nanhu Mountain ranges.
The spectacular marble gorge of Taroko, the Qingshui Cliff rising high above the Pacific Ocean,
the peaceful trail along the Shakadang River, and the cascading waterfalls of Baiyang trail are
some of the treasures and delights of “earth and the heavens” that await visitors to the Park.
 Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas is a temple located at Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan. The temple was built in 1976. One of the towers is the Tiger Tower, the other one being
the Dragon tower. The seven story tower has yellow walls, red pillars and orange tiles. The front
connects to the shore with a bridge.[which?] There are paintings inside the temple depicting
Ksitigarbha. In the Tiger Tower, there are paintings of twelve Magi and the Jade Emperor's thirty
palaces as well as paintings of Confucius. The towers have a double spiral staircase, one each for
ascending and descending visitors.This building is representative of traditional Kaohsiung culture.
FESTIVALS

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

is an annual event hosted by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and
Communications in Taiwan to celebrate the Lantern Festival.There are many activities all over
Taiwan during Taiwan Lantern Festival. During the Taiwan Lantern Festival, thousands of sky
lanterns light over Pingxi District in Taiwan. In Yanshui District, the firecrackersceremony of
the Wumiao Temple is also one of the important activities. The Tainan Yanshui Fireworks Display
("beehive of fireworks") was originally celebrated to ward off evil and disease from the town. The
Taipei Pingxi Sky Lanterns were released originally to let others know that the town was safe.
These lanterns are decorated with wishes and images relating to the owner. These two events are
known together as "Fireworks in the South, Sky Lanterns in the North.
 Jinshan Fire Fishing Festival

Every year, in the midst of typhoon season, several dozen aging fishermen carry out a time-
honored practice: the dazzling, more-than-a-century-old art of fire fishing. As the sun sets, the
birdsong that normally fills Jinshan’s Huangguang Fishing Harbor disappears and an evening glow
fills the sky. The fishermen are working fast, but they’re not racing the light. The Taiwanese
fishermen use soft sulphuric rocks to create flammable gas that travels to a bamboo torch dangling
off the rear of the boat. The resulting fire is so bright that it attracts thousands of silver-scaled
sardines to the water’s surface. Workers spend up to 12 hours, in the dead of night, scooping up
the creatures in mesh nets.
 Song Jiang Battle Array

a type of folk street parade, as it holds more such parades—54—than any other place in the
country, the Song Jiang Battle Array alone accounting for 18 of them. The Song Jiang Array,
originally organized to strengthen, defend, and unite the town, under historical, generational, and
government influence, turned into a theatrical drama that combined entertainment for the gods
with furtive military training, eventually becoming the well-known folk art that it is today.
 Taiwan International Balloon Festival

The annual Taiwan International Balloon Festival will be held in Luye Highland, Taitung from
June 30th to August 13th, totaling 45 days. As the 8th annual festival, there will be more shape
balloons than ever (39 shape balloons). The balloons will gather in Luye Highland, Taitung to
display their beauty.The Night Glow Concerts will continue the yearly tradition in Sanxiantai,
Dapochih in Chishang Township, Millennium Dawn Memorial Park in Taimali Township, and
Jhihben Hot Springs area.
 Fulong Sand Sculpting Festival
Taiwan is blessed with plenty of natural resources that can be used to draw visitors, such as the
three kilometer-long golden beach between Yanliao and Fulong in the Northeast Coast. For its
soft, highly cohesive white quartz sands, this beach is acknowledged by the World Sand Sculpting
Association to be the best for making sand sculptures in Taiwan.It has been 12th years since the
Administration held the first Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival in 2008 to promote sand
sculpting art in Taiwan. Each year, more people were drawn to take part in the event. This year's
festival (2019) will still be jointly held by the Administration and the Fullon Hotels & Resorts like
in the past years. By co-organizing the event with the company, the Administration hopes to instill
different energy into the festival while attracting even more visitors.