|
History of Taiwan: Background
Historians claim that ancestors of the Taiwanese settled on the island
as long as four thousand years ago, and it is probably then that the
history of Taiwan started. For the centuries of its existence Taiwan
has seen many aggressors and invaders, yet today it is an
industrialized country with dynamic economy and rich cultural
traditions.
In the 13th century some attempts to travel Taiwan
were made by Han
Chinese but the island was not popular at that time because of the
local warlike tribes and supposed lack of trade prospects.
About three centuries later, the beauty of the land was recognized by
the first Europeans, the Portuguese, who called Taiwan Ilha Formosa,
meaning beautiful island. However, the Portuguese were not trying to
colonize Taiwan as well as they had their interest in the neighbouring
Kyushu, Japan.
In the late 17th century the Dutch took possession of some of the
Taiwan's lands aiming to use it as a base for commerce with Japan and
China. European rule was established with the Dutch collecting taxes
and trying to convert the local aborigines to their own religion. In
time, the Dutch were forced out of the South-Western Taiwan by Cheng
Ch'eng-kung leading some Ming followers there after the triumph of
Manchu. However, less than 50 years later the Qing Dynasty overtook the
rule of Taiwan, too. The land experienced a wave of immigration from
China.
The treaty of Maguan signed between the Empire of Japan and China at
the end of the First Sino-Japanese War gave Taiwan to the Japanese and
for 50 years that followed they tried to introduce their own culture
and traditions on the island. The World War II redistributed accents
again, and Taiwan returned to China eventually becoming its province.
The civil war of 1927-1950 nearly ended in the Communists' possession
of Taiwan if it were not for the US naval forces who helped defend the
area.
Capital investments of the mid-60's contributed to the positive
development of economy in Taiwan, the country tightened foreign
relationship and gradually won diplomatic recognition over the world.
In 1971 communist government was given a seat in the United Nations.
Today Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is a
developed country with flourishing industry that has strong economic
ties with foreign countries and is a major tourist attraction of the
Asian world.
Travel Taiwan with our site and you will learn more about art and
architecture of
Taiwan, best
places in Taiwan and
sightseeings
and attractions of Taiwan.
|