Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In early 18th-century Europe, much of what was known of Taiwan was picked from
An
Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa
by George Psalmanazar. The
Frenchmen, who claimed to be a native of the island, was later revealed to be a com-
plete fraud.
The Japanese Colonial Era: 1895-1945
In 1894 war broke out between Japan and China over the Japanese invasion of Korea.
China's poorly equipped navy was no match for Japan's modern fleet, and in April of
1895 China signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki which ceded the Ryukyu Islands (Ok-
inawa), Taiwan and the Penghu Archipelago to Japan.
On Taiwan locals responded to the treaty with alarm. Social and political leaders en-
couraged Governor Tang Jingsong to issue a statement of self-rule, which led to the de-
claration of the Taiwan Democratic Republic on 23 May. Any hopes that foreign powers
would intervene were quickly lost, however, and by 3 June, Japanese forces had taken
Keelung. Tang fled and with chaos engulfing the city, elites in Taipei asked Koo Hsien-
jung (a businessman whose family is still influential in Taiwanese politics and business)
to open the gates to the Japanese.
Resistance continued in the south in the name of the Republic but when the Japanese
army entered Tainan on 21 October, the Republic fell for good. On 18 November the
Japanese declared Taiwan 'pacified', though violent, localised resistance would continue
for years, especially among aboriginal groups who were treated as savages to be
conquered and pacified during the entire colonial era.
In international sporting events, and many international organisations, Taiwan goes by
the name 'Chinese Taipei.' It's a compromise title since the People's Republic of China
(PRC), a UN Security Council Member, refuses to allow either Taiwan or the Republic of
China (ROC) to be used.
In general, though, Japan set out early to turn Taiwan into a model colony, attempting
in part to show Western powers that they could match, or outdo, them in every way. They
began with thorough studies of Taiwan's land, climate, people, history and natural re-
sources. In 1899 they formed the Bank of Taiwan to facilitate investment; by 1914
Taiwan was not just financially self-sufficient but contributing taxes.
Over the coming decades, hundreds of kilometres of roads were constructed, and rail
lines linked Keelung to Kaohsiung, and Hualien to Taitung. Schools and teaching col-
leges were established, a relatively fair legal system was implemented based on Western