History

The First Step-Dutch's Colony

Change The Fate-Cheng Ch'eng-kung

Ch'ing Dynasty

Japan Take Over

WWII

Return to Mother Land

228

Taiwan has a colorful history that results form its special location. Taiwan is a natural gateway among the Pecific Ocean, Mainland Chinese, North Asia and South Asia. After 16th century, western European powers were moving eastward. Dutch, Spanish and French showed their interests in Taiwan as a colony. After Cheng Ch'eng-Kung, Ming dynasty loyalist, retreated from the mainland and took over Taiwan, Taiwan started her relationship with China that turned the island to a new fate. In the late of 19 centruy, Japan started her interest in Taiwan to realize her dream to control East Asia. Japan colonized Taiwan for 50 years. After WWII Taiwan retured to China, the Republic of China(not the People of Republic China), ROC government took over this island in 1945. Taiwan has her government for over 50 years, but Mailand China still want to take it as a part of territory. That results from the location of Taiwan and her ecomonic development.

In 1517, a Portuguese fleet finded this island when he sail through the Taiwan Strait and called Taiwan "Ilha Formosa"(Beautiful Island). For centuries Taiwan has been familiar to the West as this pretty name. When the European powers moved eastern, the Ming government regarded this island as a dreadful, barbaric region. She didn't want to rule it or take it as part of territory. In the middle of the sixteenth century, there were only a small number of Han immigrants. Most of Taiwan resident were Malayo-Polynesian aborigines who had dwelt on Taiwan for thousands years.

In 1603, the Dutch fleet sailed toward the Pescadores(Penghu). It was the first time that Western European power set foot on Taiwan. In January 1624, the Ming forces attacked the Dutch on Penghu Island. After eight months warring, the Dutch and Ming signed a treaty that gave the Dutch posts on Taiwan in exchange for withdrawing from Pescadores. The Ming government agreed so easily to let the Dutch take over Taiwan, because China had never looked upon this island as its own territory at this time. The Spanish invaded and occupied northernmost Taiwan in 1626, but were driven out by the Dutch in 1642. In 1661, The Dutch were finally dislodged by the Ming dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung.

During the thirty-eight years of Dutch rule, the Dutch had shown profound interest in developing Taiwan as a colonial enterprise. They developed agriculture and exported deer products and sugur.

In 1661, after the Ming Emperor Yung-li died, Cheng Ch'eng-kung retreated from the mainland, and sought refuge in Penghu and Taiwan. He preserved Ming's dynasty and resolved to "overthrow Ch'ing and restore Ming". Later, Cheng Ch'eng-kung drived away the Dutch on Taiwan, and moved to Taiwan in order to realize his goal of restoring Ming Dynasty. Cheng's relocation to Taiwan was a new turning point in the fate of Taiwan. Within one year after arriving in Taiwan, Cheng Ch'eng-kung died in May 1662, at the age of 38, before he could realize his dream of "overthrow Ch'ing". Cheng was recognized as a hero, "Lord of Pioneer", for over-throwing the Dutch and for developing Taiwan. Upon Cheng Cheng-kung's death, his son, Cheng Jing, tried to fulfill his father's dream but failed.

In October 1681, the Ch'ing Emperor Kang-shi appointed Shi Lang as the Fukien naval commander in charge of assault on Taiwan to betray the Cheng Royalty. On Sept.22, 1683, Shi Lang and his troops marched into Taiwan without bloodshed. On Sept. 27, Cheng Royalty surrendered officially and ended the Cheng rule in Taiwan for twenty three years. On May 27, 1684, an imperial order was issued that Taiwan officially became a territory of the Ch'ing Dynasty.

At the first the Ch'ing Dynasty did not interesting in this barbaric island. The Ch'ing government had become positively interested in developing Taiwan since "the 1874 Incident", in which the Japanese sent a military expedition to Taiwan. On May 27, 1874, after Japanese troops arrived in Taiwan, the Ch'ing court swiftly appointed Shen Bao-tseng as "Inspector-General and concurrently Minister for Taiwan Coastal Defense", and dispatched him to Taiwan.

In 1884 the French occupied part of northern of Taiwan. In March 1885, they also occupied the Pescadores, but withdrew from both the Pescadores and Taiwan three months later under the terms of a treaty with the Ch'ing Dynasty. The military action of the French made the Ch'ing government realize the importance of Taiwan. In order to accelerate the policies of Taiwan development Ch'ing government dispatched a "westernization" reformist, Lau Ming-tuan, to Taiwan. In October 1885, Taiwan became a "province", and Lau was appointed the first governor of Taiwan.

In 1894, Japan warried with China following a dispute over Korea. On April 17, 1895, the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty was signed. By the treaty of Shimonoseki Taiwan and the Pescadores were ceded to Japan. In Taiwan, people didn't want to be ruled by Japanese. On May 23, 1895, a "Declaration of the Independence of Taiwan Democratic Republic" was proclaimed. Ching-sun Tang was recommended as the president of Taiwan Democratic Republic. At the same time, "Yellow Tiger Flag" was chosen as national flag, "Seal of Democratic Republic" was made, and "Forever Ch'ing" was decided as the name of the new era. Thus, the first republic in Asia failed to obtain recognition from other countries, and under attacked by the Japanese troops. Taiwan Democratic Republic vanished soon into the air which only survived for 148 days.

On June 9,1895, the Japanese troops moved immediately to Tamsui, a city in north of Taipei, and occupied northern of Taiwan .When the Japanese troops marched southward, they met strong resistances from the residents and were forced into desperate battles. Japanese troops took five months to suppress the whole island. At this time an awakening, "Taiwanese",were formed of unity amon different resident groups of Hakka, Fukien, Chang-zhou and Chuan-zhou, who used to fight with each other.

During the 50 years ruling, Japan established education systems for Taiwan and developed agricultural industries. In WWII, Taiwan became the "supply base for the southern operation", munition related industries were developed. Modern industries, like steel, chemistry, textile, metal and machinery, became very active in Taiwan. In October, 1935, an "exposition commemorating the 40th anniversary of commencing administration in Taiwan" was held in Taipei. At that time, the Republic of China sent an observation group. After they returned to China, they published a report titled "Report of Taiwan Study" in 1937. This report has given a top praises about the Japaness rule on Taiwan.

On September 2, 1945, Japanese representatives signed the formal document of surrender and ended WWII. On the same day of Japan's surrender, the office of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers issued General Order No.1, directing Japanese forces in China and Formosa (except Manchuria), to "surrender to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek." Based on this order, Taiwan return to China (the Republic of China). On October 25, at 10 A.M., the ceremony of "accepting surrender in Taiwan region of China war zone" was performed in Taipei Public Hall (present-day Taipei Chungshan Memorial Hall). After the ceremony, Governor Chen Yi made an announcement in a radio broadcasting: "From now on, Taiwan officially becomes the territory of China; all lands and residents are, therefore, under the jurisdiction of Nationalist government, the Republic of China."

Under Japan ruled for 50 years, Taiwan had been developed well in industries, education system, government, and economy. After returned to the "mother-land", there were a lot of gaps between Taiwaness and Chinese. Especially, almost all important posts and management positions were assigned to the "mainlanders" but used many Taiwanese of superior ability in lower level positions. That caused Taiwaness were disappointed to the new government. The "Feb.28 incident" was a horrorable conflict that resulted from the new government want to wipe out all Taiwan society leaders and Taiwaness disappointed the new government. In the evening of February 27, 1947, a trouble broke out in Taipei, caused by police from the alcohol and tobacco Monopoly Bureau seizing unauthorized cigarettes, immediately developed into island-wide uprising, . Next day, in the morning of February 28, an angry crowd went to protest at Taipei branch of the Monopoly Bureau, beating up the branch manager and three employees and burned the bureau's documents and furnitures. Although, many Taiwan society leaders tried to negotiate with government and had Settement Committee that maintained the administrative and peace keeping fuctions. In the afternoon of March 8, when the reinforcements from mainland China landed from Keelung and Kaohsiung harbours, Taiwan suddenly turned into a living hell. The Chinese army killed Taiwanese on the strees. Taiwaness tried to defent, but they had no weapons and ammunitions and they failed soon. The troops not only purged the people who directly involved in the incident, but also graped many leaders in the society and numerous intellectuals including councilmen, professors, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and teachers. Thousands people are killed and dispare. After this terrible incident, Taiwanese learned keep slient and fallow the orders of government for about 40 years. The massacre and purge had a chilling effect on the Taiwanese, who through years afterward spent their days extremely terrified.

Despite the WWII vicorty, the Repulic of China was threatened by the growing power of the Chinese communits. Chinese communits provoked a civil war with the support of the Soviet Union and gained control of the Chinese mainland. The new Chinese forced the ROC government to relocate to Taiwan and set up a provisional capital in Taipei in 1949. But until now, mainland China still threaten Taiwan by force and bother Taiwan to entey any international organizations.

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