"Keeweechic's Taiwan" a Taiwan Travel Page by keeweechic

Taiwan is a relatively small country but packs in a lot of diversity and unfortunately is usually overlooked by those planning Asian holidays. It is very easy to drive from Keelung in the north to the southernmost tip in a day but you would not want to do it that quickly because in between there is the lofty central mountain range, alpine forests, wonderful waterfalls and long stretches of coastline. The island is bisected by the Tropic of Cancer which makes the northern part of Taiwan subtropical with hot summers and cool winters and the southern areas close to the balmy tropics.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
Chinese Proverb

Early immigrants came across the Taiwan Straits from the Fujian province in China. Portuguese sailors landed in 1517, stopping long enough to name the island Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island). But the Dutch were the first to lay claim, a fact that finally upset Chinese interest in this "uncivilized" outpost. The Dutch were overthrown by Ming Dynasty patriot and hero Prince Koxinga in 1661 and in 1684 Taiwan became a region of the Fujian province and in 1887( a distinct province of China). The French then occupied the Keelung port region and the Pescadores Islands for a short period in 1884 but as part of the spoils of the Sino-Japanese war, Taiwan and the Pescadores were surrendered to Japan in 1895. The Japanese ruled Taiwan until the end of WWII, leaving behind a shattered economy. The start of modernising Taiwan began with the fall of China's Ching Dynasty in 1911 and the subsequent founding of the Republic of China by Dr Sun Yat-sen in 1912. Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taipei long with his Kuomintang government in 1949 and defended political restrictions on the basis that they were necessary during this period of Communist rebellion. He died in 1975, his dream of recovering the mainland unfulfilled. His Three No's Policy was - no contact, no comproimise and no negotiation with Beijing.

Taiwan continues to be part of greater China, with elements from each laying claim to the other. Probably the only certain aspect of Taiwan's geopolitical status in the immediate future is that it will remain unresolved, each fiercely holding their stance.

Photos which are taken by myself and all headings are copyright and digitally marked. Please do not use them without permission. Thanks. (c) keeweechic 2001-2008 (copyright)