Taiwan has a rich, colorful history. It became a protectorate of the Chinese Empire in 1206, the year the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan founded the Yuan dynasty. The island was made a prefecture (county) of the coastal mainland province of Fukien in 1684, and in 1885, during the Ching or Manchu dynasty (China's last reigning house), Taiwan was proclaimed a separate province of China.
For centuries Taiwan has been familiar to the West as Formosa, a name derived from the 16th century Portuguese mariners who, on sighting the island from a galleon, named it "IIha Formosa!" (Beautiful Island!). The official Chinese name for the Pescadores (Fishermen's Isles), a name also given by Portuguese mariners, is Penghu. The archipelago is located in the Taiwan Strait, and forms one of the 16 counties of Taiwan province.
The Dutch invaded Taiwan in 1624 and remained as colonists for 37 years. The Spanish invaded and occupied northemmost Taiwan in 1626, but were driven out by the Dutch 16 years later in 1642. The Dutch were finally dislodged in 1661 by invading forces from the mainland led by the Ming dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng- kung, whose latinized name, Koxinga, derives from his ennoblement by the Ming court as Kuo Hsing Yeh, or Lord of the Imperial Sumame. Koxinga hoped to use Taiwan as his base in the fight to overthrow the Ching dynasty and restore the Ming dynasty.
In 1884 the French occupied northemmost Taiwan following a dispute with China over the Yunnan-Indochina border. 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 China.
The Japanese went to war with China in 1894 following a dispute over Korea. By the treaty of Shimonoseki, concluded in 1895, Taiwan and the Pescadores were ceded to Japan. Under another provision, Korea, over which China had exercised suzerainty, was declared independent and, as expected, was subsequently annexed by Japan. Taiwan and the Pescadores were restored to Chinese rule at the end of World War Ēš in 1945.
The principal city of Taiwan is Taipei, which since December 7, 1949, has been the provisional capital of the Republic of China.
The Republic of China (ROC) was bom in the Wuchang Revolution which erupted on October 10, 1911. The ROC was formally established on January 1, 1912 and brought the republican form of government to Asia. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the nation's founding father, sought to create a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" to replace the weak, corrupt bureaucracy of the Ching dynasty.
Taiwan is situated in the Pacific Ocean about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland. Located about midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and the Philippines to the south, Taiwan is a natural gateway for travelers to and within Asia.
Shaped roughly like a tobacco leaf, Taiwan is 394 kilometers (245 miles) long and 144 kilometers (89.5 miles) wide at its broadest point. The Central Mountain Range bisects Taiwan from north to south and about two-thirds of the island is covered with forested peaks. The rest of the island is made up of foothills, terraced flatlands, and coastal plains and basins.
Taiwan province includes the Penghu Archipelago-a group of 64 islands previously known as the Pescadores-and 21 other islands.
Taiwan's climate is subtropical, with average annual temperatures of 21.7 C (71.2F) in the north and 24.1C (75.7F) in the south. The rainy season, in May and June, typically heralds the start of summer. Summers, which last from May through September, are usually hot and humid with daytime temperatures from 27 to 35 C (in the 80s In general, visitors should wear lightweight clothing from April through No- vember, sweaters and coats are necessary only from December through March and in air-conditioned restaurants, cinemas, etc.
In 1995, Taiwan's population exceeds 21 million, which makes the island one of the world's most densely populated places. Except for the approximately 350,000 aborigines, the people of Taiwan originate from the Chinese mainland, most from the coastal province of Fukien.
The Chinese religious belief system has a guardian deity for almost every aspect of human life. The Chinese deities revered in Taiwan, notably Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, and Matsu Goddess of the Sea, all had their origins on the Chinese mainland, Taoism and other indigenous Chinese religions, and such imported religions as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, also came to Taiwan via the mainland, Today Buddhism and Taoism are the predominant religions in Taiwan, along with significant numbers of Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Moslems.
Mandarin Chinese is the Official language in Taiwan, though other dialects are also spoken. Many people can speak some English, but most taxi drivers do not speak English.
Electric current is 110 volts, 60 cycles, AC. Drinking water served at hotels and restaurants is distilled or boiled.
Persons who have been in cholera-infected areas must beinoculated more than seven days but less than six months before arrival. A smallpox vaccination is no longer required.
The Republic of China's unit of currency is the New Taiwan dollar(NT$). Foreign currencies can be exchanged at government-designated and private banks andhotels. Receipts are given when currency is exchanged, and must be presented in order to exchange unused NT dollars before departure.
Major credit cards are accepted and traveler's checks may be cashed at some tourist-oriented businesses and by room guests at most international tourist hotels.
The standard tip is about NT$50 per piece of luggage. A 10% service charge is automatically added to room rates and meals. All other tipping is optional.
Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, while most commercial firms are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Government offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Department stores are open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and most other stores are open from 9 or 10 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m.
Airport limousine buses are available from CKS International Airportto Taipei every 15 minutes, and tickets cost around NT$111 per person.