HomeDate: 2026-03-31
Dr. Chao-Chieh Yang, hold a Ph.D. in History from National Taiwan University. Having previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Taiwan History, Academia Sinica, I formally joined the Institute as an Assistant Research Fellow in 2025.
His core research focuses on Qing Dynasty Taiwanese history, with a particular emphasis on social recovery and structural transformation following major political upheavals. During his doctoral research, he conducted an in-depth analysis of Central Taiwan in the aftermath of the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion—the largest social uprising in Qing-era Taiwan—to clarify the interconnected relationship between local social reorganization and economic shifts.
By integrating meticulous fieldwork with the analysis of extant historical documents, he has proposed the "Mountains-to-Sea" (山通大海) interpretive framework. This perspective breaks through the traditional academic limitation of treating "coastal ports" and "inland regions" as separate entities. Instead, it reveals the profound production linkages between the oyster-farming economy of coastal Lukang and the bamboo industries of the Nantou mountains, thereby delineating the holistic dynamics of commercial networks and human mobility.
Currently, his research extends to Maritime Trade in Qing-era East Asia, focusing on the interactions between trans-regional merchant activities and Taiwan’s internal society. He looks forward to exploring the intersections of Global History and Regional History to open new analytical spaces for the study of Taiwanese history.
Q&A
Q: Could you share any interests or collections outside of your research?
A: Beyond my research, I find deep joy and relaxation in the art of cooking. I am also a passionate collector of rare books from the Qing Dynasty, with a particular fascination for the exquisite woodblock prints of Songyun-xuan (松雲軒) from the Old Tainan Prefecture.
Q: What would you say to your younger self during your student years?
A: "Opportunity never favors those who are unprepared."
Q: What is the most memorable story from your research career?
A: As a historian deeply engaged in fieldwork, my work goes beyond uncovering folk documents. One of my most unforgettable experiences was being invited into a local home to use my historical expertise to solve a long-standing mystery surrounding a family’s ancestral tablets, finally bringing clarity to their lineage.
