Taiwan Key Dates and Trivia

slawa · April 27, 2021, 5:50am

Fixed formatting.

maowang:

1544: Portuguese sailors en route to Japan record the sighting of “Ilha Formosa”.

1582: Portuguese shipwreck survivors spend ten weeks on Taiwan. The 300 survivors constructed a craft amid frequent raids by the aborigines and returned to Macao.

1602: States of Holland award Dutch East Indies Trade Company (VOC) exclusive rights to conduct affairs on behalf of the government.

1603: Chen Di observes a culture of swidden farmers and hunters on the Western Plain of Taiwan. Ming naval force arrives in Tayowan to eradicate Japanese pirates and violators of the maritime blockade imposed by the Ming.

1609: Japanese trade expedition of Arima Harunobu arrives for a brief stay in Taiwan and loses many men to attack by austronesian peoples.

1616: A second Japanese trade expedition arrives led by the Omura and meets a similar fate to the first expedition.

1622: Dutch send Captain Reyerzoon to Macao to oust the Portuguese. July, Dutch are forced to retreat to the Pescadores (Peng hu).

1623: Dutch reports show 1500 or less “Chinese” inhabitants on Taiwan involved in the deer trade. The report also mentions “Chinese” men living in the villages often bully the aborigines and threaten to cut off the salt trade.

1624: August, Chinese fleet forces Dutch to abandon their small fortress in the Pescadores and offer Tayouan in exchange. Japanese ship sails with 18,000 deer skins sparking Dutch plans for deer market.

1625: Dutch buy Sinkan from Siraya people and establish what is now Tainan. Dutch attempt to impose duties on trade with Tayouan. Japanese refuse to pay.

1626: January, Delegates from southern villages arrive in Tayouan to submit to Dutch rule. Spanish arrive at Keelung (Jilong) in northern Taiwan and begin plans to erect Fort Santissima Trinidad on Palm Island (Peace Island).

1627: Reverend Robertus Candidus arrives to begin evangelizing to the natives.

1628: Japanese kidnap Governor Pieter Nuyts. Spanish launch expedition into the Danshui valley and begin construction of Fort San Domingo. Japanese traders take Dutch GovernorPeter Nuyts hostage, resulting in damaged trading relations between the VOC and Japan. Tokugawa Shogunate refuses a muddled attempt by Japanese sailors to incorporate Taiwan into the Shogunate’s realm. The Sincandian, Dika, is returned to Taiwan with gifts from the Shogunate, which are confiscated by the Dutch, sparking a period of instability and distrust in Tayowan.

1629: Villagers from Mattow Village ambush and attack Dutch soldiers sparking punitive measures by the Dutch. Spanish erect a settlement at Danshui.

1630: Dutch force makes first attempt to dislodge the Spanish from Keelung (Jilong).

1632: Spanish found school for aborigines in Danshui. Fort Zeelandia is completed.

1633: January 27, Father Vaez is beheaded by Senar tribesman. Chinese population is estimated at 700-800.

1635: August, 400 Dutch reinforcements arrive and are employed in a punitive campaign against the villages of Mattow, Soulang, Sinkan and Saccam.

1636: February, Dutch preside over meeting of delegates from twenty-eight allied tribes from all over the western plain. The meeting is celebrated annually as “Landdag”. March, Spanish, led by Father Muro, seek peaceful settlement with Senar over the Vaez murder and lose 24 men in an ambush killing Father Muro with an arrow shot through his heart. June, Villages around Tayouan begin converting to Christianity. Rev. Junius establishes school in Sinkan to teach aborigines Romanized forms of their own languages. Deer licenses are first sold to Chinese entrepreneurs.

1638: Spanish abandon Danshui garrison and retreat to Keelung (Jilong) due to pressure on the supply line.

1639: Rev. Junius expresses fear that the deer are being over hunted.

1640: 1300 head of cattle are being raised on Taiwan.

1641: Revs. Candidus and Junius help lead pacification campaign against Favorlang villages in central Taiwan.

1642: August 24, Dutch and aborigines mount attack on Spanish positions in Keelung (Jilong) leading Governor Gonzalo Portillo to quickly surrender his position.

1643: Rev. Junius trains 50 native teachers to teach in six core villages with a total of 600 children.

1644: Qing Dynasty is established in Beijing, succeeding the Ming.

1645: Dutch secure supply route from north to south. Deer licenses are replaced by competitive system of “tax farming”.

1646: Admiral Shi Lang defects from the Chengs to the Qing, bringing extensive knowledge of maritime affars.

1650: Dutch census puts the number of taxpaying plains aborigines at 50,000. Peter Struys reports most of the aborigines are wearing Chinese style clothing. Dutch claim sovereignty over 300 villages. Chinese population 25,000, mostly males or mixed aboriginal males. Taiwan sugar production reaches 9000 acres of cane.

1652: Chinese seasonal farmers stage a revolt led by Kuo Huai Yi and are easily put down by a combined Dutch and Aboriginal force.

1653: Dutch erect Fort Provintia in Saccam.

1659: Cheng Cheng Gong is repulsed by Manchus at Nanjing.Villages in coastal Fujian are ordered evacuated by the Qing to deny Cheng Cheng Gong the ability to re supply. The evacuation causes severe strife in China. Many large villages in Taiwan have schools and half of the populations can recite the catechism.

1660: As the rumors of attack by Cheng Cheng Gong spread, Governor Coyet orders Chinese farmers evacuated from distant areas. Cheng Cheng gong retains Amoy under Manchu attack.

1661: April 30, Cheng Cheng gong arrives off Tayouan with 25,000 men and quickly lay siege to the Dutch forts. The well at Fort Provintia runs dry leading to a surrender. Ta Du (Papora) aborigines in central Taiwan revolt against the Chengs May 26, Cheng orders soldiers not necessary to siege on Zeelandia to begin planting rice to better sustain his forces on Taiwan. September, Cheng defeats a Dutch naval attack.

1662: January 25, Cheng Cheng gong’s forces capture a strategic position over Fort Zeelandia. Fort Zeelandia remains in Dutch control until February 1, 1662.

1663: June 23, Cheng Cheng gong dies suddenly. November, Cheng family loses Amoy.

1664: Papora tribes revolt. July,Dutch force is sent to occupy Keelung (Jilong). September, Admiral Shi Lang is ordered to command a combined armada of government and VOC ships against the Cheng naval forces. 1665:* Cheng armies organized on Taiwan as military colonist farmers reaching 70,000 men paid with rice and land. Chengs reach agreement with the Chengs. The agreement allows for the British to use Tayouwan ports in exchange for matchlock rifles. Second aboriginal revolt in Ta Du is crushed by the Chengs.

1668: Dutch withdraw from Keelung (Jilong).

1669: Chengs send envoys to South East Asia to establish trade routes.

1670: British East India Trading Company opens factory under Ellis Crispe. Papora in Shalu revolt and are defeated.The Tou wei lang and Pazeh of Anli revolt.

1673: Three Feudatories crisis draws Qing forces from the Chinese coast, allowing the Chengs a foothold on the continent.

1674: Cheng loyalists are enlisted to fight in China during the Three Feudatories period. Cheng moves administration to Amoy.

1980: April, Amoy is lost by Cheng to the Manchus. Qing naval attack destroys Fort Santissima Trinidad to deprive the Chengs of its use.

1681: Fujianese are forced to move inland to quell alliances with the Cheng family.

1682: A fire levels Tainan including grain stores aggravating the grain shortage. Shi Lang regains control of Qing naval forces.

1683: Cheng expedition for gold leads to the destruction of an aboriginal village on the east coast. Grain shortages cause aborigines to revolt against the Chengs. July, a great naval battle led by Admiral Shih Lang routs the Cheng navy leading to a surrender. September, Chengs surrender to Qing. October, Admiral Shih Lang lands on Taiwan and soon acquires large sections of land. Qing government orders all Chinese on Taiwan without wife or property to return to China leaving 7000 Cheng soldiers on Taiwan. The Cheng armies are sent to remotely populated areas of China to discourage further revolt.

1684: April, Taiwan is made a prefecture of Fujian to prevent the island from falling into foreign hands again. Shih Lang cites sulfur as a strategic commodity to retain the island.

1686: Sheng Yuan schools were opened to court local elite and quotas for degree holders are set.

1688: Report laments decline of Chinese on Taiwan to several thousand and cites population decline for lack of revenue.

1697: Yu Yong Ho begins his travels from Tainan to Danshui in search of sulfur detailing his observations as he travels.

1699: Aboriginal revolt over excessive corvee labor in the northwest sparks unrest in the north. After a combined force of southern aborigines failed the central plain, the Anli tribe is enlisted to ambush the retreating rebels, which the successfully did and won a seat of power in central Taiwan. A Danshui area chief sparks a revolt after refusing his daughter’s marriage to a Chinese. The Chinese groom flogs the chief sparking a revolt. The revolt is put down when a Qing naval expedition lands in Danshui and pays neighboring aborigines to capture and kill the instigators of the revolt.

1704: First accounting made of tribally owned land. Qing decree land agreements must have government permission before finalization.

1709: Taipei’s first land patent is issued as a large permanent rent from Ketagalon tribe.

1710: An li Tribe of Pazeh numbers 3,300 people.

1711: Tax holiday is declared on Taiwan. The rate of “secret crossers” into Taiwan increases.

1715: Six tribes submit to Qing. Anli tribe submits to the Qing becoming the regional power in central Taiwan. Chen Pin requests recognition of tribal land rights to ensure peace on the frontier.

1716: Zhang Da jing, a Guang Dong Hakka gains trust of the Anli people by giving them medicine and is allowed to take a number of wives from the tribe.

1717: Chu Luo Gazetteer calls aboriginal head tax a primary source of revenue and lists aborigines as landholders. Qing court bans Chinese trading abroad. * *schools are functioning in aboriginal districts.

1720: Tainan residents in the Tainan area were discouraged from renting to Hakka settlers for fear they were becoming too numerous.

1721: Chu Yi Gui, a 33 year old duck breeder from Chang Chou prefecture organizes a rebellion against the Qing government for the extensive taxes levied by Feng Shan magistrate Wang Chen in southern Taiwan. Chu uses his name as a rallying call to Ming loyalists as it resembles the surname of the ruling house during the Ming Empire. April 19, Chu gatheres 80 rebels to raid military outposts in search of weapons and is soon joined by Tu Chun Ying, another regional bandit leader. After an early victory by the government and enlisting aboriginal braves from several loyal villages, the rebels dispersed into and hide out in friendly villages near by. When an over confident and over zealous commander promises large amounts of silver for each rebel captured or killed, the plains aborigines run riot through the countryside torching villages and killing civilians. As panic spreads, the government loses several key battles and is forced into a tactical withdrawl. The defeats lead to a partial government retreat as the rebels by the tens of thousands close in on Tainan. Tainan soon falls followed by Chu Lo (Chia Yi (Jiayi)). Rivalry between the rebel leaders causes a rift that allows the Qing to regroup and attack with 12,000 soldiers and re-take the capital. The rebellion causes the Qing to rethink their policy on Taiwan.

1722: Papora revolt leads Cheng commander Luo Guo Hsuan to destroy the village of Sha lu. Governor Man pao orders a boundary line constructed running North to South delineating the non-tax paying aborigines from the Han and aborigines loyal to the Qing. The boundary of trenches and hills is meant to prohibit settlers from occupying land beyond the markers that may result in aboriginal violence.

1723: Chang Hua county is established. Yong Cheng Emperor ascends throne. Tenure for reclaiming wasteland lowered to six years from ten

1724: An imperial decree sanctions Han renting from aborigine land-holders.

1727: Rice from Taiwan’s southern core is used in Fujian to relieve famine. Governor Kao Chi Guo sought to clarify the boundary between Han and Fan areas and also tighten regulations against trespass.

1729: Twelve settlers from Feng Shan are killed after crossing the Han/Fan boundary. Prefect Shen Chi Yuan argues good government would turn Han into good locals and Fan into good Han.

1730: Government decrees that any Han who reclaims land beyond the border will be punished and sent back to China.

1731: The restrictions on family immigration is lifted for the first time. December, excessive corvee, taxation and anger over government employees casually sleeping with aborigine women leads to the Ta Chia revolt. Braves from Ta Chia attack sub-prefect Chu at Sha lu, kill his entourage and set fire to the yamen building. As Chu flees south many settlers are killed in the aboriginal advance toward Chang hua. The Ta Chia (Taokas) tribe is joined by two tribes from the Anli (Pazeh) tribal group to defeat Qing troops defending the rout to Chang Hua.

1732: The Ta Chia revolt continues as troops are drawn from the south to assist in putting down the rebellion. The absence of military near Feng Shan sparks a minor rebellion of Chu Yi Gui supporters in the south. At the same time a regional intendant, Ni Hsiang Kai has five grain transporters killed from the Papora tribes hoping to pass them off as rebels and collect a reward. The killings result in the Papora joining the rebel assault on Chang Hua. The Babuza tribes join the uprising and the revolt gathers 2000 aborigine braves in a siege on Chang Hua city and the surrounding area. The Qing bring up several hundred Hakka braves and enlisted several Honya tribes with the loyal Anli tribe, which fight until a settlement can be reached, but not before much of the surrounding countryside has been devastated. The Anli tribes, led by Hakka interpreter, Zhang Da Jing, begin to rent small parcels of land to the six big families of Lu Gang. The contract with Anli requires the Han farmers to build irrigation canals to be shared by both Han and aborigines.

1733: Governor Hao reports Ta Chia, Niu Ma and Sha Lu have ownership of 30,000 mou of hunting grounds surrounding their villages. Large amounts of troops are added to Taiwan’s garrisons.

1734: A final investigation fails to punish the tribes responsible at risk of losing the peace. A shu village rents land to Han immigrants to combat food shortage. Taiwan intendant Chang Su chang proposes instituting an aboriginal school system in the villages that results in the construction of 47 schools to teach the Confucian classics for preparation to compete in the civil service examinations.

1735: Yong Cheng dies.

1736: A revolt of plains aborigines leads to investigation of tribal welfare on the plains.

1737: Aboriginal Head tax is eliminated. Aborigine tribal tax is reduced by 80% to combat graft and maladministration after a series of revolts. The reforms mark an end to a period of pro-colonization policies and the beginning of a protectionist policy for aborigines.

1738: Qing administration bars reclamation of aboriginal land. Governor-General Hao Yu-Lin orders all lands cultivated without government sanction are to be returned to the aborigines.

1739: Family immigration is ceased as the influx of mostly male immigrants exasperated ethnic conflict on Taiwan.

1740: Han quarantine is again enforced.

1741: Hakka quota is raised in civil service examinations to placate marginalized Hakka

1744: A proposal for developing aboriginal lands is rejected for fear of inciting revolt or inviting bad elements from China to immigrate to Taiwan. An edict is promulgated prohibiting military acquisition of tribal lands. Taiwan Censor Hsiung Hsueh Peng proposes opening “Taiwan’s wastelands” for the sake of " poor commoners seeking a livelihood."

1746: Governor general Ma Er tai approves regulations preventing and punishing Han reclamation of aboriginal land.

1748: Family immigration is ceased after short reprieve. A canal system is proposed to combat famine. A governor edict calls for canals to be built at landholder’s expense, with tenant labor and official management.

1750: Aborigine boundary is re-drawn after court demands clarification. Many boundaries are marked with stone stela markers written in Chinese characters and Romanized aboriginal script detailing prohibitions for settlement. The famous decree called in to precedent earlier decisions made in favor of aboriginal land rights with a clause stating, “where Han settlers and civilized aborigines have contested lands, sanction is to be given to court judgments already handed down, but after this let civilized aborigines cultivate the remaining aborigine land and do not allow Han to interfere. Violators should be punished.” The decree also re-asserts the government policy of aboriginal lands as a defensive strategy as well as a protective measure to safeguard aboriginal rights.

1756: Memorial to Fujian cites 660,147 “mouths” in Taiwan.

1758: Plains aborigines are ordered to conform to Han and Manchu customs. After reports of Han encroachment into tribal lands the government launches a large scale investigation. Anli headman Tun Tzu adopts the Pan surname.

1760: Fujian governor Wu Shih Kung points to the unfavorable sex ratio leading to immigrant men marrying aboriginal women and disrupting tribal life. Aborigine boundary is re-drawn do to encroachment by settlers and the frequency attack by highland aborigines .

1761: Family immigration is again ceased.

1763: Fang So Tribe in Feng Shan donates money to build temple.

1766: Governor General Su Chang calls for clarification of both civilized and “raw” aboriginal boundaries. A new office for aborigine-Han affairs is created.

1767: Land reclaimed by Han is returned to aborigines and allowing them to collect taxes themselves as rentors.

1768: An uprising led by Huang Chiao, near Tainan increases Qing resolve to enforce immigration restrictions. Of 76 aborigines in northern Taiwan, 45 villages are also the locations of Han villages. Han renting of aboriginal land is approved tax free.

1773: San Hsia lands are opened to supply grain to aboriginal militias. Han and Fan split cost of irrigatin canals in San Hsia

1781: A series of government impeachments begin due to malfeasance.

1782: After more impeachments the Qing administration is at it’s least effective point as ethnic strife grows between settlers from Guang dong, Chuang Zhou, Chang Zhou and aborigines. August, armed conflict erupts in Chang Hua county between Chang Zhou and Chuang Zhou natives. The conflict begins to sweep south and the government is forced to request troops from Fujian.

1783: Lu Kang in central Taiwan is opened for cross strait trade. Office for aboriginal affairs expands its role to encompass coastal defense. Governor general Furgun proposes a six point plan in wake of feuds and creates a more disciplined society. A Chang Zhou native secretly crosses to Taiwan intent on recruiting members for the “Heaven and Earth Society”, a secret brotherhood rooted in millenarian beliefs.

1784: Han chiang joins Amoy as the only other port to serve Taiwan.

1785: The Emperor discontinues use of a government censor and enlists the highest-ranking officials on Taiwan for the job.

1786: Lin Shuang Wen rebellion breaks out and results in the most destructive rebellion in Taiwan’s history. Aborigines surprise and kill the Danshui prefect on his way to Miao li. After being exposed, members of the "Heaven and Earth Society in Chu Lo (Chia Yi (Jiayi)) flee to take refuge with fellow member Lin Shuang Wen in Ta li. December, Lin’s group, threatened with military force, pre-empts the government and launches a rebellion. Chapters of the society from north to south all join in the rebellion. Because the bulk of the rebels are of Chang Zhou origin, the Qing government orders Chuan Zhou and Hakka loyalists into action to suppress the rebellion.

1787: January 16, Lin Shuang wen rebels defeat government troops and take Chang Hua. Hakka troops in the north and the advance of Green Standard troops in the south caused the rebels to withdraw to central Taiwan. Lin Shuang wen and an aboriginal interpreter, Tu Mei, arte recruiting “raw” aborigines to assist the rebellion. Large rewards are offered by the government to apprehend rebels and many “civilized” aborigines are recruited to put down the rebellion. Many of the aboriginal tribes of central Taiwan participated in putting down the rebellion and were rewarded with audiences with the emperor. The Anli tribe is especially valuable to the government in coordinating a defense. The government also uses Anli braves to attack Tali. In the wake of the rebellion, the emperor suggests that if the rebels had not been allowed to have family on Taiwan they would not have revolted. Chingshui Temple is constructed.

1788: Fu Gang an suggests developing aborigine military colonies. March, Fu Gang en is ordered to assess the feasibility of organizing a detachment of civilized aboriginal soldiers. Fu’s plan is to create colonies of 4000 soldiers from 93 villages organized into 12 colonies. Lin Shuang Wen is captured and killed and the Lin family lands are redistributed while some family members are exiled to Fujian.

1790: Qing court no longer seeks to interfere with cross strait crossings. September, Aborigine military colonies are officially proposed.

1792: Wuhumen is opened as a northern trade port to Taiwan.

1804: Groups of aborigines from central and northern Taiwan immigrate to the Iilan plain.

1811: Population of residents using Han taxation identity reaches 2 million. 70% of population resides in southern Taiwan.

1812: Hamalan prefecture is established on the Iilan plain.

1814: Han colonists enter Puli basin.

1817: Qing force Han out of Puli.

1823: Migrations of aborigines from 30 villages to Puli begins. Most of the immigrants are only sub-groups.

1831: Lo Yun, an official from Danshui decrees the “Four Rules of Decorum” and the "Eight Forbiddens " to co-opt local power brokers into maintaining social order ordering a Pao Jia system of punishment for mutual responsibility.

1832: Chang ping rebellion breaks out over the government shipping rice from Chia Yi (Jiayi) during a particularly poor harvest…

1833: Jia lian Jia or family linking policy is instituted to enforce social responsibility. Rebellion breaks out.

1839: Han are prohibited by edict from encroachment on Aboriginal territory.

1840: Prefectural gazetteer cites over hunting as chief cause for the drastic decline of deer herds.

1853: Upon hearing of the Taiping Rebellion and subsequent capture of Nanjing, Feng Shan native Lin Mu organizes a four month uprising against weakened Qing troops.

1854: Commodore Matthew Perry anchors at Keelung (Jilong).

1858: The Treaty of Tien Jin opens Keelung (Jilong) and Danshui to foreign trading vessels.

1859: Lin Wen Chia of Wu Feng is ordered to Fujian to help suppress the Taipings bringing thousands of soldiers from central Taiwan.

1860: Treaty of Peking opens Taiwan’s ports to foreign trade further linking Taiwan to the world economy.

1862: Tai chao chun rebellion breaks out following a government attempt to outlaw Heaven and Earth societies.

1863: Lin Wen Chia is recognized for a number of victories and his Anli braves are recognized as instrumental in Qing victory against the Taipings.

1861: Britain establishes a consular presence on Taiwan.

1864: John Dodd arrives in Taiwan to explore tea and camphor trade.

1866: James Davidson arrives in Taiwan and describes the European population as a small British presence.

1868: “Camphor War” results in eliminating the middle man.

1871: November, Four Okinawan ships wreck near present day Che Cheng in Pingdong county all 54 hands are killed by Mu Tan villagers.

1872: March 9, George Mackay establishes a Presbytarian mission in Danshui.

1874: Japanese troops land at Che Cheng in southern Taiwan to mount a punitive expedition against a branch of Paiwan Aborigines under the auspices of retaliation for the murder of shipwrecked Okinawan sailors by the aborigines. June, Special Imperial Commissioner, Shen Bao Zhen is sent to Taiwan to assist Qing in exerting sovereignty over Taiwan by mediating ethnic disputes, re-drawing the boundaries between un-taxed aborigines and settling the troublesome bands of landless males that roam the countryside.

1875: Taiwan is divided into two prefectures, north and south. Qing concede the mountains to the “Raw” aborigines. Obsolete restrictions on settlement are lifted. George Mackay describes Taipei basin as a “Gibraltar of Heathenism.” Governor Ting Jih-Chang begins a series of infrastructure projects including telegraph and rail lines.

1881: June, Lin family from Ban Qiao signs a long term contract for tea cultivation in Danshui.

1883: November, Sino-French War begins

1884: August 5, French Admiral Lesbes orders bombardment of Keelung (Jilong).
Sino French War results in French blockade of Taiwan and shelling of Keelung (Jilong). French offer Taiwan to Japan in exchange for assistance against Qing.

1885: Liu Ming Chuan is named by Qing court as Governor of Taiwan Province. Liu is charged with instituting modernization projects and expanding Qing authority. Liu attemts to block foreign interference in Taiwan by levying heavy taxes on foreign businesses.
As a result of French aggression Taiwan and surrounding 85 islets are governed under Taiwan Province to strengthen Qing claims to Taiwan.

1887: Taiwanfu is re-named Tainan. Taiwan is divided again adding a central prefecture. Taiwan is raised to Provincial status and presided under by Liu Ming Chuan, an agressive governor with a military background.

1888: Armed uprising breaks out threatening Chang Hua.

1891: Liu Ming Chuan is recalled and replaced by Shao Youlian. Shao suspends modernization projects due to foreign pressure on Qing government.

1894: Shao Youlian is replaced by treasurer and lieutenant governor Tang Jingsong. July, Japanese military invade Seoul, Korea under the auspices of maintaining court stability sparking the Sino-Japanese War. November, Hubei-Hunan governor general expressed to Senior Grand Secretary Li Hong Zheng that Taiwan must not be ceded to Japan.

1895: March 23, March 30, temporary ceasefire excludes Taiwan. Japanese troops land on Peng-hu island between China and Taiwan without resistance. April 17, Treaty of Shimonoseki signed at the conclusion of the first Sino-Japanese War by Li Hong Zhang cedes Taiwan, the Pescadore Islands and parts of Korea to Japan. April 20, Taipei elite ask British consul full use of Taiwan’s valuable resources in exchange for protection against the Japanese. April 22, Yue troops and Huai troops engage in battle sparking chaos in Taipei. May 20, Qing court expresses it’s willingness to cede Taiwan and calls Tang back to Beijing. May 8, formal transfer of Taiwan to Japan takes place aboard a ship off the coast of Keelung (Jilong) and making Kabayama Sukenori the first Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan. May 25, Republic of Taiwan founded in response to imminent Japanese landing in the hope that the foreign community would not let an independent nation succumb to foreign aggression. May 29, 15,000 Japanese troops land at Aoti east of Keelung (Jilong) and after encountering Yue resistance were encamped after an hour and a half of fighting. June 3, Keelung (Jilong) is taken by Japanese before an organized defense can be pitched resulting in renegade Yue soldiers who broke ranks and set to rioting in the streets. The citizens of Taipei and Keelung (Jilong) took to battling the Yue troops in defense of their homes and businesses. June 4, Taipei is in flames as Yue troops pillage the city while the treasury is looted. June 5, Tang Jing song, President of the Republic of Taiwan evacuated the Taipei Yamen and left for China as Japanese troops were poised for an armed advance to the gates of Taipei. June 7, Koo Hsien (Xian)-jung, a local gentry leader is selected to approach the Japanese command and invite the Japanese armies into Taipei to restore order and protect the citizenry from the marauding Yue soldiers. June 8, Japanese troops enter Taipei with help from a female Taipei resident Chen Fa who supplied the ladder to breach the gate. October 21, Tainan surrenders to Japanese.

1896: Japanese Diet approves Law No. 63 which gives sweeping powers to the Taiwan Governor free of interference from the central government. June, Yun Lin massacre results from clashes between Japanese military and guerilla forces and 6000 Taiwanese are killed.

1897: May 8, end of grace period for citizens wishing to be repatriated to China and avoid becoming Japanese subjects. 6300 people have taken advantage of the offer.

1898: Taiwan is placed under the stewardship of Kodama Gentaro and Goto Shimpei. Goto issues orders to commence island wide land survey that lasts until 1903. Goto supervises simultaneous legal and economic surveys.

1899: Taiwanese Nationalist leader Lin Yung-fu makes a deal with the Japanese to surrender in exchange for clemency for his family members imprisoned during the rebellion.

1900: Governor General Kodama’s plan to invade Fujian fails to materialize. Sun Yat-sen is reported to have visited Taiwan.

1901: November, Taiwan is divided into 20 administrative districts (cho). Japanese survey reveals 152,044 opium smokers.

1902: Major guerilla offensives cease against Japanese.

1903: Hydroelectric generators bring power to Taipei.

1904: Japanese Government starts buying land in effort at land reform and tenant farmers gained ownership of their tilled land.

1905: The First census is completed revealing 2,890485 of citizens registered as Han. Literacy rate at 1%. Japan institutes civil household registry.

1906: March 17, Meishan Earthquake in Chia Yi (Jiayi) measuring 7.1 kills 1258 people. Transportation System in place that would remain little changed until 1960’s.

1908: Kaohsiung harbor is completed as a second deep port for Taiwan.

1909: The number of administrative districts is reduced to 12 cho.

1910: Land survey of entire island finds 43% of farmers are tenants 24% are owner tenants. Foot-binding is outlawed erasing the last distinction between plains aborigines and Han.

1911: The Mountain Aborigine quarantine is lifted as soldiers are sent into the mountains to subjugate the aborigines and claim the forest-lands for harvesting timber.

1912: Meiji Era ends.

1913: Lo Fuxing uprising takes place in Hsin Chu (Xinzhu) after a Hakka, inspired by Sun Yat Sen, leads a group of Taiwanese against Japanese authority.

1914: Itagaki Taisuke launches the Dokakai assimilation movement.

1915: Major aboriginal revolts end after years of bombardment, quarantine and poison gas. Dokakai movement is suspended by Governor General Sakuma. May 1, Governor General Sakuma is recalled for the brutal retribution of innocent Taiwanese following an incident in which 51 Japanese policemen were killed by a mob. The Forestry Bureau is established to improve forest management of Taiwan’s wilderness.

1920: March, New People’s Society is established by Taiwanese students in Tokyo to focus on Formosan issues.

1921: March 21, Japanese Prime Minister, Hara Takashi and his cabinet pass Law No. 3 to sync Laws on Taiwan to those of Japan reducing the Taiwan Governor’s powers. The Taiwan Cultural Association, an anti-government organization of elites is formed to promote rights of native Taiwanese.

1922: 2400 Taiwanese students are studying in Japan.

1923: League for the Establishment of a Taiwan Parliament is formed to lead the home rule movement.

1924: Japanese Code of Criminal Procedure is enacted in Taiwan.

1928: Taiwan Communist Part is formed advocating Independence under the Republic of Taiwan.

1929: The Taiwan Governor-General’s Office is placed under the Ministry of Colonial Affairs to help centralize Japanese colonial development. Law 63 is rescinded.

1930: October 27, Musha Incident. The League of Nations discovers Japan’s use of Taiwan for drug profits.

1931: The ROC establishes Mandarin as the "National Language of China.

1934: Home Rule League is dissolved.

1935: April 21 Taichung and Hsin Chu (Xinzhu) Earthquakes kill 15,000 people. Provincial and city governments are given local representation. 68,000 Taiwanese are working in the industrial sector in 7000 factories. The Japanese begin allowing elections for local assemblies and half the seats in the provincial assembly.

1936: Kobayashi Seizo becomes the 17th Governor General of Taiwan and commits the Taiwanese people to his policies of Assimilation, Expansion of Military Industrial Projects and preparation for Taiwan as a launch pad into southern Asia.

1937: April, The Kominka policy of assimilation is introduced and promoted through a series of nationalizing campaigns. Chinese is excluded from the educational system. Taiwan Federation of Local Autonomy is pressured to voluntarily disband. Sino-Japanese war breaks out in Manchuria at the Marco Polo Bridge. The Sun Moon Lake reservoir and hydroelectric works is completed providing electricity to Taiwan’s heavy industry.

1938: National General Mobilization Law is passed by the Diet to conscript Taiwanese to work in military related industries. 200,000

1940: Literacy rate 27%. Japanese government claims 51% of Taiwanese can speak Japanese. The Public Service Association of the Imperial Subjects is installed to promote loyalty during wartime. November, Admiral Hasegawa becomes Governor-General of Taiwan.

1942: 7000 Taiwanese students are studying in Japan.

1943: 143,000 Taiwanese are employed as industrial workers in Taiwan.

1944: Major U.S. air bombardment begins on Taiwan. 1/4 of school aged children are enrolled in primary school.

1945: March, Japanese Diet allows colonial representatives in the lower house of the Diet. April, compulsory general conscription into the Japanese armend forces is enacted. June 17, the hoko system is abolished. August 15, Emperor Hirohito issues the proclamation of Japanese surrender to the Allied powers. August, Kuomintang creates the Taiwan Provincial Administrative Executive Office under the direction of Chen Yi to govern Taiwan. The TPAEO also doubled as the Taiwan Garrison Command. December, Kuomintang divide Taiwan into eight counties. 7% of Taiwanese have adopted Japanese names. October 25, Governor-General Ando signs documents allowing Nationalist Chinese forces under the Supreme Commander of Allied Powers allowing Chen Yi to effectively assume command.

*1946:. Cholera epidemic followed by malaria, bubonic plague and leprosy hit Taiwan for first time since 1919. KMT sends 28,000 officials to Taiwan and 36,000 Taiwanese lose their jobs in the civil service. KMT calls for “re-education” of Taiwanese.

1947: January 6, General George Marshall abandons his effort to mediate the Chinese Civil War. February 14, Taiwan’s rice market closes following riots over inflation. Price of food rises 700 percent. February 28, Woman cigarette peddler is beaten by Monopoly Agents sparking riots that would lead to a massacre of innocent Taiwanese by government troops. March 2, local elites approach Governor Chen Yi with a petition of “temporary demands” which among other things allow student police to help restore order in the cities, release emergency food supplies and allow for future dialogue with the governor. March 7, a list if 32 demands is presented to Chen Yi asking for a reconstruction of KMT authority on the island, civilian control of the police rather than military control and for elections to be held. March 9, KMT troops land in Keelung (Jilong) and immediately engage in warfare against the civilian population. March 13, Nationalists gain control of Taiwan and embark on a campaign to “exterminate the traitors”. April 22, Nationalist government announces Taiwan will have a regular provincial government under Chen Yi’s replacement Wei Tao Ming. Taiwan Sugar Company is established to monopolize Taiwan’s sugar reserves. ROC Constitution is amended.

1948: Land reform movement is introduced to minimize the communist threat in the countryside.

1949: April 6, Students at National Taiwan University are arrested and over 100 are killed when police crack down on protesters. May 19, Martial Law is declared suspending rights guaranteed under the ROC Constitution and expanding the power of Garrison Command on Taiwan. The “Temporary Articles” were enacted “During the Period of Mobilization and Combating Rebellion” The permanent state of rebellion stymied political growth and opened a period of Government Sponsored terror. The “Temporary Articles” froze the National Assembly of 1947 to maintain legitimacy as the government of China leading to decades of policy voted on by aging cadres. Vigilance Measures law is enacted on executive order to consolidate government in the executive.
The People’s Republic of China is established in Beijing. December, ROC government is moved from Nanjing, China to Taiwan. Land reform under the Nationalists is instituted to end tenancy and high rates and tenant insecurity.

1950: May 23, KMT government announces investigation of 228 massacre. June, Korean War breaks out leading the US to support Chiang Kai sheck against the Communists, but also pacifying Chiang from offensive movement against the Communists. June 27, US President Truman declares Taiwan an American security interest. June 29, Chiang Kai Sheck offers 30,000 troops to assist in Korea. July 31, Douglas MacArthur flies to Taipei with a promise of American support.August 5, Chiang Kai Sheck launches Party reorganization plan. Reorganization of Local Government Plan is completed, dividing Taiwan into smaller localities and Hsien (Xian).

1951: December, first island wide election held for provincial assembly. Land reform sells land to tenant farmers for 2.5times the value of a years crop.

1952, 1953: Land to the Tiller program begins. :* Military Serviceman’s Insurance law is passed

1954: U.S.-R.O.C. Mutual Defense Treaty is signed to promising U.S. aid to ensure a Pacific front against Communism. Kao Yu shu becomes the first elected Mayor of Taipei. 500,000 refugee soldiers have retired.

1955: February, Last evacuation of soldiers from China. Between 1949 and 1955 90,000 “Communist Elements” have been arrested in Taiwan. Eisenhower issues his “Offshore Islands Resolution” to stabilize the Taiwan Strait. September, Thomas Liao establishes the Provisional Government of Taiwan in Japan. KMT General and WWII hero of the Burma campaign, Sun Li-jen is arrested for “harboring Communists” and sentenced to house arrest.

1958: Battle of Kinmen (Jinmen) erupts with non-stop artillery bombardment from both sides.

1960: Kao Yu shu afails in his bid to establish the China Democratic Party. September 4, Lei Chen receives a 10 year sentence for his role in establishing the China Democratic Party.

1961: Urban population reaches 5 million.

1962: May 1, Legislative Yuan unanimously passes a special 14 month defense tax in a secret session to raise more money to counterattack China.

1963: Isadore Dyen proposes Austronesian Homeland Theory. 80% of the national budget is slated for defense or 15% of GNP.

1964: The Taipei to Keelung (Jilong) “MacArthur” Freeway opens to the public. September 20, Dr. Peng Min Ming and two of his graduate students are arrested for attempting to disseminate a declaration of Taiwanese rights.

1965: Industry replaces agriculture as Taiwan’s chief economic feature. Dr. Peng Min Ming is indicted for attempting to publish a manifesto of Taiwanese rights. April 2, Dr. Peng is sentenced to 8 years in prison. August, two of the ROC’s largest ships are sunk in a naval engagement with PRC boats.

1966: 3.75 million of Taiwan’s 7.8 million urban residents over 12 years of age are employed. March, Chiang Kaii Sheck orders the Temporary Articles for Mobilization During the Communist Rebellion amended to reorganize the national government and allow for elections to fill the vacancies left by deceased members of the National Assembly. Native Taiwanese make up a total of 38 members of the National Assembly, Legislative Yuan and Control Yuan.

1667: Taipei becomes a “Special Municipality” .

1968: Taipei’s status is elevated to “Special Municipality” to allow greater government control of the temporary capital of the ROC.

1969: Compulsory education through the ninth grade is made law. NA elections are held to give Taiwanese more representation adding 15 seats.

1970: January, the World United for Formosan Independence is formed. April 24, Dictator Chiang Ching Kuo is the target of an assassination attempt while visiting New York. The provincial capital of “Taiwan Province” is moved to Hsin Tsun in central Taiwan to create the illusion of Taiwan as a province of China.

1971: The Republic of China (Taiwan) is replaced by The People’s Republic of China at the United Nations. 0.1% ofTaiwanese companies are government owned, employ 9% of Taiwan’s workforce, produce 24% ofTaiwan’s value added, held 52% of Taiwan’s assets in operations. Asparagus and Mushroom crops earn $82 million in foreign exchange.

1972: Japan switches recognition from the ROC to the PRC.U.S. president Richard Nixon makes first trip to China.

1973: Census shows Taipei is 1/3 “mainlander”. Children’s Welfare Law is enacted to protect children from abuse.

1974: Island wide recession forces factories to close.

1975: April 5, Generalissimo Chiang Kai Sheck dies in Taiwan.

1977: November, “The Chung Li Incident” erupts after KMT is accused of manipulating votes against Hakka candidate Hsu Hsin Liang.

1978: :* March, Chiang Ching Kuo is elected president by the NA. North-South Freeway is completed. December, US President Carter announces the US policy of recognizing the PRC as China. December, first competitive national election is cancelled following US announcement of discontinuing diplomatic recognition.

1979: January 1, the US severs diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Kaohsiung is elevated to “Special Municipality” status. April, the US Congress passes the Taiwan Relations Act.

1980: February 28, Meilidao leader Lin Yi Hsiung’s mother and twin 7 year old daughters are stabbed to death and older daughter is critically injured while Lin awaits trial for his involvement in the “Kaohsiung Incident” two months earlier.

1981: The massive Ching Kai Sheck Memorial Hall is completed after six years of planning and construction. July, Chen En Chen, a visiting professor and independence activist is found dead on the National Taiwan University campus.

1982: August 17, The United States and People’s Republic of China agree on the 8/17 Communique in which the U.S. agrees to reduce arms sales to Taiwan.

1984: CCK is elected again. December, Alliance of Taiwan Aborigines is formed marking beginning of a Taiwanese Aboriginal meeting.

1986: CCK appoints a twelve member committee to discuss ending martial law. DPP is inaugurated.

1987: Period Martial Law is lifted. EPA reveals 15% of farmland is contaminated with heavy metals.

1988: CCK dies in office. January, Lee Teng Hui succeeds Chiang Ching Kuo as the president of Taiwan. People’s Republic of China enacts the Encouragement of Investment by Taiwanese Compatriots policy to court Taiwanese business.

1989: Snails Without Shells campaign lobbies for affordable housing. New political parties become legal.

1990: March, Lee Teng Hui is elected to a six year term. December 10, The last portrait of Chiang Kai Sheck is put on display at the old gate. Agriculture accounts for 4% of net domestic product.

1991: Period of National Mobilization for the suppression of Communist Rebellion is lifted. President Lee Teng Hui launches investigation into 228 Massacre. Six Year Development plan is initiated to elevate Taiwan to within the top 20 nations by per capita income. NA members are elected to four year term.

1992: February 28, President Lee Teng Hui presides over first state commemoration of the 228 massacre. May, National Assembly adds eight more amendments to ROC Constitution to provide for election of the NA every four years, direct election of the president every four years, appointment of Control Yuan members,equal rights for women and handicapped and aborigines. May 15, The notoriously vague “Sedition Law” is reformed. Taiwanese per annum income exceeded $10,000.

1993: Lee Teng Hui appoints Lien Chan as the ROC’s 14th Premier. Northern Freeway is completed. April, Taiwan and China held the Koo-Wang talks with China regarding normalizing relations. Sunshine Bill is passed to shed light on lawmakers income. New Party is formed by disaffected KMT members opposed to Lee.

1994: March 31, twenty-four Taiwanese tourists are robbed and murdered in the Thousand Island Lake Incident in which the People’s Liberation Army was heavily involved. ROC Constitution is amended providing for the direct election of the president. April, Lee Teng Hui uses the term “Yuan Zhu Min” for the first time in a government speech. The term is used in a later amendment to the constitution to protect aboriginal rights. July, 18 amendments are reduced to ten allowing for direct election of the president and vice president to begin in 1996 and defining the appointment of the Premiere. September 8, the Examination Yuan excludes tridemism from it’s superior and ordinary examinations. December, Examination Yuan moves to abolish tridemism from all government examinations. December, Chen Shiu Bian is elected Mayor of Taipei in a three way race. February 15, Chen Shuibian issues order to have all pictures of Chiang Kai sheck and Chiang Ching Kuo removed from all city buildings.

1995: January 10, Taipei Association of the Film Industry suspends playing the ROC National Anthem before movie showings. June, The United States allows President Lee Teng Hui to travel freely as a private citizen to visit his alma mater, Cornell University. August, Lee Teng Hui uses the term “New Taiwanese” to address those people living in Taiwan who were born in China. Lee’s remarks are an attempt to mediate the ethnic and cultural discontent that had existed on Taiwan since 1945. Chinese President Jiang Zemin issues a proposal for unification based on an Eight-Point model.

1996: March 23, first national election is held. Lee wins with 54%, DPP canditate Peng Min ming (21%). Election marred by Chinese missile tests off Keelung (Jilong) and Kaohsiung. Lien Chan is elected Vice President and serves concurrently as premiere until 1997 when he is succeeded by Vincent Siew. April, Students gather at 228 Peace Park to protest the politicization of history books in the school system.

1997: June 24, The first Taiwan centered curriculum is unveiled for schools and accepted by the Ministry of Education. Eleven articles are added to the constitution to redefine the branches of government in light of Taiwan’s multi-party democracy and all but eliminating the provincial government to reduce corruption and vote buying. July, Hong Kong reverts to Chinese rule under the One Country Two Systems formula, which would be the cornerstone of all future unification propositions set forth by China.

1998: December, Chen Shuibian loses Taipei Mayorship to ma Ying Jiu, KMT performs well in legislative elections.

1999: February, Council of Grand Justices rules that the wording “Republic of China” was not necessary in the names of organizations registered with the Ministry of the Interior. March 2, government announces updated banknotes that do not exemplify Chiang Kai Sheck or Sun Yat Sen. The notes were to be printed by the Central Bank as opposed to the Bank of Taiwan, which had been customary in the past to present the former notes as being merely provincial. May 19, Lee Teng Hui declares a concept considering Taiwanese as a radically different ethnic group from Chinese. July, Lee Teng Hui announces a "special state to state relationship between Taiwan and China. September 21, 7.6 earthquake in Nantou kills 2400, injuring 25,000 leaving 100,000 homeless and severely damaging the cross island highway.

2000: Taiwan experiences a severe recession. March, Chen Shuibian is elected ROC president becoming the first non-KMT, native Taiwanese president in Taiwan’s history. Lee Teng Hui is pressured in resigning from the KMT in wake of presidential loss for Lien Chan. Agriculture accounts for 2.1% of economy.

2001: August, Economic Development Advisory Board recommends changes to battle Asian economic crisis. 2.3 million Taiwanese visit China. December, DPP unseats the KMT as the largest single party in the legislative yuan for the first time.

hansioux · May 9, 2024, 8:49am

maowang:

1624: August, Chinese fleet forces Dutch to abandon their small fortress in the Pescadores and offer Tayouan in exchange. Japanese ship sails with 18,000 deer skins sparking Dutch plans for deer market.

1874: Japanese troops land at Che Cheng in southern Taiwan to mount a punitive expedition against a branch of Paiwan Aborigines under the auspices of retaliation for the murder of shipwrecked Okinawan sailors by the aborigines. June, Special Imperial Commissioner, Shen Bao Zhen is sent to Taiwan to assist Qing in exerting sovereignty over Taiwan by mediating ethnic disputes, re-drawing the boundaries between un-taxed aborigines and settling the troublesome bands of landless males that roam the countryside.

1884: August 5, French Admiral Lesbes orders bombardment of Keelung (Jilong).
Sino French War results in French blockade of Taiwan and shelling of Keelung (Jilong). French offer Taiwan to Japan in exchange for assistance against Qing.

2024 marks the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Dutch Formosa, the 150th anniversary of the Japanese invasion known as the Mudan incident, and the 140th anniversary of the French bombarding and occupying Keelung.

hansioux · December 17, 2025, 5:25am

The National Museum of Taiwan History released a web database of historical account of Taiwan by people outside of Taiwan. So Le Gendre, the Japanese, French, you name it.

tempogain · December 17, 2025, 5:31am

Wow I either missed this or forgot about it.

hansioux · December 17, 2025, 5:33am

It was a turning point of Taiwan’s popular opinion of China.