Taiwanese Hokkien (Tâi-gí)
Taiwanese Hokkien, also known as Tâi-gí, was the predominant language spoken by the 6.1 million Taiwanese prior to World War 2. During Japanese rule, Japanese became an official language in Taiwan, and Taiwanese Hokkien absorbed large number of Japanese loanwords into its language. Chinese Mandarin became the official language in Taiwan after World War 2, when the 1.2 million Chinese mainlanders migrated to the island and forbidden the use of Taiwanese Hokkien as part of a deliberate Chinese nationalist indoctrination. Despite the ban on Taiwanese Hokkien for approximately a half-century, the language is still commonly spoken in Taiwanese homes.
Taiwanese Culture (Tâi-ôan bûn-hòa)
Taiwan is renowned for its rich arts, crafts, and customs. The broad spectrum of cultural diversity stems from generations and generations of colonization from foreign settlers, and adventurers. In the 1500s, European sailors passing Taiwan recorded the island’s name as Ilha Formosa, or beautiful island. Dutch and Spanish settlers established bases in Taiwan in the early 17 th century. During this period, the island continued to attract merchants, fishermen, and pirates. The Qing Dynasty eventually took control of Taiwan, and in 1885, it declared Taiwan a province of the Qing Empire. However, ten years later, the Qing government ceded sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan, which ruled the island and its 6.1 million Taiwanese inhabitants for 50 years. After Japan surrendered to American forces in 1945, the 1.2 million Chinese took control of the island and its inhabitants. In 1992, first real democratic election was held, and Taiwan became a full-fledged democracy.
Today, Taiwanese culture is mostly a blend of the native culture, European culture, Japanese culture and Chinese culture. The People is a melting pot of diverse Han subgroups, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples and immigrants from all over the world. Taiwanese enjoy the same rights, value and free do as Americans.
FUN FACTS:
- The history of Taiwan can be traced back to at least 7,000 years ago. Austronesians, the ancestor of the island’s indigenous peoples, arrived in small groups and became the earliest known inhabitants of Taiwan.
- Taiwan is highly diversified in terms of religious belief, with the practices of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Mormonism, the Unification Church, Catholicism, Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, and Hinduism, as well as native sects such as Yiguandao and others. The country not only respects traditional faiths but also opens its arms to other religions from the outside.
FUN FACTS:
- When Japan went on a war footing against China (1936-45), Taiwan became Japan’s staging area for the invasion of southern China.
- Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman is any Taiwanese person who served in the Imperial Japanese Army or Navy during World War II. A total of 207,183 Taiwanese served in the military of Imperial Japan.
FUN FACTS:
- Taiwan lies on the western edge of the Pacific “rim of fire,” and continuous tectonic movements have created majestic peaks, rolling hills and plains, basins, coastlines, and other natural landscapes. Taiwan’s tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate climates provide clear differentiation between the different seasons. There are rare or endangered species of wildlife on the island. Among these are the land-locked salmon, Taiwan serow, Formosan rock monkey, Formosan black bear, blue magpie, Mikado pheasant, and Hsuehshan grass lizard.
- The Taiwan government has established 9 national parks and 13 national scenic areas to preserve Taiwan’s best natural ecological environment and cultural sites. There are various ways to discover the beauty of Taiwan. For example, trekking in the magnificence of the cliffs at Taroko Gorge; taking a ride on the Alishan Forest Railway and experiencing the breathtaking sunrise and sea of clouds; hiking up to the summit of Northeast Asia’s highest peak, Yu Mountain (Yushan). You can also soak up the sun in Kending (Kenting), Asia’s version of Hawaii; stand at the edge of Sun Moon Lake; wander through the East Rift Valley; or visit the offshore islands of Kinmen and Penghu. It is fun in capital letters as well as an awesome journey of natural discovery!
