臺灣文化•臺灣簡介 Taiwanese Culture•About Taiwan

Area : 35,563 sq. km (13,869 sq. miles)
Population : 22 Million
Capital City : Taipei (population 2.6 million)
Ethnic Group:

• Hoklo 70%
• Hakka 14%
• Mainlanders 14%
• Aborigine 2%

• Semiconductor products (Including world’s two largest foundry suppliers)
• Computer Hardware (Including world’s largest Laptop computer supplier)
• Electronic and Electrical High-Tech components, Traditional Machinery, Textiles, Chemical and Clothing Goods.

Geography and Climate

Shape like s sweet potato, Taiwan is a large island situated off the southeast coast of China, separated by the Taiwan Strait by about one hundred miles. The total area is about 14,000 square miles (36,000 square kilometers), the same sizes as the Netherlands, or roughly the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined.

Taiwan is also located on the rim of the Eastern Asian Continental Shelf, situated between Japan and the Philippines. The island of Taiwan is 244 miles (394 kilometers) long and 89 miles (144 kilometers) at its widest point. Over 60 percent of the island are classified as mountains. Taiwan is home to the highest mountain in Asia – at 12,966 feet, Yushan (Jade Mountain) is taller than Japan’s Mount FUJI – while dozens of peaks soar above 10,000 feet. Protected by the government, the mountains are home to black bears, salmon, rare birds and other wildlife and are the island’s compelling attraction.

With almost the same latitude as Hawaii, the Tropic of Cancer passing through the island, Taiwan has a subtropical climate. The mean monthly temperature in the lowland is 61, 75 to 86 degrees F (24 to 30 degrees C) the rest of the year. Rainfall is abundant, and monsoons arrive in the summer. Growing season lasts all year round. Species of wild life are countless in varieties.

High mountains, active volcanoes, and hot sprints dot the relatively young geological stratum. These beautiful nature resources are well managed by the government. There are six attractive parks throughout the island. Resorts were built that have turned into major tourist attraction throughout Taiwan.

People

Taiwan’s population surpassed 22 million by the end of 1999. Taipei is the island’s largest and most densely populated metropolitan area, followed by Kaoshiung in the south. About 60 percent of Taiwan’s population are concentrated in four metropolitan areas – Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan.

“ Are you a yam or a taro?” this is a question usually heard in Taiwan when one person is trying to discover the ethnic identity of another, in relation to when the later’s parents arrived on the island. “Yam” refers to the so-called “ Taiwan natives “ who moved to the island from China on a large scale from the seventeenth century. And “ taro “ describes “ Mainlanders “ who have been living in Taiwan since around 1949.

Today, Taiwan’s inhabitants are usually divided into four main ethnic groups: Hoklo, Hakka, Aboriginal, and Mainlanders.

Human habitation in Taiwan dates back to 12,000 to 15,000 years, and evidence suggests that the ancestors of today’s aboriginal people came from Pacific islanders and Austronesia. There are currently nine major aboriginal peoples in Taiwan, comprising less than 2% of the entire population.

Hoklo is the largest single ethnic group on the island. Most of their ancestors immigrated from the southern coastal province of Fujian. Hakka is another early immigrant group mostly from Guandong. Hoklo and Hakka together generally are referred to as “ Taiwanese “, comprising about 84% of the entire population.

The rest of the population are mainlanders and their Taiwan – born descendents, who make up less than 14% of the entire population. The mainlanders refer to those who followed the KMT government to the island after the Chinese Communists gained control of China in 1949.

Intermarriage between all four groups is quite common, so the distinguishing characteristics of these groups have become fainter with the passage of time.

Little archaeological evidence remains from Taiwan’s early history. People – probably Pacific Islanders at first – may have lived in Taiwan for about 12,000 years, with migration from China beginning in the 15th century.

HIstory

In 1517 Portuguese sailors reached Taiwan and named it Ilha Formosa, or beautiful island. The Dutch invaded in 1624 and built a capital at Tainan – two years later they lost the island to a Spanish invasion, but returned the favor by booting the Spanish out in 1641.

During the 1660s the Chinese Ming and Ching dynasties arrived on the scene, kicking out the Dutch and wrestling one another for control of the island. The Ching eventually won, making Taiwan a county of Fujian and triggering a flood of Chinese immigration.

The Ching Dynasty with the Treaty of “Shimonoseki” ceded Taiwan to Japan after Japan defeated the Ching Dynasty in 1895. Japan occupied Taiwan until its surrender in WWII (1945)

When Communist forces took control of China in 1949, General Chiang Kaishek leading his troop, and Nationalist party (KMT), fled to Taiwan. When Chiang Kaishek died in 1979 and was succeeded by his son Chingkuo as the president, the native Taiwanese started openly challenging their one-party dictatorial ruling.

In 1986, following years of struggling and risking personal safety, leaders of those opposed to Chiang’s autocracy founded the first Taiwanese grassroots based party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Members of this new party soon gained high voter approval with many elected to the legislature houses of various levels, local or federal. Two years later, Chiang died unexpectedly and the presidency was by law passed on to the vice president Lee Tenghui, who then became the first native-born president of Taiwan.

In 1996, based on the newly amended Constitution, the first ever-direct presidential election in Taiwan was held in good order in spite of the military exercise and missile testing threats from China. The native son Lee Tenghui was elected by popular votes as the president.

In March of 2000, Taiwan held its second presidential election. Mr. Chen Shui-bian of DPP won the presidency in a highly competitive election amid China’s loud propaganda was threatening. This election finally ended the 55 - years old Nationalist rules in Taiwan. As the nationwide elected president, President Chen believes in the uncompromising sovereignty for the nation of Taiwan.

President Chen, at the young age of 49, has been an accomplished lawyer, former mayor of Taipei, and veteran legislator. Since inauguration in last May, his government has been accomplishing productive results of much needed reforms in various pivotal areas, as well as providing refreshing vitality and wide – scale progress for the continuing prosperity of Taiwan. The new administration is promoting a trend of government by all people, especially by both genders. Vice President Annette Lu is the highest – ranking woman in the nation besides about half a dozen female cabinet level officials. The Harvard-educated Vice Pre4sident Lu had established the highly successful on-going sister county program with Alameda County while in her previous position as the Governor of Taoyuan County. Certainly, she is our close friend here in Alameda County.

ART

ARTS AND CULTURE

The culture and arts in Taiwan vary from gilded temple carving to abstract sculptures, traditional folk operas to avant-grade performing arts, ancient aboriginal chants to experimental blends of eastern and western classical music, and Taiwanese opera to post modern dance. Originally, the island was dominated by each of the distinct cultures of its indigenous tribes. As Hoklo and Hakka settled in large numbers, they brought their own cultural traditions with the inspiration of local identity, greatly reflected the island’s arts and culture.

Today, whether traditional or contemporary, eastern or western, local or international, artist in both the visual and performing arts are exploring a myriad of styles and combining elements from different characteristics of the arts in Taiwan.

Over the past two decades, the Taiwan government has taken into account the culture background of the island and the need for introducing the Western models of modernization, and promoted a culture and educational policy of enhancing traditional grassroots culture. Taiwanese art and culture may continue to spice up the lives of the coming generations and grow with them.

TAIWANESE OPERA

Taiwanese opera, the only theatrical art form native to Taiwan, is originated from the folk songs of Ilan County. It had slowly evolved into a powerful musical form, with heavy influence from narrative aboriginal music. The Taiwanese opera, with its colorful make-up and costumes, stage props, and stylized gestures, has gone through various stages of emergence, formation, development and transformation. It has been closely related to the people of the island and is the accumulated experience and skills of various styles and performances.

Taiwanese opera manifests traditional moral and ethical values. It is the only theatrical art form with distinct Taiwan characteristics. Taiwanese opera has held an essential part in the spiritual life of the people from early times. Even in modern society today, Taiwanese opera still comforts people and enriches their life with its unique musical and performance style.

PUPPETRY

At first, the puppetry introduced by immigrants to Taiwan retained its original performing style. Yet, as Taiwan gradually evolved from an immigrant and agrarian society into the autonomous and prosperous society of today, Taiwanese puppetry acquired its own distinct cultural features and artistic style. Until the arrival of television in the 1960s, puppet shows were one of the primary forms of entertainment in Taiwan. Almost in any festival occasion, a wedding, a holiday, or a temple festival, it called for a puppet performance. In the early days, numerous puppet troupes traveled from village to village by foot, carrying stages, musical instruments, and trunks full of puppets on poles over their shoulders. The three major styles of puppetry common in Taiwan are glove puppets, shadow puppets, and marionettes. Puppetry has adapted to distinct local styles and adopted modern innovation. Puppetry still retains many of its original characteristics, especially similarities to Taiwanese opera.

Thus, today as Taiwan has successfully developed its economy, puppetry has been able to blend the spirit of traditional style with the latest technical innovations and continues to play an important role in religious ceremonies and folk festivities.

ABORIGINAL ARTS

While Taiwanese culture predominates in Taiwan, the island has also been enriched by the cultures of nine groups of aboriginal peoples whose ancestors arrived in prehistoric times. Wood carving, weaving, basketry, and ceremonial dances and songs have long played a central role in aboriginal life, with each tribe developing its own distinct style.

Perhaps the richest legacy of Taiwan’s aboriginal peoples comes from their contributions to music and dance. Communal dances, which are performed at regular ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, consist mostly of simple but harmonious walking and stamping movements. Aboriginal music is intimately connected to nearly every aspect of tribal life, from daily chores to religious rites.

SCULPTURE

Sculpture in Taiwan has expressed much of its inspiration from local reality with symbolic or metaphorical images. Before the 1920s, temples and folk sculptures were the primary forms of sculpture in Taiwan. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the sculpture becomes widely accepted as find art genre in Taiwan. Since the 1980s, sculpture has become a regular feature at galleries and museums in Taiwan. As in the west, sculpture in Taiwan has also evolved into avant –grade forms of expression and performing art.

ECONOMY AND TRANSPORTATION

Taiwan is now the world’s 14th largest trading nation, and ranks third globally with over US $113 billion in foreign exchange reserves. Innovative and high-quality “Made in Taiwan “ products are sold around the world. Over the past 50 years, the transformation of the economy in Taiwan, from poverty to prosperity, from backwardness to modernity, has come about as a result of hard work by the people of Taiwan.

oday, Taiwan is the world’s third largest producer of information hardware products, after the United States and Japan. Moreover, Taiwan ranks first in the production of notebook computers, motors, motherboards, and scanners, supplying over one-half of the world’s market of these products. Also, biotechnology is being developed as one of the key industries.

With entered into the WTO on 2001, Taiwan is continuing to expand its foreign trade, while liberalizing laws and regulations to ease foreign investment in Taiwan. Strong emphasis on high technology and clean industry make the goal of building Taiwan into a “ Green Silicon Island “ quite feasible.

Taiwan has continuously invested in a fully integrated transportation network composed of five essential components: highways, harbors and shipping, civil aviation, railway and rapid transits systems.

In addition to its modern railway system that provides frequent and convenient passenger service between all major cities on the island, planning for the Taipei Rapid Transit System (TRTS) began in early 1986. Today, the system’s five lines are servicing the Taipei metropolitan area. The Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area Mass Rapid Transit System is expected to be completed in December 2004.

Taiwan’s six international harbors are located in Keelung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Mailiao, Taichung, and Suao. The harbor in Kaohsiung is the third largest harbor in the world in terms of the volume of container cargo processed.