Taiwan has a long history dating back thousands of years. The indigenous peoples were the earliest inhabitants, with Austronesian peoples arriving around 7000 years ago. In the 16th century, Western sailors introduced colonialism and trade. Taiwan later saw influence from the Dutch, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese peoples. Today, Taiwan's culture incorporates influences from these various ethnic groups and is demonstrated through traditions like festivals, art, architecture, and religious practices blending Buddhism, Taoism and indigenous beliefs.

1. L’IsleFormose-TAIWAN - Roger Yeh Emily Chen

2. Index

3. General Language : Mandarin / Taiwanese / Hakka / Indigenous Religion : Buddhism / Taoism / Christianity / Islam President : Ma Ying-jeou

4. History Taiwan's history can be traced back to at least 7000 years ago. Between 7000 and 400 years ago, Austronesian ancestors of the Aboriginals arrived in Taiwan in small groups and became the earliest known inhabitants of Taiwan. During the Age of Discovery of the 16th Century, Western sailors arrived in the Far East to set up colonies and conduct trade.

5. Melting Pot DUTCH Aborigines/ Han Chinese SPAISH JAPANESE

6. Taiwan's history goes as far back as two, three, even tens of thousands of years. According to archeologists, prehistoric people were the first to have lived in Taiwan, proof of which can be found in caves in Taitung. The Aborigines came to Taiwan a long time ago. The Aboriginal People of Taiwan form the most northern branch of the Austronesian culture group, and can roughly be divided into Pingpu and Aboriginal races. The Aborigines can be divided into 14 tribes, namely the Amis, the Atayal, the Paiwan, the Bunun, the Puyuma, the Rukai, the Tsou, the Saisiyat, the Tao (or Yami), the Thao, the Kavalan, the Truku, the Sakizaya, and the Sediq. Over the years, the Pingpu increasingly came in contact with the Han-Chinese, their daily lives becoming more and more integrated, and by now most have assimilated with the Chinese. However, the different tribes have also managed to preserve some of their traditional customs, tribal structure and architecture, and continue to keep the tribal spirit alive through the engagement in traditional worship.

7. Traces left by the Dutch, Spanish and Japanese include Fort San Domingo in Danshui and Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia) in Tainan, but also many architectural structures, such as the Presidential, the Legislative Yuan and the Control Yuan buildings, various schools and other large structures that now house governmental institutions, assembly halls etc., forming the historical testimony to the importation of foreign cultures into Taiwan. Nevertheless, the most important part in Taiwan's cultural history was played by the Han-Chinese who brought with them traditional customs from Mainland China and created new ones in Taiwan. Whether they were Minnan-people, so-called "wai-sheng-ren" (people from outside the province) or Hakka-people, they all created their own culture, traces of which can still be found all over Taiwan. In Taipei, Tainan and Lugang for example, many old cities, streets and temples still breathe the atmosphere of times long gone, while traces of wars, settlements and different cultures can even be found on the off-shore islands of Kinmen, Matzu and Penghu. Next to these cultural remnants, Taiwan also offers a unique collection of art expression, such as Sanyi's wooden carvings, Yingge's pottery and Kinmen's ceramics factory. Another important aspect of culture are the many holidays and festivals that the Taiwanese celebrate so passionately and devotedly, such as Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Tomb Festival, the Festival of Dead Spirits and temple festivals. By watching or even participating in these celebrations, one can get a better understanding of the people's cultural background and the historical significance thereof. We would like to invite you to come to Taiwan, travel through time and go on a journey of past civilizations, relive the past by inhaling the typical atmosphere and going through these cultural treasures.

8. Reference http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/