Taiwan — books & literature

The story of Taiwan

Taiwan's human story stretches back millennia: its Austronesian indigenous peoples are regarded by many linguists as the likely origin point of the Austronesian language family that later spread across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Chinese settlement from the mainland grew from the 17th century, when the island passed through Dutch and Spanish trading colonies before the Ming loyalist Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) expelled the Dutch in 1662 and founded the short-lived Kingdom of Tungning. The Qing Dynasty annexed Taiwan in 1683, ruling it for two centuries until ceding it to Japan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War; five decades of Japanese colonial rule left a lasting mark on infrastructure and administration. After Japan's 1945 surrender, Taiwan reverted to the Republic of China, and in 1949 the ROC government relocated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. Decades of martial law gave way to a peaceful democratic transition from the late 1980s onward, and Taiwan today is known worldwide for its vibrant democracy, advanced technology industry, and layered, multicultural heritage.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 4000 BCE

   Austronesian peoples settle Taiwan, later regarded as the likely origin of the wider Austronesian migration across the Pacific.

2. 1624

   The Dutch East India Company establishes a colonial base at Fort Zeelandia in southern Taiwan.

3. 1662

   Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) expels the Dutch and founds the Kingdom of Tungning.

4. 1683

   The Qing Dynasty annexes Taiwan, ruling it as part of Fujian province and later a separate province.

5. 1895

   The Treaty of Shimonoseki cedes Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War; colonial rule begins.

6. 1945

   Japan surrenders at the end of WWII; Taiwan reverts to the Republic of China.

7. 1949

   The ROC government relocates to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War; martial law begins.

8. 1987

   Martial law is lifted after 38 years, opening the path to democratization.

9. 1996

   Taiwan holds its first direct presidential election.

10. 2000

    Taiwan's first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

Top 10 things to know about Taiwan

1. Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010.
2. Taiwan is one of the world's largest producers of semiconductors, home to TSMC, the largest contract chipmaker on Earth.
3. Taiwan's indigenous Austronesian peoples are considered by many linguists the likely origin of the Austronesian language family spread across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
4. Taiwan's National Health Insurance system provides near-universal healthcare coverage.
5. Night markets are a defining feature of daily life and street food culture across the island.
6. Bubble tea (pearl milk tea) was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s and is now a global drink.
7. Traditional Chinese characters remain in everyday use, unlike the simplified characters used in mainland China.
8. Taiwan was the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, in 2019.
9. Taiwan's High Speed Rail connects Taipei to Kaohsiung, a distance of roughly 350 km, in about 90 minutes.
10. The island has been governed at various points by the Dutch, Spanish, Qing Dynasty, Japan, and the Republic of China.

Famous people from Taiwan

Say it in Taiwan's language

Did you know?

• ★Taipei 101's giant 660-tonne steel pendulum, visible to visitors, is a tuned mass damper that helps the tower withstand typhoons and earthquakes.
• ★Bubble tea is widely credited to tea shops in Taichung and Tainan in the early 1980s.
• ★Taiwan's High Speed Rail can cover the roughly 350 km between Taipei and Kaohsiung in about 90 minutes.

Taiwan culture

• Night markets such as Shilin and Raohe are central to social life, famous for street food like beef noodle soup and stinky tofu.
• Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival are major celebrations; the Pingxi sky lantern release is iconic worldwide.
• Folk religion blending Taoism, Buddhism, and local worship of deities like Mazu shapes temple life across the island.
• Taiwan has one of the most open and celebrated LGBTQ+ communities in Asia, highlighted by an annual Pride parade in Taipei.

Why read Taiwan's books

Taiwanese literature carries the layered imprint of indigenous oral tradition, Japanese colonial-era writing, and a modern Sinophone literary flourishing that emerged as censorship eased after martial law. Reading Taiwan's books is a window into an island that has repeatedly reinvented itself.