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Thecultural history of Taiwan can be traced back toprehistoricStone Age. Later the development ofwritten languages made it easier to maintain traditions of theTaiwanese culture.[1]
Therecorded history of Taiwanese culture mainly stemmed from traditionalChinese culture, despite the influences from other foreign powers. Although the culture of modern Taiwan is significantly affected byJapanese andAmerican cultures, the values and traditions of theTaiwanese people are heavily based onConfucianistHan cultures.[2]
The cultures in Taiwan'sNew Stone Age (began ca. 5000 BCE) were all left byAustronesian people. However, there may be other settlers prior to the arrival of the Austronesian people.
In addition, theplains aborigines influenced the beliefs, music, and names, of places in Taiwan. These aboriginal tribes includeKetagalan,Kavalan,Taokas, andBabuza peoples. However, over the course of three centuries ofHan Chinese migrations to Taiwan, the distinctive cultures gradually disappeared, creating an integrated cultural blend.
The 1620s saw a major turning point in Taiwan's cultural history due to the introduction of theSinckan Manuscripts. The written language was brought to Taiwan byDutch missionaries. The prehistory of Taiwan was brought to an end as a result.
| Table of prehistoric cultures[3] × denotes nonexistence o denotes existence | |||||||||
| Culture | Development status | Sites | |||||||
| Pottery | Iron metallurgy | Basic agriculture | Rice cultivation | Yuanshan Site | Chihshan Rock Site | Botanical Garden Site | |||
| Hsientao culture | × | × | × | × | ○ | × | × | ||
| Tapenkeng culture | ○ | × | ○ | × | ○ | ○ | ○ | ||
| Yuanshan culture | ○ | × | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ||
| Chihshan Rock culture | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | × | ○ | × | ||
| Botanical Garden culture | × | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ||
| Shihsanhang culture | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | × | × | ||
As a result of Taiwan's strategic position, many foreign powers were interested in establishingsettlements in Taiwan. Taiwan was first introduced to European nations in approximately the mid-sixteenth century by Portuguese explorers, who called the island "IlhaFormosa," which means "Beautiful Island," and the neighboring islands "Pescadores," which means "Fishermen."[4]
TheDutch East India Company invaded the Pescadores in 1622. After several battles withMing forces, the Dutch agreed to retreat to the island ofTaiwan, which was not part of the Ming territories. In 1624, the Dutch established a trading post in present-dayTainan City and built its political center atFort Zeelandia. Due to the shortage of labor, the Dutch recruitedHan migrants. As a result, the previoustribal society drastically changed.
The Dutch were not the only European settlers in Taiwan. In 1626, theSpaniards established settlements in northern Taiwan.Fort San Salvador was built in present-day Keelung. Later, they expanded their territory to present-dayYilan andTamsui, and builtFort Santo Domingo, which still exists today. Spanish missionaries converted many aborigines toCatholicism. However, the Dutch attacked Spanish settlements in northern Taiwan in 1642, drove out the Spaniards, and occupied their territories.
