Taiwan

Map

Key data

Items shown in Chinese are kept from the original Chinese source; no English name is available yet.

Highlights

Introduction

• Taipei's night markets, Taroko Gorge and the beautiful Pacific coast.

History

• History: Taiwan has maintained close ties with the mainland since ancient times. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Wu's fleet reached Yizhou. In the Yuan dynasty, the Penghu Inspection and Patrol Office was established to administer the Taiwan-Penghu area. In the late Ming dynasty, Zheng Chenggong led his troops across the sea to recover Taiwan and vigorously promoted development and cultivation. After the Qing dynasty unified Taiwan, it established Taiwan Prefecture under Fujian Province, and in 1885 Taiwan was formally made a province, with agriculture and commerce gradually prospering. In modern times, Taiwan has undergone many changes, and the island's people have continued to open up and build, with cities such as Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung gradually developing into bustling metropolises, while Han and ethnic minority cultures have blended and continued to the present day.

Culture

• Culture: Taiwanese culture is mainly based on Minnan culture, blending Hakka and indigenous cultures. Minnan and Hakka languages are widely spoken, while indigenous languages such as Atayal and Bunun and their festival traditions are unique. Food culture is rich and diverse; snacks such as oyster omelette, beef noodles, and bubble tea are famous overseas, and night market culture is a signature of Taiwan. Folk beliefs and festivals such as Mazu worship and the Wangye boat burning ceremony are grand and lively, and traditional arts such as Taiwanese opera and glove puppetry are passed down through generations. The Chinese artifacts collected in the National Palace Museum in Taipei are world-renowned.

Science & Technology

• Technology: Taiwan has many well-known universities such as National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Cheng Kung University. Its higher education foundation is solid and supplies a large number of talents to industry. Hsinchu Science Park is the cradle of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, with a complete integrated circuit design, manufacturing, packaging and testing industry chain, occupying an important position in the global electronics industry. In recent years, Taiwan has continued to invest in research and development in fields such as artificial intelligence, precision machinery, and optoelectronic displays, and Taipei, Hsinchu, Tainan and other places have formed distinctive science and technology innovation clusters.

Economy

• Economy: Taiwan's 2024 GDP was approximately 793.24 billion USD, with per capita output among the highest in Asia. Semiconductors and electronic information are the core pillars of the economy, with wafer foundry, packaging and testing, and other segments leading the global market; machinery, petrochemicals, and shipping are also well developed. The island has a population of about 23.25 million, an active market, and a balance of services and high-end manufacturing, with Taipei, Hsinchu, and Kaohsiung forming the main economic belts. Taiwan excels in international trade, with exports of electronics, precision machinery, and other goods reaching global markets.