From the 17th century, when Taiwan first began to be settled by migrants from Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland, through the 19th century, strong economic and family relationships continued to tie Taiwan to Fujian. For much of that period, Taiwan produced surpluses of rice, sugar, and other commodities that it exported to the mainland….

No part of Taiwan is more than 67.5 kilometers from the sea, and because steep mountains occupy much of the interior, the vast majority of the country’s 23.4 million people live in the lowlands. Yet surprisingly few people see the ocean on a regular basis. Of the island’s major cities, Kaohsiung is the only maritime…

Taiwan is known as an excellent place to study the Mandarin language and is also home to the world-class National Palace Museum with its breathtaking collection of Chinese treasures. But Taiwan is not a purely Han Chinese society. Prior to the 17th century, the island was dominated by indigenous people of Austronesian origin. Before the…

As more Taiwanese travel internationally, competition is intensifying in the nation’s aviation market. In particular, carriers are vying for a greater share of long-haul flights to North America and Europe as well as Southeast Asia routes. Amidst these market conditions, China Airlines had added Airbus’s new A350-900 to its fleet. The A350-900 is praised for…

Despite declining visitor numbers, hotel companies are pushing on with expansion plans. Takehiro Masutomo and his family enjoyed their Taiwan sojourn. A Tokyo-based freelance writer, Masutomo has covered cross-Strait relations over the years and traveled to Taiwan previously for both business and leisure. He brought his parents to Taipei for a long weekend in March….