Journey through the people, cities and ideas that shaped Taiwan, from early communities to the republic of today.
Follow Indigenous communities, Dutch and Spanish Formosa, the Zheng kingdom, Qing and Japanese rule, and contemporary Taiwan.
Explore 9 historical periods, the rulers and heads of government, and 79 chapters of territorial change.
Regional rulers, colonial authorities, presidents and premiers of Taiwan.
A Journey Through the Ages
Taiwan connects Indigenous communities and Austronesian settlement with colonial Formosa, Qing and Japanese rule, democratic change and contemporary society.
1,800,000 BCE – 1623
Stone tools from the Baxian Caves date to about 30,000 years ago, and Dapenkeng culture around 3000 BCE is linked to ancestors of today's Indigenous peoples. Taiwan is regarded as the likely origin of the Austronesian language family, and Chinese fishermen were settled on Penghu by 1171.
1624 – 1661
The Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624 after leaving Penghu, while Spain held Keelung and Tamsui from 1626 until the Dutch took the north in August 1642. Koxinga's fleet landed in April 1661, and Zeelandia surrendered on 12 January 1662.
1662 – 1683
The kingdom dates from 1 February 1662 and held south-western Taiwan and Penghu, with Han settlement reaching north to about modern Hsinchu. Qing forces took Penghu on 18 July 1683, and Shi Lang arrived on 5 October to oversee the Zheng surrender.
1684 – 1894
Taiwan became a prefecture of Fujian in 1684 with three counties, and the Han population grew from about 120,000 in 1683 to roughly 2.5 million by 1893. The Japanese expedition of 1874 and the Sino-French War of 1884-85 pushed the Qing to raise Taiwan to a province.
1895 – 1945
The Treaty of Shimonoseki ceded Taiwan and Penghu to Japan on 17 April 1895, and the Republic of Formosa fell with Tainan on 21 October. The 1905 census counted 3,123,302 people, rising to 6,077,478 in 1940, before Rikichi Ando handed over to Chen Yi on 25 October 1945.
1946 – 1986
The Republic of China took over on 25 October 1945, and its government withdrew to Taiwan from 7 December 1949 after losing the mainland. Population rose from 7,554,399 in 1950 to 17,866,008 in 1980, and the Dachen Islands were evacuated in 1955 while Kinmen and Matsu stayed under ROC control.
1987 – 1999
Kinmen and Matsu returned to civilian government when the Battlefield Administration was abolished on 7 November 1992. The first direct presidential election on 23 March 1996 took place amid PRC missile launches off Keelung and Kaohsiung, and the 1990 census counted 20,401,305 people.
2000 – 2015
Population reached 22,276,672 in 2000 and 23,162,123 in 2010, while the total fertility rate fell from 1.68 in 2000 to 0.90 in 2010. The PRC's Anti-Secession Law of March 2005 authorises 'non-peaceful means' in specified cases, and Dongsha Atoll National Park opened in January 2007.
2016 – present
An arbitral tribunal ruled on 12 July 2016 that Taiping Island is a rock, a classification the ROC rejects. PLA exercises since August 2022 have eroded the Taiwan Strait median line, and the population was 23,299,132 in December 2025.
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Indigenous communities and Austronesian connections form an essential part of Taiwan’s history.
Trade, migration and successive administrations shaped settlements, institutions and cultural life.
Political reform and social movements shaped Taiwan’s transition to democracy and contemporary society.
Events and ruler profiles retain the references supplied with the dataset. Structural and display checks do not establish historical accuracy. The research report records unverified ruler links, single-source events, gaps and conflicting dates; recent events remain subject to revision.
The supplied map retains its credits, references and territorial caveats. Historical states, context layers and approximate zones distinguish regional authority from modern borders. Kashmir is shown through administered and proxy outlines, with disputes identified in the map; East Taiwan is included in its historical context.
Population estimates describe differing territories and periods. Ranges for an ancient city or a whole civilisation are not treated as counts for modern Taiwan. Images are pending; this microsite uses a gradient and a generic ruler placeholder.
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