Maritime Taiwan
Digital Taiwan
http://culture.teldap.tw/culture/index.php?option=com_content&id=313
Maritime Taiwan
Tags: culture | development | god | goddess | maritime
I. Island Nation, Seafaring People
Oceans occupy 70 percent of the surface of the Earth and as such their presence can be seen in
the progress of human civilization. In the 16th century, the world entered the Age of Sail, and all
coastal nations benefited from this development.
The birth of Taiwan, an island in the West Pacific, was closely connected to the ocean, and the
people of this island have long engaged in marine pursuits. Not only are its industries based on
sea-bound trade, the lives and customs of its people are also bound up with the sea and an
oceanic climate. Taiwan's geographic position, geographic factors, the rise and fall of the tides,
seaports, business and trade, and the immigration of peoples from across the ocean are all
intimately tied to the sea and are some of the characteristics of Taiwan's culture.
All people of Taiwan have some experience with the sea. Some peoples, including the pingpu
(plains) peoples, understood how to benefit from oceanic currents and trade winds when they set
sail for faraway places. The Puyuma people of Eastern Taiwan worship a sea deity, while the
Yami people on Orchid Island are known for their seafaring skills.
When Taiwan lay within the sphere of influence of the Manchu Ching Empire, Han people from
Fujian and Guangdong ventured across the sea to Taiwan. The adventurous and hearty spirit they
exhibited while battling natural forces was the wellspring out of which sprouted the vitality and
tenacity of modern Taiwan.
Additionally, the million or so people who followed the KMT government to move to Taiwan in
1949 further diversified the island's population. Having already lived in Taiwan for two to three
hundred years, the Ching era immigrants were thriving, while the new immigrants have now
borne their third generation and become increasingly localized. Moreover, although these two
groups of immigrants came at different times, from different places, and with different
backgrounds, that they all crossed the same salty sea has created in them a collective memory.
"Children of the Sea," is an apt description of Taiwan's people.
Despite its limited natural resources, Taiwan created an economic miracle the envy of the entire
world built upon an export-oriented strategy. The prosperity of fisheries both littoral and oceanic
has added to Taiwan's oceanic character. The people of Taiwan would do well to take to heart
their cultural heritage and view their history through ocean-colored lenses.