Ep. 311 | The History of Taiwan (Part 2)

After leaving you hanging last time, the controversial Shi Lang now enters the story. He will be the military great who brings an end to the Zheng Seafaring Empire. Starting in 1683 Taiwan officially falls under China's sovereignty, with formal annexation coming in 1684. The migrants from Fujian and Guangdong arrived in big numbers during the Dongning Kingdom era. The Qing authorities tried to regulate the flow of people from China to Taiwan but that proved easier said than done. This was a land that was going places.

The familiar story of native people being taken advantage of was always playing out in the background. With so many people coming from the Mainland, they needed someplace to go. These years during the 18th century in Taiwan were times of constant uprisings and rebellions, usually against oppressive taxes and regulations.

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Terms in Episode

Pinyin/Term	Chinese	English/Meaning
Guǎngdōng	广东	Province in southern China, Guangzhou is the capital
Fujian Province	福建省	Coastal province in China located on the opposite side of the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan
Míng	明朝	The Ming Dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang. It lasted 1368-1644
Fúxī	伏羲	Mythical god-like figure from the 3rd millennium BC, One of the Three Sovereigns
Yellow Emperor	黄帝	Another mythical figure perhaps based on someone named Xuan Yuan 轩辕 who later became known as the ancestral founder of the Huaxia People
Pénghú	澎湖	Also popularly known as the Pescadores Islands. This is an archipeligo of 90 islands in the Taiwan Strait covering an area of 141 square km. The largest city is Magong
Chén Dì	陈弟	1541-1617, Ming philologist, official and traveler who wrote "A Brief Account of Island Barbarians"
Dōng Fān Jì	东番记	“An Account of the Eastern Barbarians”, hailed as the first detailed account of Taiwan’s indigenous people, their language, customs, description of their person, their society and all kinds of other interesting observations
Zhèng Hé	郑和	1371-1433, Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, admiral and high ranking official. He was famous for his seven voyages to the Western Seas
Zhèjiāng	浙江	Coast province north of Fujian and South of Jiangsu
Qín Shǐhuáng	秦始皇	First emperor of China and founder of the Qin Dynasty
Tseung Kwan O	将军澳	A district in the Southeastern New Territories across Victoria Harbour from Chai Wan
Chai Wan	柴湾	A district in Eastern Hong Kong Island across the harbour from Tseung Kwan O
Mǎgōng	马公	today the capital of Pénghú County, located on the main island in the chain
Tiānqǐ Emperor	天启帝	16th Ming Emperor who reigned 1620-1627, brother to the final emperor Chongzhen
Ānpíng County	安平县	A county in Tainan, given its name following the expulsion of thre Dutch from Fort Zeelandia
Táinán	台南	Located on the southwest coast of Taiwan, this is where the earliest recorded history began with the arrival of the Dutch in 1624. Tainan was where the Dutch built Fort Provintia and Fort Zeelandia
Zhèng Zhīlóng	郑芝龙	1604-1661, Chinese admiral, merchant, general, pirate and Qing official. He built a massive pirate syndicate and controlled much of the trade up and down the Fujian coast. Father to Zheng Chenggong (see below)
Zhèng Chénggōng	郑成功	Also known as Koxinga, 1624-1662, Ming loyalist general who founded the Dongning Kingdom that lasted 1661-1683
Guóxìngyé	国姓爷	One of Koxinga's titles given to him by the Ming
Jīlóng	基隆	Port city in Taiwan's north coast, east of Taipei
Dànshuǐ	淡水	Also known as Tamshui, today it's a seaside district of New Taipei
Sòng	宋朝	The Song Dynasty 960-1279
Shíbāzhī	十八芝	A pirate organization if eighteen of the largest pirate sailing the South China Sea. Zheng Zhilong gave up leadership of this organization to throw his lot in with the Ming
Battle of Liàoluó Bay	料罗湾之战	Zhèng Zhīlóng’s come from behind victory over the Dutch at the Battle of Liàoluó Bay 料罗湾之战 in October 1633. This was off the island of Jīnmén.
Xiàmén	厦门	Major city in southern Fujian, also known as Amoy
Southern Ming Emperor Yǒnglì	永历帝	The final emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty who reigned 1647-1662. He was executed by Wu Sangui
Zhōushān	舟山	An archipeligo of islands at the southern mouth of Hangzhou Bay off Ningbo
Hóng Máo rén	红毛人	The "Red Haired People", i.e. The Dutch
Dōngníng Wángguó	东宁王国	The Dongning Kingdom 1661-1683
Oboi (Aó Bài)	鳌拜	Head of the Regency or 輔政大臣 who ruled for the Kangxi Emperor during his minority
Kāngxī	康熙帝	The third Qing Emperor. He reigned 1661-1722
Zhèng Jīng	郑经	Son of Zheng Chenggong who ruled the Dongning Kingdom from 1662-1681
Shī Láng	施琅	1621-1696, Chinese admiral who served under the Ming and Qing. He is best remembered for his great victory at the Battle of Penghu where he annhilated the forces of the Dongning Kingdom. He was also a great advocate for Taiwan annexation

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