Taiwan island is the last vestige of the Republic of China founded in 1911.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China, and I decided to spend my time teaching in Taiwan.
I am teaching in a 国小 in Tainan County, grades K-6
The kids are so diligent and so cute!
I am the only foreigner in my small town, and most of the Taiwanese country-folk really make me feel welcome.
Taiwan is part of the Sino-sphere, but also has a distinct culture than mainland China.
There are four distinct cultures on Taiwan island: Chinese, Taiwanese, Hakka, and the Aborigines (the Aborigines themselves are divided into 14 recognised tribes, and many more fighting for recognition).
My overall impression of Taiwan is that it is a Chinese version of Japan. The geography is similar to Japan (with high mountains and little flat land, it is also prone to earthquakes), and the Japanese culture has had a significant impact on Taiwan. But walking around the streets and talking to the people one can tell that Taiwan is unmistakably Chinese.
Taiwan has had only a short 400 years of recorded history (compared to the 1000s of years of Chinese history), but in that time there have been so many significant changes.
From early European influence (most significantly the Dutch), to the influence of the Min people of south Fujian Province, to the controlling influence of the Manchu people under the Qing Dynasty, and most significantly - the Japanese - who invaded and then developed Taiwan into a 'model Japanese colony'. In the 20th century the Japanese were made to leave and they were replaced by a huge influx of Mainland Chinese who turned Taiwan into one of the Asian Tigers.
Taiwan is undergoing a cultural and artistic renaissance in the 21st century as it embraces its unique culture and "Taiwaneseness"
I hope to learn all I can about this small but significant island.
