Taiwan

Taiwan's culture is heavily based on Chinese culture as many of the

people are ethnic Chinese. However, since the communists took power in
mainland China, the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese cultures have been
growing more distinct. At the same time the communists took power in
mainland China, Taiwan was taken over by the Chinese Nationalists fleeing
the mainland, creating a culture that is similar to today's China, but the vast
political differences have given Taiwan a very different culture.

Taiwanese culture began with the local people who have lived on the
island for thousands of years. These people lived off the land and the seas,
but their culture has been nearly destroyed by the later arriving Chinese.
Today these people still exist to some degree, but they make up such a
small percentage of the people their culture is nearly lost.

In the mid-1600s the collapsing Ming Dynasty leadership fled to

Taiwan and brought with them their great past and their slowly dying
culture. This introduced new architecture, art, pottery, and a blossoming of
the sciences. Since the dynasty was on verge of collapse though the

cultural significance and sustainability of these introductions were limited.

What it did do though was encourage larger immigration to the island from
China, again altering the culture to match historic Chinese culture.

Architecture of Taiwan

Taiwanese architecture is very similar to Chinese architecture since most of

the Taiwanese are ethnic Chinese; however there are some distinct styles
and variations that have arisen over time, including the more prominent use
of painted or ceramic murals.

Among the earliest architectural styles was the local domestic (home) style
of the island's original inhabitants. These homes were generally made from
wood, bamboo, and other materials that could be found on the island. Few
have lasted, but the heavy use of wood in their architecture has continued
to this day.

The greatest influence came with the arrival of the Han Chinese from the
1600s, who brought with them their architecture, incorporating it with the
local styles and materials. From this point the immigration patter rose and
the Chinese styles became more prominent. This began to change with
attempts by the Europeans to control of island in the 1800s. Although they
ultimately failed, they introduced new building styles and techniques while
also building a few forts.

By 1900 the Japanese were spreading their influence on the new

structures, including the building of what is now the Office of the President.
They also altered the urban planning of the cities by creating the street
layout of Taipei and other large cities.

After the Japanese faced defeat in World War II Taiwan found itself to be
the recipient of numerous Chinese again when the fleeing Nationalist Party
arrived and made Taipei their capital. This led to a large number of modern
buildings, including the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall.

In recently years this building has continued, but now truly in the postmodern style as the Taipei 101 was built, one of the tallest buildings in
the world. However, a stronger and more influential movement that has
also arisen in recent years is a push to build structures that better suit the
local culture and function of the people. This has been translated to mean
few large buildings have been built, but more traditional looking structures
have instead taken over, as have parks and other public spaces.

Taipei 101

Geography & Weather

Geography

Taiwan is an island nation just off the eastern coast of Asia's Far East.
Although it has no land borders, it is a short distance from China, which is just
to Taiwan's northwest and who claims jurisdiction over the island. Taiwan's
other close neighbors are Japan to the north and the Philippines to the south.
Taiwan is surrounded by the South China Sea to the south, the East China
Sea to the north, and the Philippine Sea to the east.
Taiwan is dominated by the Taiwan Shan Mountains which run north and
south in the central to eastern half of the island. These mountains and the
vegetation create a fairly difficult landscape, however they also provide rivers
and fresh water on all sides of the island. The coasts are relatively flat and are
the most densely populated regions of the island.

Weather
There are a few seasons in Taiwan, the short and cool winter, the wet
and rainy typhoon, and the long, hot, and tropical summer. Winters run from
about November to February, but winter in this context is not like much of the
northern hemisphere as temperatures only drop to about the 70sF (21-26C)
during the days, but nights can fall to the 50sF (10-15C) and if it rains can
feel very cold. Taipei and the north is generally cloudy during the winter, as the
south is generally sunny and clear. Beginning in about March, the country
becomes hot and tropical as temperatures rise to the 90sF (30C) if not
hotter. These temperatures continue to be hot until about November, but this
season also brings in the rains, humidity, and beginning in about June and
lasting until as late as November, typhoons are also possible. During this time
a few typhoons are common and in the inland mountains, rain is common.

Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of

Taiwan
Ethnicity
Nearly everyone in Taiwan is wholly or primarily Han Chinese,
although many refer to their ethnicity in numerous ways, including
"Chinese" as well as "Taiwanese." No matter how an individual identifies, it
says little about his or her ethnic makeup as many people in Taiwan are
100% Han Chinese, while many others have traces of the local, indigenous
people or other Chinese ethnicities in them. Today there are few indigenous
people left as they only make up about 2% of the population; these
people's closest relatives are the Malays and Polynesians.

Language
Mandarin Chinese is the only official language in Taiwan, although the
dialect spoken on the island isn't quite the same as the dialect of Mandarin
spoken in mainland China. The most commonly spoken dialect of Mandarin
is Taiwanese (also known as Min or Taiwanese Hokkien). Taiwanese
Hokkien is very similar to the dialect spoken in the region of mainland
China closest to Taiwan, but Taiwanese Hokkien is becoming more
common due to their film and television industries. Nearly 70% of the
people speak this dialect natively.

Religion
Over 90% of the people in Taiwan are Buddhist, Taoist, or a combination of
these. Of the remaining 7% about half are Christian. Buddhism is a religion
or philosophy that encourages people to strive for enlightenment.
Adherents believe that each being is reborn until enlightenment is reached,
at which time they escape the cycle of birth and death. To accomplish this,
every being must speak, act, and live in a positive manner; this is magnified
with the force of karma, which dictates an individual's later life and/or their
rebirth.

History of Taiwan
The aboriginal people of Taiwan are ethnically similar to the people of
Malaysia and the south Pacific and they remained fairly isolated on Taiwan
until the 1600s. Although the world was aware of the island of Taiwan, there
was little to no interest in colonizing or trading with the island for centuries.

In the 1600s the Han Chinese began arriving on Taiwan, but didn't arrive in
large numbers at first. For the most part, the Chinese and aboriginals
intermarried and over time Chinese slowly overcame the aboriginal
languages and customs. Also in the 1600s the Dutch arrived in order to
safeguard their trading routes in the Far East. They established some
outposts and introduced missionaries, but never truly altered the culture or
ventured inland. What the Dutch did do was emphasize the importance of
the island's location.

In the mid-1600s with the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in mainland China,
much of the government fled to Taiwan to find refuge. This pushed the
Dutch out and began a stronger Chinese influence. The new government in
China was the Qings and they sought both the Ming leadership and further

control so took much of Taiwan in the late 1600s. Even at this time though,
most of the island was aboriginal, with only the coastal areas being
dominated by ethnic Chinese. Due to the Qing discouraging emigration to
Taiwan, this aboriginal domination on Taiwan continued.

Changes to Taiwan as Qing central control faltered and domestic groups

began fighting for power. This instability and the importance of trading
routes led to attacks by the French, British, and Japanese, before China's
Qing Dynasty clamped down on controlling the island in the late 1800s.
Just after solidifying control over Taiwan, the Chinese entered a war with
the Japanese and transferred control over Taiwan to the Japanese. Taiwan
remained under Japan's control through World War II (WWII). During this
time some Taiwanese groups fought this rule and the Wushe Uprising in the
1930s best represented this fight. The aboriginals that led this resistance
lost decidedly, but it symbolized that power remained out of the hands of
the still large majority of people, the aboriginals

Social Life in Taiwan

Behavior
The Taiwanese are somewhat conservative in most aspects of their
lives partially due to their Buddhist faith, which preaches modesty.
However, they are well aware of the world around them as well as the
differences in opinions and behaviors. Because of this they are quite
understanding of various cultures and foreigners so odd behaviors are
generally accepted, but not encouraged.
The Taiwanese people are very proud people and insulting them or putting
a person down in anyway can be very offensive as the person will feel
"shamed." In much the same way, the Taiwanese will rarely give you critical
advice or insult you in fear of "shaming" you. This is especially true in
business. Turning down a business offer in the wrong way may,
unknowingly be an insult and could force your contact to feel so shamed

that he will actually quit his job; if all hope is lost on a deal or even just an
informal agreement, allow your Taiwanese counterpart to gracefully exit the
situation so he can save "face." Although shaming a person can result in
that person feeling shameful, some locals will stand up in defense of an
insult, even if unintentional. In these cases the person feeling insulted may
stand up for his honor and shout back at the other. Fortunately, this is only
common among locals arguing with each other, particularly over driving
etiquette.

Culture & Identity of Taiwan

Taiwan is a fairly diverse country, but technology and manufacturing
are bringing great jobs and income to the people, while also dictating the
way of life on the island to a great degree. Many traditional aspects of the
culture survive today, but high-paying jobs are too irresistible and these
jobs give the people many opportunities, but they also are dictating the
daily schedule and way of life to a great degree.

Identity
The Taiwanese tend to identify in one of a number of ways. Ethnic
minorities generally identify by their ethnicity, but the majority of the people
in Taiwan are ethnic Han Chinese and these people primarily identify as
"Chinese," "Taiwanese," or both. Those who only identify as Chinese often
times identify in this way to indicate they see themselves and mainland
China as one country and one people; many of the people who primarily
identify in this way seek unification with mainland China.

TAIWANESE ARCHITECTURE

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 03
TAIWANESE ARCHITECTURE

ALSHAMSI, KHALID ALI SAIF L.

STUDENT

ARCH. ZALDY CORPUZ

INSTRUCTOR