East Asia
Taiwan is an island in East Asia with a rich mixture of Indigenous heritage, Chinese cultural influences, Japanese history and a vibrant modern democratic society.
Capital
Taipei
Population
About 23 million
Languages
Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, Indigenous languages
Currency
New Taiwan Dollar
Cultural Overview
Taiwan lies off the southeastern coast of mainland China and has been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Its history has included European colonial settlements, Qing rule, Japanese rule and the arrival of the Republic of China government after the Second World War. Taiwan later transformed from authoritarian rule into a multiparty democracy and became a major global centre for technology and semiconductor manufacturing. Its political status and relationship with the People's Republic of China remain important and contested international issues.
Capital City
Taipei is Taiwan's capital and an important centre for government, business, technology and culture. Its skyline includes Taipei 101, which was the world's tallest building when it opened.
Fact File
Explore the history, food, wildlife and culture of Taiwan through images and short fact-file summaries.
Indigenous peoples lived in Taiwan for thousands of years before large-scale migration from mainland China. Taiwan's Indigenous communities belong to the wider Austronesian family of peoples found across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Beef noodle soup is one of Taiwan's best-known dishes. It usually combines noodles, slow-cooked beef and a rich broth flavoured with spices, soy sauce and other seasonings.
The Formosan black bear is a subspecies of Asian black bear found only in Taiwan. Its distinctive white chest marking has helped make it an important symbol of Taiwanese wildlife.
Taiwan's night markets combine food, shopping, games and social life. Visitors can find dishes such as dumplings, oyster omelettes, fried chicken, noodles and many different snacks.
Historical Timeline
Explore some of the events and periods that have helped shape the history of Taiwan.
Influential Figures
Explore influential people who helped shape the country through music, leadership, sport, activism, and culture.
Film
An internationally successful filmmaker whose work has crossed languages and genres, directing acclaimed films including martial-arts epics, dramas and major Hollywood productions.
Music
A hugely successful singer, songwriter, musician and actor who helped shape modern Mandarin-language pop music and developed an enormous following across Asia.
Politics
A politician and former law professor who made history by becoming Taiwan's first female president and served two terms in office.
Sport
A Taiwanese-American basketball player who became an international sporting sensation during an extraordinary run of performances in the NBA that became known as 'Linsanity'.
Cultural Spotlight
Explore the rich cultural heritage of Taiwan through its art, music, traditions, and more.
Lantern celebrations take place around Taiwan during the Lunar New Year period. Huge illuminated displays combine traditional lantern customs with modern art, technology and performances.
Taiwan is home to numerous officially recognised Indigenous peoples, each with their own histories, languages and cultural traditions. Their Austronesian heritage connects Taiwan culturally and linguistically with communities spread across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Places to Explore
Discover landscapes, cities, landmarks, and locations that help tell the story of Taiwan.
Nature
Taroko Gorge is famous for its dramatic marble cliffs, mountains, rivers and tunnels. The surrounding landscape forms part of one of Taiwan's best-known natural areas.
Nature
Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's largest natural lake and is surrounded by forested mountains. The area is also closely connected with the Indigenous Thao people.
Mountains
Alishan is a mountainous region known for forests, mountain railways, tea growing and spectacular views across Taiwan's central mountains.
Historic Town
Jiufen is a historic hillside town that grew during Taiwan's gold-mining era. Its narrow streets, teahouses and mountain views have made it one of Taiwan's most recognisable destinations.
Taiwan is an island roughly 180 kilometres from the southeastern coast of mainland China.
Indigenous peoples have lived in Taiwan for thousands of years.
Taiwan was known historically in many Western sources as Formosa.
Taiwan was under Japanese rule from 1895 until 1945.
Martial law lasted from 1949 until 1987.
Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in 1996.
Taiwan is one of the world's most important producers of advanced semiconductor chips.
Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019.