Chung Chao-cheng was born in Taoyuan County’s Longtan Township. His father, a teacher and school principal, shaped and encouraged Chao-cheng’s love of literature. He followed in his father’s footsteps in pursuit of a career in education, attending Tamkang Middle School and then the Changhua Normal School. A poorly treated case of malaria during the early 1940s left Chao-cheng hard of hearing, which hampered his pursuit of a university degree in National Taiwan University’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature. .....

Tags: agriculture | development | fishing

Agriculture was long Taiwan's most important traditional industry. Following the end of Japanese rule and Taiwan's coming under the control of the Republic of China, the government implemented an economic strategy of "using agriculture to foster industry and using industry to cultivate agriculture." In line with this policy, Taiwan launched land reforms which involved rent reductions, the sale of public lands, and putting land to the tiller. These policies successfully increased the value of agricultural production and allowed for large amounts of capital, labor, and market input to be diverted to industrial development, ......

Tags: culture | development

Taiwan has emerged as one of the world's leading producers of high-tech products, including computer monitors, motherboards, keyboards, and other components. Politically, the Republic of China's 23 million people have just experienced a peaceful and unprecedented change of governing party. Taiwan's democratic achievements have been strongly affirmed by the world community. ....

Tags: entertainment | opera | performance | play | puppetry | theater

Taiwan's people like to watch Chinese theater, but this is not for nothing. In the sixteenth century, land reclamation and religious beliefs made Chinese plays performed in the vernacular a part of the lives of Taiwan's Han immigrants. On the occasion of paying respects to deities and during festivals, it was considered essential to invite Chinese theater troupes to put on a show. ......

Tags: cuisine | food | Night Market | tourism

Next to these Chinese delicacies, the enormous variety of typical Taiwanese snacks is unique in the world and most perfectly illustrates the important place that the food culture takes into the lives of the Taiwanese people. Famous and unique Taiwanese snacks range from oyster omelets to fried rice noodles, tempura, Tainan Tan-tze noodles, Taiwanese spring rolls, rice tube pudding, and braised pork rice. ......