歷史文化
HISTORY & CULTURE
The Uniqueness of Heping Island: A Perfect Harmony of Natural Landscapes and Cultural Heritage
Heping Island is a crucial historical site marking Taiwan's entry into global history, with prehistoric Yuanshan culture and Iron Age relics dating back 3,000 years. Since the 17th century's Age of Discovery, it has taken center stage in world history. The Pingpu indigenous people, Chinese fishermen, Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese have all left behind overlapping cultural histories and stories on Heping Island.
The cultural heritage left by people utilizing natural resources in their daily lives, such as the Ama diving culture, represents the most beautiful cultural landscape of Heping Island. By applying local aesthetics to revitalize old attractions, Heping Island is committed to promoting sustainable tourism through environmental education, immersive experiences, and local specialty shops, fostering harmony between local industries and the environment.
1626
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1642
Spanish Era
In 1626, the Spanish occupied northern Taiwan's Jilong (Keelung), engaging in trade and missionary work, and establishing it as a colonial outpost.
For defense and development purposes, they built Fort San Salvador, three fortresses, and the All Saints Monastery on Heping Island, marking northern Taiwan's entry into the Age of Exploration. In recent years, joint archaeological operations by Academia Sinica and Spanish archaeological teams have discovered 15 burial sites within and around the monastery. These excavations have revealed not only remains from the Spanish and Dutch colonial periods but also cultural relics from the Yuanshan culture dating back over 3,000 years and artifacts from the Iron Age.
400
Years Ago
Four hundred years ago, Heping Island was home to the Dajilong settlement of the Basay people of the Ketagalan tribe. The Basay people were known for their active foreign exchanges and excellent maritime trading capabilities, maintaining relations with neighboring coastal China and Japan.
1642
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1668
Dutch Era
In 1642, the Dutch defeated the Spanish and renamed Fort San Salvador as Fort Noord-Holland. Focused on mercantilism with minimal governance, the Dutch imposed heavy taxation, as reflected in the local saying: "Three stoves supporting one soldier," indicating the burden of taxes during that time.
In 1662, the Dutch were defeated by Zheng Chenggong's forces and withdrew from Taiwan. However, as the Ming-Zheng regime focused on southern Taiwan, the Dutch returned in 1664, reoccupying Jilong (Heping Island) and rebuilding Fort Noord-Holland.
1662
|
1683
Ming-Zheng Era
In 1668, the Dutch faced attacks from Ming forces and, more significantly, the implementation of the coastal evacuation policy by the Qing Empire. With no profits to be made, the Dutch left Taiwan.
The "Savage Characters Cave" in Heping Island Geopark allegedly bears inscriptions left by the last departing Dutch, though these have been nearly erased by weathering and erosion over time. The old saying "North Sheliao Anping" indicates that Heping Island's historical significance rivaled that of Anping in Tainan.
1684
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1895
Qing Dynasty Era
During the early Qing rule, Taiwan was governed through passive control policies. Due to the ban on bringing female family members across the strait, the saying "There are Tang Mountain fathers but no Tang Mountain mothers" emerged, as many Han Chinese men married women from the matrilineal Ketagalan society.
In 1758 (23rd year of Emperor Qianlong's reign), assimilated indigenous people were ordered to adopt Han customs and were given surnames such as Pan, Chen, Liu, Dai, Li, Wang, Qian, Lin, Hu, and Man. The Basay people gradually became sinicized during this process. In the late 19th century, Western powers coveted Jilong's mineral resources, leading to multiple foreign invasions. In 1875, Jilong was formally established as an administrative area and renamed Keelung, meaning "foundation of prosperity." During the Sino-French War in 1884, the French occupied Heping Island for several months.
1895
|
1945
Japanese Colonial Period
After the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan came under Japanese rule. Heping Island's administrative area was named Sheliao Town. Taiwan's largest fishing port at that time—Keelung Fishing Port (now Zhengbin Fishing Port and Heping Island Fishing Port)—was built on the south side of Heping Island. Taiwan's first cross-sea bridge, Keelung Bridge (now Heping Bridge), was constructed between Heping Island and mainland Taiwan. Immigrants from Japan, Okinawa, and Korea made Heping Island a thriving center for East Asian cultural exchange, and the fishing industry was modernized.
1945
During World War II, Keelung Port and Heping Island became targets of American Allied bombing, causing extensive damage to many facilities. After the war, Taiwan came under the control of the Republic of China.
In 1945, the Nationalist government arrived in Taiwan, landing at Keelung Port. Sheliao Island was renamed Heping Island (Peace Island), marking the beginning of a significant wave of immigration. Under Japanese development, Heping Island had become one of northern Taiwan's largest fishing ports, attracting fishery workers from Yilan, Hengchun, and the Amis tribe. The population of Heping Island increased sharply. However, with the subsequent decline of the fishing industry and decreasing catches, young people began moving away in the late 1980s to seek education, employment, and new opportunities elsewhere.
1987
Heping Island possesses a wealth of historical imprints and ecological resources. As younger generations show renewed interest in their homeland, the greater Heping Island industrial landscape is transforming, infused with new energy through sustainable tourism, environmental education, and artistic creation. Thanks to the efforts of many teams, Heping Island continues to write new chapters in its history.
