Flag with the Cross of Burgundy, used by the Spanish Empire.
From 1624 the Dutch were encamped in southern Formosa (their name for Taiwan) and heavily disrupting trade in the region for the Spanish and Portuguese. By 1626 the Spanish had decided to take action and sent an expedition to form a colony in northern Hermosa (their name for Taiwan). After finding an apparently perfect place, complete with a village ready and waiting for them to occupy, they began experiencing difficulties. Supplies were in short demand, as Hermosa was the most distant outpost of the Spanish empire.
(above left) an image of Keelung Bay from 1626 showing what is today known as Heping (Peace) Island in the north. (above right) an image of Taiwan from the late 1630s showing the Dutch in the south and the Spanish in the north.
For a long time the beer industry in Taiwan was under the control of a government monopoly. Started in 1919 under the Japanese as Takasago Brewery Co., it remained a government monopoly through the Japanese police state and the KMT police state until the markets opened up in the 1980s. Even today Taiwan Beer (produced by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation) accounts for the vast majority of beer sales in Taiwan. It’s easy to understand why craft beer is still a relatively new industry here. To help us understand more we welcome Joe Merrell from Taihu Brewing to share his knowledge of the industry. He shares his general knowledge of Taiwan and of the craft beer industry which he joined in 2016.
In this episode we discuss the religion of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, including their gods and ancestors, the duties of the priestesses and how they deal with illness and death. We also look at their architecture, their various arts and crafts, including pottery and fabric, as well as their styles of tattoos.
People squatting in the same manner that men do during courtship rituals. Note the slate walls and roofing of the Paiwan buildings, including the artwork above the door indicating it to be a chief’s house.
The people in the picture are children, showing you how low the Paiwan houses are. Most of the house is subterranean.
(left) A carving of a Paiwan ancestor on a slate in front of a chief’s house. (right) People from the Yami [Tao] of Orchid Island before a bachelor-house.(left) A Yami man and woman in ceremonial dress to celebrate the Spring Festival. (right) A Yami woman from the Yami tribe showing the differences in facial features and dress.(left) An Ami family stands in front of their home. (right) Men from the Bunun tribe, with Japanese officers standing in the background.An example of women’s facial tattoos in Tayal culture, 2006. Here the tattoos cover the entire space below the bottom lip, as opposed to only partially, as Janet McGovern observed in 1916.
For those of you interested in reading McGovern’s work for yourself, here are some links to online versions of it. One long scrolling page from Project Gutenberg or as a flip book from Archive.org or another flip book by Manybooks.
Taiwan Through Time 