A year 1629 description of the of the Penghu islands ( 澎湖群島 )
In the day-to-day registers of Fort Zeelandia we can find a description by the dutch Governer of his travel to the Pehou (or Penghu Island) in the year 1629.
Taiwan and holland
Exploring 6 popular traditional fishing warfs and harbors in Taiwan
Are you looking for the best places to find Seafood and experience the sea traditions of Taiwan? Today I would like to show you some of the best traditional fishing harbors you can visit in Taiwan. Taiwan has a rich historical and cultural tradition in fishing. This is not a supprise being an Island surrounded … Read more
Modern Dutch architecture in Taiwan
The other day I read a news which attracted my attention: The Taipei Performance Art Center was opened. I remember back 6 years ago when I lived in Taiwan construction of the building had already started. You can easily notice this building when you go to the Shilin district, its right next to the entrance … Read more
Taiwanese restaurant Jen’s Bing
I believe anyone who has ever visited Taiwan must have been suprised about the amount of good food you’ll find there and ever since I left Taiwan I miss the Taiwan food. I have some Taiwanese cooking books but it is hard to find the right ingredients and recreate the authentic streetfood dishes. In the … Read more
Historical maps of Taiwan
This is an ongoing project of mine. I collect historical maps of Taiwan. Maps can tell the history of a place through the years. Interesting features and descriptions put on a map can sometimes be connected to written records of a time period. Sometimes in Modern day there are even traces of the past left … Read more
The rise and fall of Dutch Formosa (1624-1662)
I heard for the first time there was a Dutch Settlement by the VOC in Taiwan in the 17th Century when I went to travel to the city of Tainain in the South of Taiwan. We went to have a look at the An-ping fort (remains of fort Zeelandia) and to Fort Provintia. There were … Read more
Must see: 5 Amazing traditional Taiwanese houses!
When you travel to Taiwan you will soon see that Taiwan is a country where modern meets tradition. This is no different when you look at the architecture of buildings on the island which are influenced by many cultures over the last centuries. For thousands of years Austronesian tribes lived on the island of Taiwan … Read more
What were traditional Taiwanese houses like? part 1: Austronesian and Qin dynasty architecture
In Taipei I visited the Lin an Tai Historical house in Northern Taipei next to the Keelung river. It is a red bricked house with Chinese style saddle roof. It has multiple rooms and is surrounded by a beautiful garden with ponds. As I walked there I wondered myself what traditional houses were like in … Read more
A year by year timeline of the history of Taiwan
The island of Taiwan is already inhabited by people for thousands of years but only the last 400 years is well recorded in written form since in the 1500’s records of Portuguese sailors first named the island as Illha Formosa: beautiful island and later the Dutch East India Company arrived. I did some research and … Read more
Travel guide for planning your trip to Holland!
Planning to travel to Holland? This guide shows all the information you need for planning a trip to this European country.