In 1620, Yan Siqi from Haicheng, and Zheng Zhilong from Quanzhou, Fujian
Province, in defiance of official oppression, migrated to Taiwan, bringing with
them huge numbers of people aboard 13 ships. They landed at Northern Port
(present-day Jiayi) on the central Taiwan coastline, where they built ten forts,
and lived by farming and fishing. In 1628, Zheng Zhilong accepted amnesty from
the emperor. At this time, Fujian had been stricken by a severe drought, and, at
Zheng's suggestion, the governor of Fujian expedited planned migration of famine
victims to Taiwan. Tens of thousands were each given three taels of silver, and
one ox between three, and arrived in Taiwan to open up and cultivate its
wasteland. This was the first planned mass migration from the mainland to
Taiwan, which contributed greatly to its later development.
In 1624, the Dutch invaded and occupied southern Taiwan, and in 1626, the
Spanish invaded and occupied northern Taiwan. The Dutch subsequently drove the
Spanish out of northern Taiwan and colonized the entire island in 1642. The
Dutch carried out systematic economic plunder of the island, seized all its land
and claimed it on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The people of Taiwan
were forced to work on the "King's Field" under a feudal serf system.
In February 1662, the Ming general Zheng Chenggong, who was against the rule
of the Qing, liberated Taiwan from the Dutch, who had been in occupation for 38
years, and implemented new policies to promote development of the island. He
encouraged people from the mainland to migrate to Taiwan, stressed the need for
land cultivation, forest preservation, irrigation construction, trade
development, education, Confucian doctrine, and the promotion of government
officials through imperial examinations. During Zheng's reign, 120,000 to
150,000 troops and civilians from the mainland migrated to Taiwan. This was the
second large-scale mainland migration to Taiwan, migrants being mostly Han
Chinese, who from that time onwards constituted the main body of Taiwan's
population, and contributed to a period of rapid economic and cultural
development on the island.
Zheng Chenggong's Marine Battles to Regain Taiwan
On April 21, 1661, 200-strong warships carrying 25,000 troops, led by Zheng
Chenggong, left Liaoluo Bay, Quemoy for Taiwan. They arrived in Penghu the next
day. On April 29, Zheng's army headed for Taiwan, braving strong winds and high
seas, and the following day they launched a sudden attack on Lu'ermen. Part of
Zheng's troops prepared to fight the Dutch from Beixianwei,while the main force
landed at Heliao the same night. On May 1, Zheng's army defeated three divisions
of Dutch troops, on land and at sea, sinking the Dutch ship Hector and killing
more than 160 Dutch soldiers at Beixianwei. On the May 4, Zheng's troops
captured Fort Providentia. The next day, he deployed troops to take Fort
Providentia (City of Taiwan). Zheng's army began its attack on May 26, and laid
siege to the fort. On September 16, Zheng's troops defeated Dutch reinforcements
- more than 700 men on ten ships or more -- from Batavia. On the January 25,
1662, Zheng's army captured Fort Fort Ronduitutreecht. On the 1st February, the
Dutch administrator of Taiwan, Fredreick Coyett, signed the deed of surrender.
Taiwan was thus reunited with the motherland.
