Aruond 3,600 take part in marathon traversing the scenic Southern Cross-Island Highway
The 2016 Kaohsiung Southern Cross Marathon kicked off this morning along the Southern Cross-Island Highway that connects Kaoshiung with Taitung attracting 3,600 people. Runners stopped to take pictures of the beautiful scenery along the way. Many exclaimed that the stunning vistas would entice them to take part in the event next year. Luckily the weather was surprisingly good as the marathon, organized by the Kaohsiung City Government, kicked off along the Southern Cross-Island Highway. Starting at Baolai Elementary School in Kaoshiung’s Liouguei district, runners ran along the road, also known as Provincial Highway Number 20, and then back again. This revealed that reconstruction of the highway that was damaged during devastating Typhoon Morakot in 2009 has been completed. Hsu Chuan-shengKaohsiung Tourism Bureau This morning I saw so many good friends from different parts of the world. Around 3,600 people assembled to take part in the marathon along the Southern Cross-Island Highway. I hope this event will let all our friends in Taiwan know that reconstruction of the disaster areas along the highway has been completed.With such gorgeous scenery, many runners could not help but stop to take in the view.Unlike ordinary marathons, this marathon also included a party in the evening, with runners invited to join the fun. Organizers hope that through this event, more people will appreciate the beauty of the Southern Cross-Island Highway.
ChiSingTan East Coast National Scenic Area @ HuaLien , Taiwan
ChiSingTan East Coast National Scenic Area @ HuaLien , Taiwan
{Taipei} Taiwan Travel -- TAIPEI STATION (臺北車站)
A walk through Taipei Main Station during rush hour. Lots of people, lots of people... :)
Music by Taulard (
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Also watch the latest video on this channel: {Trip} LALASHAN on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫拉拉山)
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Taiwan Railway, Chisang to Haiduan
This video was taken in the front side of a disel railcar (Train No. 4382, type DR2700 of Taiwan Railway Administration) from Chisang station to Haiduan station, on Feb. 13, 2013.
Please ignore the time label over left lower corner of the video. I did not modify the time of the cheap videocam I used that day.
Train Taiwan South 22 feb 2007
Annonce in Chinese, Taiwanese and Haka languages in the Taiwan train to Taitung (from Kaoshung).
???? Having Fun in SHIFEN, with a THE WATERFALL and a POINTLESS GOOSE (十分好玩)
Shifen is a very popular tourist attraction in greater Taipei. It has a great waterfall, a railway line going straight through the small village, and lots of tourists sending paper lanterns to the sky.
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Gear used for this video
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Travel in Taiwan (Jan./Feb. 2017):
The Pingxi Branch Line
Riding the Pingxi Branch Line in New Taipei City is a journey into the past, as well as a jaunt into lush and scenic countryside that feels hundreds of miles apart from busy and crowded central Taipei, which is in fact just a quick bus or train trip away.
Buy a Day Pass!
There’s a lot to see between Haikeguan and Jingtong, so you might want to pick up a Pingxi Line 1-Day Pass (NT$80), which allows unlimited travel (and stops) along the length of what the Taiwan Railways Administration collectively calls the Pingxi/Shen’ao Line. Tickets are sold at the Taipei, Songshan, Keelung, Ruifang, and Yilan railway stations, as well as some of the stations on the Pingxi Branch Line. If you’re just stopping at a couple of the stations, note that an EasyCard (a popular Taiwan smart card) can also be used.
Shifen
Continuing inland, beyond Sandiaoling the branch line follows the river through a scenic wooded gorge. The train is soon plunged into darkness as it enters the first of four tunnels on the line. For much of the way to the next station, Dahua, the train is either underground or the tracks and the river are crammed side by side in a rocky ravine. Try to get a seat on the right-hand side to get the best views. After rain, tributary streams course down both sides of the gorge in a series of small waterfalls.
After passing tiny Dahua Station, the train emerges from the last tunnel on the branch line, rolls over a long bridge high above the river, and runs straight down the center of the main street of Shifen before coming to a halt at this village’s station. Shifen is one of the most popular stops on the line.
All kinds of Taiwanese snacks, from shaved ice and popsicles to grilled sausages and stinky tofu, can be sampled in the main street, which is also a great place to make, decorate, and set off a sky lantern. Write wishes or messages with brush and paint on the sides of a meter-tall paper lantern, fix a wad of “ghost money” inside, and after lighting the money allow the lantern to float up into the sky, where the wishes will hopefully be communicated to the gods!
Follow the crowd that gets off at the railway station to the northeastern end of Shifen Old Street, follow the main highway until you reach a fork, and take the road to the right to get to the Shifen Visitor Center and, further on, to the magnificent Shifen Waterfall. After heavy rainfall, this 30-meter-wide curtain of water is awesomely powerful, hence its nickname, “Taiwan’s Niagara Falls.” After enjoying the waterfall, cross the Waterfall Viewing Suspension Bridge right beside the railway line and return to Shifen on the main highway.
Dahua 大華
Guanyin Temple 觀音巖
Jingtong (Old Street) 菁桐(老街)
Keelung River 基隆河
Pingxi (Old Street) 平溪(老街)
Pingxi Branch Line 平溪支線
Ruifang 瑞芳
Shifen (Old Street) 十分(老街)
Shifen Waterfall 十分大瀑布
sky lantern 天燈
Wanggu 望古
Waterfall Viewing Suspension Bridge 觀瀑吊橋
Taiwan Battens Down For Typhoon Matmo
Taiwan Battens Down For Typhoon Matmo- 22 July 2014 Breaking News
Typhoon Matmo churned towards Taiwan Tuesday, picking up strength with thousands of tourists evacuated from outlying islands as weather forecasters warned of possible flash floods and landslides.
Matmo, packing gusts of up to 173 kilometres per hour (107mph), is the first tropical storm to hit the island this year and is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast early Wednesday, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Over the past three hours its strength has increased and its radius expanded, an official at the bureau said.
From now on until tomorrow, mountainous areas in the north and east are forecast to receive severe rainfall of up to one metre, he said.
【 MyTaiwanTour | Cycling in Taiwan 】
Early Summer Sea and Valley Cycling Tour
The fact that Taiwan is Asia’s top spot for cycling tours is secret no longer, and MyTaiwanTour’s Early Summer Sea and Valley Cycling Tour combines some of the best features of our other amazing east coast scenic tours with great bikes, custom tailored routes, and some of the world’s most amazing cycling. You’ll ride along the coast, cross mountains and ride along beautiful jungle roads on a tour lead by a cycling guide who also happens to be a lifelong cycling enthusiast. Accommodations range from lakeside bed and breakfasts and boutique designer hotels to guest houses built around beautiful geothermal hot springs perfect for post-ride soaking. As for food, we’ve planned each day to include multiple stops where guests can experience Taiwan’s fabulous culinary scene. So while Early Summer Sea and Valley was designed with cyclists in mind, amazing cycling will be but one of the great experiences you’ll take away from this tour!
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Happy Life by FREDJI
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{Trip} Maolin Trip_Day 3_Liugui/茂林之旅_第三天_六龜
Third day of our trip to the Maolin National Scenic Area. We stayed the second night at the Pu-Lao Hot Spring Hotel ( in Bulao. From there we headed north to the village of Baolai where we went on a walk following the Pulaixitou Tribe Historic Battle Trail. Plum trees were blooming and the scenery was great. Then we headed back south following the Laonong River. We saw the 18 Arhats Mountains across the river and then stopped at a date (jujube) farm in Dajin. Finally, we had lunch at the Meinong Folk Village before heading back home to Taipei.
Read about our trip in the upcoming issue of Travel in Taiwan magazine:
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Also watch the latest video on this channel: {Trip} LALASHAN on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫拉拉山)
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{Day Trip} Travel in Taiwan -- Bicycling in Pinglin (坪林)
We spent a day in Pinglin bicyling and visiting the tea museum. We also stopped at Jingualiao River, Feicui Reservoir, and the Bagua Tea Plantation.
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Dong Mu He Tea House (東木河茶莊)
Add: No. 206, Sec. 8, Beiyi Rd., Pinglin District, New Taipei City (新北市坪林區北宜路八段206號)
Tel: (02) 2665-6882
Website: facebook.com/DongMuHe/
Pinglin Tea Museum (東木河茶莊)
Add: No. 19-1, Songqi Keng, Shuide Borough, Pinglin District, New Taipei City (新北市坪林區水德里水聳淒坑19-1號)
Tel: (02) 2665-6035
Website: tea.ntpc.gov.tw
English and Chinese
Bagua Tea Plantation 八卦茶園
Beishi River 北勢溪
Daiyujue Creek 逮魚堀溪
Feicui Reservoir 翡翠水庫
Fish Observation Path 觀魚步道
Jingualiao Stream 金瓜寮溪
Old Pinglin Bridge 坪林舊橋
Pinglin 坪林
Pinglin Old Street 坪林老街
Qinshui Suspension Bridge 親水吊橋
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Also watch the latest video on this channel: {Trip} LALASHAN on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫拉拉山)
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Travel in Taiwan (2016, 1/2)
By Nick Kembel
Pinglin Village
The bulk of Pinglin Village lies along a one-kilometer stretch of Highway 9, running parallel to the Beishi River. Most of the shops on either side of the highway are devoted to hawking the area’s mainstay product: Baozhong tea. If you are in the market for a cup of tea, local vendors are more than happy to brew up samples of Baozhong and other varieties. Local restaurants serve up all manner of innovative tea-theme dishes, including chicken fried in tea oil, tea-flavored vermicelli, tea eggs, tea jelly, deep-fried tea leaves, and tea-flavored ice cream.
Qinshui Suspension Bridge
On the main highway back at the western end of the village, next to a large welcome gate, cross a small parking lot to find the 60-meter-long Qinshui Suspension Bridge, which, along with the viewing platforms on either side of it, provides visitors with an ideal vantage point for observing the high concentration of fish (in certain spots as many as 50 per cubic meter, according to one study) in the crystal-clear water of the Beishi River below. The river is divided by cement blocks into sections of calm water, enabling you to easily spot the fish.
Cycling the Fish Observation Path
The Fish Observation Path, which starts at Qinshui Suspension Bridge, is best enjoyed on two wheels. Bicycles can be rented in the village. After crossing Qinshui Suspension Bridge from the highway side, turn right and ride along the path as it follows the Beishi River downstream. Look closely and you’ll be able to see lanky egrets perched on stones along the riverbanks, preying on the abundance of fish in the water. The path soon curves to the left, and you’ll be rewarded with a commanding view over a field with rows upon rows of tea shrubs.
After crossing a small bridge, you’ll have the choice of turning right for the start of a 40-minute ride along Jingualiao Stream, or left for a shorter ride further along the Fish Observation Path as it follows a tributary, Daiyujue Creek, upstream. Choosing the latter, the further you get from the village the more idyllic the scenery becomes, with elderly farmers in conical hats tending to their tea fields on one side and turquoise pools of creek water begging to be jumped into on the other.
Pinglin Tea Museum
Back in the village, don’t miss to visit the recently renovated Pinglin Tea Museum. Built in 1997, it is an elegant white-walled facility (admission free). To get to it from the Old Street area, cross the Old Pinglin Bridge and turn left. Passing through the entrance gate brings you into a Fujian-style courtyard. To the right is a multimedia hall, where you can see (and smell) 25+ varieties of tea grown in northern Taiwan, learn how to wrap Baozhong tea in its signature square packages, and observe machinery used for separating and roasting tea leaves.
In the Exhibition Hall opposite the main entrance, learn everything you ever wanted to know about Pinglin and the history of Baozhong. Interactive exhibits cover traditional tea-picking clothing for men and women, information about the different tea-producing regions of New Taipei City, and much else, and also give you the chance to take a photo with your own face placed in an old-time Formosa tea advertisement. To the left of the courtyard, you’ll find a souvenir shop selling fine teas, tea soap, ceramic teaware, and other items, and past that you can ascend a flight of stairs to a calm south China-style garden. A small teashop on the outer wall of the museum just outside the entrance serves freshly brewed hot and cold tea to go. You’ll surely want to savor a cup when leaving the museum, now that you are an expert on the subject!
Taiwan High Speed Rail HSR From Inside
In this video we are going 280 km/h which was 170 something mph.
小農復耕系列- 原鄉初梅‧高雄勤和部落小農復耕紀錄
小農復耕系列－原鄉初梅‧高雄勤和部落小農復耕紀錄
本片紀錄八八災後，高雄‧勤和部落農友留在原鄉，發展無毒梅子產業的奮鬥過程。
2009年，莫拉克颱風造成荖濃溪流域道路嚴重毀損。位在玉山南麓，南橫公路上的勤和部落，雖無重大損害也被劃為特定區，面臨遷村離鄉的壓力。只是，家跟果園都仍在山上，故鄉在這裡，怎麼捨得離開？然而，面對梅雨季來臨時動輒中斷的聯外道路，以及青梅價錢長期低落的困境，小農復耕之路走來不易。
在浩然基金會與台灣農村陣線的協力輔導下，決心留在原鄉的農友成立梅子手作加工坊。過去習慣在田間大動作砍草、剪枝、打梅子的雙手，現在起要和細膩的梅子加工奮鬥。
農友們相信，「努力」是他們唯一的出路。透過與自然和好的土地經營方式，原鄉農友希望將桃源香梅．米如呼(Mizuhu)的滋味，傳達給更多人知道。
導演‧吳國禎 | 動畫‧聊落去 | 音樂‧DAMON (詹前龍)
片長‧41'31 | 影片規格‧NTSC HDV
語言‧國語 | 字幕‧中文/英文
發行單位‧財團法人浩然基金會
發行日期‧2011年12月
Small Farm Rehabilitation Series
First Plums on Native Land --
The Qinhe Village Small Farm Rehabilitation Project in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
This film documents the struggle of famers from Kaohsiung's Qinhe Village in developing a toxin-free plum industry after Typhoon Morakot.
In 2009, Typhoon Morakot devastated roads along the Laonong River Basin. After the disaster, although Qinhe Village, situated on the southern peak of Yushan and Southern Cross-Island Provincial Highway, did not suffer by any major damage, it was classified as a special disastrous area and villagers were facing the pressure of being relocated and leaving their homes.
Nevertheless, with homes and orchards in the mountain, who would want to leave? Plagued by the problem of damaged roads during the monsoon season and the predicament of the low price of plums, the path to small farm rehabilitation was not easy.
Through the assistance by the Hao Ran Foundation, farmers who determined to stay behind established local plum processing stations. Their hands used to weed grass, cut branches and beating plums, now engage in the delicate work of plum processing.
The farmers believe that hardworking is their only way out. Through the land management approach of reconciliation with nature, indigenous farmers hope to introduce the plum fragrance of Taoyuan and the flavor of Mizuhu to more people.
Director: Wu, Kuo-chen Animation: Roach
Music: DAMON (Zhan Qian-long)
Time: 41'31
Format: NTSC HDV
Language: Chinese, Subtitle: Chinese/English
Produced by Hao Ran Foundation
Release Date: December, 2011
Bike na pula/Taiwan MTB XC
Trackread of xc/enduro course at tigermountain, taoyuan, taiwan
Major drills in wake of China aircraft carrier passing Taiwan Strait
(31 Jan 2018) Taiwan military has conducted a two-day drill after China sailed its only operating aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait dividing the two sides, which split amid civil war in 1949.
Navy warships were seen laying mines during the drills on Wednesday to show their sea-mine warfare capabilities outside the Zouying Naval base in Kaohsiung.
In Hualien, fighter jets at Ji Hang Air force base in Pingtung have held drills of scramble emergency take-off.
China has steadily increased its diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan since the election two years ago of independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen.
Shortly after her inauguration, Beijing cut off formal contacts over Tsai's refusal to endorse its contention that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation that must eventually unify.
A large majority of Taiwanese favour the current status of de-facto independence while maintaining strong economic and cultural ties with China.
Beijing says it may use force to resolve the issue if peaceful persuasion fails.
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Busted sneaking into Taiwan---Runs so fast---he plays soccer
Legend (Chris Roberts) who tried to sneak into Taiwan at the airport in Taoyuan. He goes off!!
Typhoon Megi makes landfall in east China's Fujian
Typhoon Megi made landfall in Quanzhou, a port city in east China's Fujian Province, at 4:40 a.m. Wednesday, packing winds of more than 118 kilometers per hour. Megi, the 17th typhoon this year, brought downpours to the coastal areas of the province.
It has killed 4 people and injured 268 others in Taiwan as it swept through the island on Sept. 27.
11th International Song Contest: The Global Sound Semifinal 2
This video is about 11th Internatinoal Song Contest: The Global Sound Semifinal 2
Vote:
Playlist of all the songs:
Armenia
Erik - Anhasaneli
Song:
Artist:
Algeria
Zaho - Divisés
Song:
Artist:
Macedonia
Tamara Todevska feat DNK Frazi Ljubovni
Song:
Artist:
Taiwan
Dizzy Dizzo – “Stray Love”
Song:
Artist:
Greenland
Nanook – “Qiimassutissarput Aajuna”
Song:
Artist:
USA
Halsey - New Americana
Song:
Artist:
China
LuHan - That Good Good
Song:
Artist:
South Africa
Freshlyground - Don't Leave Me
Song:
Artist:
Thailand
เอิ๊ต ภัทรวี feat. Ammy The Bottom Blues You You You
Song:
Artist: facebook.com/wishesontheearth
India
Dance Basanti - Official Song - Ungli - Emraan Hashmi, Shraddha Kapoor
Song:
Artist:
Netherlands
Kenny B - Parijs
Song:
Artist:
Croatia
Severina & Učiteljice - Generale
Song:
Artist:
Artist:
Germany
Namika - Lieblingsmensch
Song:
Artist:
Georgia
Mariam Chachkhiani - Gibberish
Song:
Artist:
Colombia
Fonseca - Entre Mi Vida Y La Tuya
Song:
Artist: facebook.com/fonsecamusic
Greece
Μαλού Τους Είπες Πως
Song:
Artist: facebook.com/malukiriakopoulou
2019 叫我環島小尖兵#1 機車環島|四天三夜（請開字幕）
歡迎留言和我分享你的環島經驗喔！
Ps, 記得開啟字幕
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人數: 2
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時間: 2019.9.10-9.13
總花費: 8276 (搭配觀光局旅遊補助)
住宿: 1. 蘇澳微笑309民宿 2. 太麻里海道民宿 3. 安平伯樂斯民宿
特別推薦: 7-11 保鑫門市
說明: 記錄人生第一次環島
GPS紀錄: Strava app
影片製作: Relive app
音樂: Youtube Morning Mandolin
Taiwan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Taiwan
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Taiwan ( ( listen), UK also ), officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Its neighbors include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It is the most populous state and largest economy that is not a member of the United Nations.
The island of Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, was inhabited by aborigines before the 17th century, when Dutch and Spanish colonies opened the island to mass Han immigration. After a brief rule by the Kingdom of Tungning, the island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty, the last dynasty of China. The Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 after the Sino-Japanese War. While Taiwan was under Japanese rule, the Republic of China (ROC) was established on the mainland in 1912 after the fall of the Qing dynasty. Following the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945, the ROC took control of Taiwan. However, the resumption of the Chinese Civil War led to the ROC's loss of the mainland to the Communists, and the flight of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949. Although the ROC continued to claim to be the legitimate government of China, its effective jurisdiction had, since the loss of Hainan in 1950, been limited to Taiwan and several small islands, with the main island making up 99% of its de facto territory. As a founding member of the United Nations, the ROC represented China at the UN until 1971, when it lost its seat to the PRC.
In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization, creating a stable industrial economy. In the 1980s and early 1990s, it changed from a one-party military dictatorship dominated by the Kuomintang to a multi-party democracy with a semi-presidential system. Taiwan is the 22nd-largest economy in the world, and its high-tech industry plays a key role in the global economy. It is ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press, healthcare, public education, economic freedom, and human development. The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most highly educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentages of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree.The PRC has consistently claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and asserted the ROC is no longer in legitimate existence. Under its One-China policy the PRC refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes the ROC. Today, 17 countries maintain official ties with the ROC but many other states maintain unofficial ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. Although Taiwan is fully self-governing, most international organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate only as a non-state actor. Internally, the major division in politics is between the aspirations of eventual Chinese unification or Taiwanese independence, though both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. The PRC has threatened the use of military force in response to any formal declaration of independence by Taiwan or if PRC leaders decide that peaceful unification is no longer possible. The PRC and ROC standoff dates from the Chinese Civil War and has extended through the first, second and third Taiwan Strait crises to the present day.
Taiwan | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Taiwan
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Taiwan ( ( listen), UK also ), officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Its neighbors include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It is the most populous state and largest economy that is not a member of the United Nations.
The island of Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, was inhabited by aborigines before the 17th century, when Dutch and Spanish colonies opened the island to mass Han immigration. After a brief rule by the Kingdom of Tungning, the island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty, the last dynasty of China. The Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 after the Sino-Japanese War. While Taiwan was under Japanese rule, the Republic of China (ROC) was established on the mainland in 1912 after the fall of the Qing dynasty. Following the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945, the ROC took control of Taiwan. However, the resumption of the Chinese Civil War led to the ROC's loss of the mainland to the Communists, and the flight of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949. Although the ROC continued to claim to be the legitimate government of China, its effective jurisdiction had, since the loss of Hainan in 1950, been limited to Taiwan and its several outlying islands, namely Quemoy and Matsu, with the main island making up 99% of its de facto territory. As a founding member of the United Nations, the ROC represented China at the UN until 1971, when it lost its seat to the PRC.
In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization, creating a stable industrial economy. In the 1980s and early 1990s, it changed from a one-party military dictatorship dominated by the Kuomintang to a multi-party democracy with a semi-presidential system. Taiwan is the 22nd-largest economy in the world, and its high-tech industry plays a key role in the global economy. It is ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press, healthcare, public education, economic freedom, and human development. The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most highly educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentages of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree.The PRC has consistently claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and asserted the ROC is no longer in legitimate existence. Under its One-China policy the PRC refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes the ROC. Today, 17 countries maintain official ties with the ROC but many other states maintain unofficial ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates. Although Taiwan is fully self-governing, most international organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate only as a non-state actor. Internally, the major division in politics is between the aspirations of eventual Chinese unification or Taiwanese independence, though both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. The PRC has threatened the use of military force in response to any formal declaration of independence by Taiwan or if PRC leaders decide that peaceful unification is no longer possible. The PRC and ROC standoff dates from the Chinese Civil War and has extended through the first, second and third Taiwan Strait crises to the present day.