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The Republic of Formosa (literally Democratic State of Taiwan, also known informally in English as the Republic of Taiwan) was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops.<br/><br/> The Republic was proclaimed on 23 May 1895 and extinguished on 21 October, when the Republican capital Tainan was occupied by the Japanese. Though sometimes claimed as the first Asian republic to have been proclaimed, it was predated by the Lanfang Republic, established in 1777, as well as by the Republic of Ezo established in 1869.
The Republic of Formosa (literally Democratic State of Taiwan, also known informally in English as the Republic of Taiwan) was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops.<br/><br/> The Republic was proclaimed on 23 May 1895 and extinguished on 21 October, when the Republican capital Tainan was occupied by the Japanese. Though sometimes claimed as the first Asian republic to have been proclaimed, it was predated by the Lanfang Republic, established in 1777, as well as by the Republic of Ezo established in 1869.
George Psalmanazar claimed to be the first Formosan to visit Europe. For some years he convinced many in Britain, but was later revealed to be an impostor. He later became a theological essayist and a friend and acquaintance of Samuel Johnson and other noted figures of 18th-century literary London.<br/><br/> in 1704 Psalmanazar published a book entitled 'An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa', an island subject to the Emperor of Japan which purported to be a detailed description of Formosan customs, geography and political economy, but which was in fact a complete invention on Psalmanazar's part.<br/><br/> Psalmanazar's book also described the Formosan language and alphabet, which is significant for being an early example of a constructed language. His efforts in this regard were so convincing that German grammarians were including samples of his so-called "Formosan alphabet" in books of languages well into the 18th century, even after his larger imposture had been exposed.
From a collection of beautifully painted Chinese ornothological studies, mid-19th century, by an anonymous painter.<br/><br/> The Formosan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea), also called the Taiwan Magpie or the 'long-tailed mountain lady' is a member of the Crow family. In 2007 it was chosen as Taiwan's national bird.