Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    China
    Home / China / Crossing the Strait

    Past undeniable proof of cross-Strait bonds

    Taiwan leader twists historical facts in attempt to mislead island's inhabitants

    By Zhang Yi in Beijing and Hu Meidong in Fuzhou | China Daily | Updated: 2025-07-10 09:29
    Share
    Share - WeChat

    Editor's note: The Taiwan question is a key focus for China and the international community. China Daily is publishing a series of reports to track hot Taiwan-related topics and address disinformation from the Democratic Progressive Party administration.

    SONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY

    Archaeological evidence confirms a long history of human movement from the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland to the island of Taiwan, dating back to prehistoric times when a shallow strait that was once land facilitated crossings tens of thousands of years ago.

    Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's recent assertion that Taiwan has had an "independent ecological system" since ancient times and is the birthplace of Austronesian culture has been met with skepticism from historians, accusing him of attempting to sever the deep historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Strait.

    During the last glacial period about several tens of thousands of years ago, Taiwan was connected to the Chinese mainland by a land bridge due to lower sea levels and a cooler climate, enabling the passage of animals and early humans.

    Chen Zhongchun, director of the Institute of History at the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies of Xiamen University, said that DNA analyses of archaeological remains found in coastal areas of Fujian province and Taiwan indicate a shared origin, with the former dating back further in time.

    Fossils of ancient land animals such as rhinoceroses and elephants have been found on the Dongshan Land Bridge that connected the coastal regions of Fujian and Taiwan, Chen said.

    "Early human migration, driven by the pursuit of food sources, likely led them to track these animals all the way to Taiwan," he said, adding that it indicated that there was connectivity between the two sides during ancient times.

    Passage between two sides

    As temperatures rose from the Holocene period about 12,000 years ago, the Taiwan Strait formed, but exchanges between the two regions persisted. Advanced maritime skills were evident in archaeological finds in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, such as dugout canoes, showcasing the seafaring abilities of ancient humans and their diverse methods for crossing between the mainland and Taiwan.

    Fan Xuechun, director of the Pingtan International Institute of Austronesian Research, said that Austronesian people began spreading from the mainland coast approximately 6,000 years ago when sea levels were relatively high.

    Descendants of the Austronesian language family, totaling more than 400 million individuals, reside on various islands, including ethnic groups in Taiwan, according to Fan.

    The origin of the Austronesian people has been traced back through DNA analysis to Fujian. Pingtan, an island on the western side of the Taiwan Strait, served as their initial step toward the Pacific Ocean, he said.

    The Keqiutou Site in Pingtan, dating back 6,500 to 5,500 years, has revealed a society adept at hunting and fishing, with relics like stone tools, pottery, and a diverse array of terrestrial and marine animal remains.

    "They settled on Pingtan Island for a long time, establishing primitive villages and mastering advanced navigation techniques. Due to population growth, they sought space elsewhere, so they crossed the Strait and first arrived in Taiwan," Fan said.

    Archaeological discoveries in Taiwan demonstrate a rich cultural exchange involving groups moving from the mainland. The Keqiutou site shares similarities with the Dabenkeng culture of Taiwan, indicating cultural diffusion from the mainland to Taiwan.

    "There is a shared aesthetic among prehistoric inhabitants, such as shell-edged pottery and nail-impressed designs, indicating cultural diffusion from the mainland to Taiwan," he said.

    Around 5,000 years ago, Austronesian people further expanded to the Philippines. Subsequently, they split into two groups, with one spreading to the South Pacific and the other propagating toward the Indian Ocean. Eventually, around a thousand years ago, they reached New Zealand in the South Pacific and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The international academic community views their migration as one of the most significant maritime migrations in human history, predating Columbus' discovery of the New World.

    Since 2017, the Pingtan Austronesian sites, including a museum, have welcomed nearly 100,000 visitors from abroad, including over 5,000 visitors from Taiwan, aiming to promote exchanges.

    1 2 Next   >>|
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    国产白丝无码免费视频| 久久精品?ⅴ无码中文字幕| 精品久久久久中文字幕一区| 日韩AV无码中文无码不卡电影| 最近中文字幕无免费| 中文无码熟妇人妻AV在线| 亚洲AV永久无码精品成人| 中文字幕av一区| 天堂亚洲国产中文在线| 成人无码一区二区三区| 永久免费AV无码网站国产| 亚洲一区中文字幕久久| 中文无码字慕在线观看| 久久久久无码精品国产| 亚洲AV无码第一区二区三区| 中文无码喷潮在线播放| 中文字幕日韩一区二区三区不卡| 亚洲av无码成人精品区| 刺激无码在线观看精品视频| 久久久久成人精品无码中文字幕| 一本加勒比HEZYO无码人妻| 最近2018中文字幕在线高清下载| 中文字幕丰满乱子伦无码专区| 国产成人无码精品久久久免费 | 色噜噜综合亚洲av中文无码 | 少妇无码AV无码专区在线观看| 中文字幕av高清有码| 最近2019中文字幕免费直播| 中文最新版地址在线| 亚洲中文字幕一二三四区苍井空 | 超清中文乱码字幕在线观看| 午夜无码中文字幕在线播放| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区人妖| 无码精品久久一区二区三区| 久久久久亚洲?V成人无码| 91精品无码久久久久久五月天| AA区一区二区三无码精片| 69久久精品无码一区二区| 久久久无码人妻精品无码| 国产乱妇无码大片在线观看 | 国产在线精品一区二区中文|