General History of Taiwan (Complete 3 Volumes)
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Summary
A History of Taiwan (3-volume set) systematically chronicles 1,290 years of the island's history from the Sui to the Qing dynasty in three parts: annals, treatises, and biographies. It records the region's political evolution, military and foreign affairs, economy and natural products, popular customs, and notable figures. Drawing on detailed sources and preferring thoroughness to brevity, it especially emphasizes records of popular livelihood and a "people first" view of history, and gives particular prominence to such historical facts as Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan and the Taiwanese people's resistance to foreign aggression, highlighting the deep historical and cultural ties between Taiwan and the mainland. Because the book was completed during the Japanese occupation, it also carries exceptional significance for national spirit.
Editor's review
The three-volume Taiwan Tong Shi fully presents Lian Heng's general-history structure built on the three forms of annals, treatises, and biographies: the annals as the outline, the treatises as the detailed entries, and the biographies as the flesh and blood of the people, which together reveal his "rather detailed than sketchy" handling of historical sources and his historiography of "the people as the foundation." The work systematically records 1,290 years from the Sui to the Qing dynasty, covering political evolution, military and foreign affairs, economy and products, popular customs, and important figures, with particular emphasis on Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan and the people's resistance to foreign aggression, highlighting Taiwan's deep historical and cultural roots in the mainland. Because it was written during the Japanese occupation, the national spirit embodied in the book raises this historical work beyond the significance of an ordinary general history. The three volumes are arranged together for easy cross-reference by structural category, making them suitable for readers willing to invest time in systematic study or who need a long-term reference set.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Serious readers who want to study the full scope of Taiwan's history systematically rather than quickly
- Teachers and students in history, local gazetteers, and area studies, and users of reference materials
- Researchers concerned with Taiwan historiography and national consciousness during the Japanese occupation
- Readers who need a long-term reference on topics such as political evolution, products, and customs
Not a good fit for
- Light readers who only want to grasp historical outlines in spare moments
- Readers lacking patience for classical Chinese historical works and dense source material
- Users who need only conclusions on a single topic and do not intend to read the whole work
Reading tips
- Read the annals first to establish a timeline, then choose treatises and biographies according to interest.
- Place the tables of contents of the three volumes side by side; when an event appears in the annals, check the corresponding treatise or biography to cross-verify.
- Keep a notebook with sections for politics, economy, customs, and people for later retrieval and reuse.
- After one full reading, reread the sections on people's livelihood and resistance to foreign aggression in light of the "people as the foundation" historiography to appreciate the author's selection.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 台湾通史（一）：纪之卷
- 自序
- 凡例
- 开辟纪（605—1661）
- 建国纪（1661—1683）
- 经营纪（1683—1894）
- 独立纪（1893）
- 台湾通史（二）：志之卷
- 疆域志
- 台南府
- 台北府
- 台湾府
- 台东直隶州
- 坊里
- 职官志
- 郑氏中央职官表
- 郑氏台湾职官表
- 清代职官表
- 民主国职官表
- 户役志
- 田赋志
- 官庄
- 隆恩
- 抄封
- 番租
- 屯租
- 隘租
- 度支志
- 典礼志
- 庆贺
- 接诏
- 迎春
- 藉田
- 祭社
- 释菜
- 祭纛
- 大操
- 旌表
- 乡饮
- 祀典
- 教育志
- 台湾儒学表
- 台湾书院表
- 刑法志
- 军备志
- 郑氏武官表
- 郑氏各将军表
- 郑氏陆军各镇表
- 郑氏水师各镇表
- 郑氏台湾及各岛守将表
- 清代台湾水陆营制表
- 清代台湾水陆汛防表
- 台东勇营驻防表
- 屯丁
- 隘勇
- 乡勇
- 师船
- 炮台
- 外交志
- 日本聘问
- 吕宋经略
- 英人之役
- 美船之役
- 牡丹之役
- 法军之役
- 抚垦志
- 城池志
- 衙署
- 局所
- 关征志
- 榷卖志
- 盐
- 硫磺
- 煤
- 煤油
- 樟脑
- 沙金
- 阿片厘金
- 邮传志
- 陆运
- 航运
- 邮电
- 灯台
- 粮运志
- 仓储
- 乡治志
- 宗教志
- 神教
- 道教
- 佛教
- 景教
- 回教
- 台湾庙宇表
- 风俗志
- 岁时
- 宫室
- 衣服
- 饮食
- 冠婚
- 丧祭
- 演剧
- 歌谣
- 艺文志
- 商务志
- 工艺志
- 纺织
- 刺绣
- 雕刻
- 绘画
- 铸造
- 陶制
- 煅灰
- 烧焿
- 竹工
- 皮工
- 农业志
- 稻之属
- 菽之属
- 麦之属
- 黍之属
- 稷之属
- 枲之属
- 蓝之属
- 薯之属
- 蔗之属
- 茶之属
- 蓏之属
- 蔬之属
- 果之属
- 台湾各属陂圳表
- 虞衡志
- 草之属
- 木之属
- 竹之属
- 藤之属
- 花之属
- 卉之属
- 畜之属
- 禽之属
- 兽之属
- 虫之属
- 鱼之属
- 介之属
- 附： 矿之属
- 台湾通史（三）：传之卷
- 列传一
- 颜思齐、郑芝龙
- 宁靖王
- 诸臣
- 诸老
- 陈永华
- 林圯
- 林凤
- 刘国轩
- 列传二
- 施琅（附：施世骠、蓝理、吴英、朱天贵）
- 吴球、刘却
- 朱一贵
- 欧阳凯
- 许云
- 罗万仓
- 蓝廷珍
- 元枚
- 林亮
- 刘得紫
- 杨文魁、殷化行、阮蔡文、王郡、奎林
- 列传三
- 王世杰
- 吴凤
- 施世榜、杨志申、吴洛、张振万
- 林成祖、胡焯猷、张必荣、郭元汾
- 台东拓殖
- 吴福生、黄教
- 林爽文
- 福康安（附：海兰察）
- 杨廷理
- 郑其仁
- 薛邦扬
- 许鸿
- 李安善
- 陈周全
- 高夔
- 列传四
- 海寇
- 王得禄
- 谢金銮、郑兼才
- 吴沙（附：萧竹、陈奠邦）
- 姜秀銮、周邦正
- 许尚、杨良斌
- 姚莹、徐宗幹
- 张丙
- 方振声
- 李石、林恭
- 郑勒先
- 郭光侯、施九缎
- 列传五
- 戴潮春
- 林文察
- 丁曰健
- 林奠国
- 林占梅
- 罗冠英、陈澄清
- 沈葆桢
- 袁闻柝
- 刘铭传
- 刘璈
- 林平侯
- 列传六
- 循吏
- 流寓
- 乡贤
- 文苑
- 列传七
- 孝义
- 勇士
- 货殖
- 列女
- 列传八
- 邱逢甲
- 吴汤兴、徐骧、姜绍祖、林昆冈
- 吴彭年
- 唐景崧、刘永福
- 后序
FAQ
What is the relationship between the three-volume edition and the single-volume "Annals"?
The "Annals" is the first volume of the three-volume set and contains only the four annals of opening, founding, management, and independence, forming the macro narrative skeleton; the three-volume set also includes treatises and biographies, which carry topics such as political evolution, economy and products, and popular customs, as well as people's deeds. Readers who already have the "Annals" can supplement the treatises and biographies as needed rather than buying the same content again.
Why does the book particularly emphasize that it was written during the Japanese occupation?
When Lian Heng wrote the book, Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule. The book deliberately honors the historical facts of Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan and the people's resistance to foreign aggression, and highlights Taiwan's deep historical and cultural roots in the mainland, giving this general history a distinct embodiment of national spirit. Understanding this background helps explain the author's criteria for selecting sources and judging figures, rather than treating the book as a purely objective compilation of material.
Can I read the three-volume set without a background in history?
Yes, but it is best to proceed from outline to detail: read the annals first to grasp the time frame, then choose topics and figures of interest from the treatises and biographies rather than trying to read everything at once. The classical Chinese is concise; follow the main line of events and leave details for later reference. If you want to test the waters, read the single-volume "Annals" first and then decide whether to acquire the full set.
Where does the "people as the foundation" historiography show in the book?
According to the material, the book gives particular weight to records of people's livelihood and especially honors historical facts such as the people's resistance to foreign aggression, reflecting a historiographical orientation that places the people first. As you read, note the proportion of space given to products and customs in the treatises and the tendencies in selecting figures for the biographies; comparing annals, treatises, and biographies makes it easier to see how this historiography is carried through than reading a single volume.
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About the author
Lian Heng
Author · Chinese · 1878–1936
Lian Heng (1878–1936), courtesy name Yatang and style name Jianhua, was a modern Chinese historian and poet. His ancestral home was Longxi in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and he was born in Tainan, Taiwan. Over ten years he completed The General History of Taiwan, the first comprehensive history of Taiwan, for which he has been called the Grand Historian of Taiwan. His other works include A Dictionary of the Taiwanese Language and Taiwan Poetry Collections, spanning history, poetry, and language studies. His writing is noted for solid use of historical sources and rigorous structure, and his work was pioneering in the writing and preservation of Taiwan's history. Twenty-three of his works are held in this collection, mostly different editions and volumes of The General History of Taiwan, along with history, classical poetry, and literary appreciation, showing how his writings have been read and transmitted.
