The 1895 Yiwei War and Its Impact on the National Identity of Taiwanese Han People: A Perspective from Chinese Documentary Sources

Abstract

The Qing dynasty (now China). The Treaty of Shimonoseki (also known as the Treaty of Maguan), signed after the First Sino-Japanese war (the Jiawu war), marked a crucial turning point in Taiwan’s transition from a regional identity tied to Fujian and Guangdong to one rooted in national, ethnic, and broader cultural recognition. The treaty highlights the contrasting attitudes of Qing dynasty and Japan towards international affairs during this period—Qing dynasty’s passive stance versus Japan’s active approach. Taiwan’s governor, Tang Ching-sung, established the Republic of Taiwan in an effort to resist Japanese colonization, seeking the support of Western powers to prevent Taiwan’s annexation by Japan. The Yiwei anti-Japanese war helped shape the collective consciousness of the Taiwanese Han people, reinforcing a shared identity based on the distinction between “us” (the Chinese) and “them” (the Japanese). This process of differentiation strengthened the Taiwanese Han people’s connection to their ethnic and cultural identity.

Keywords: Yiwei war; Treaty of Shimonoseki; Sino-Japanese war; National identity; Colonial Taiwan