Het Eyland Formosa | Taiwan

Postcard
Printed in 1726 by Francois Valentijn, this is the earliest printed map of Taiwan or Formosa. It is considered the first specific printed map of Formosa. Valentijn's map covers the entire island, as well as the nearby Pescadores, now known as the Penghu Islands. Valentijn based this map on the 1640 manuscript (hand drawn) map of Formosa drawn by Johannes Vingboones.

At the time the western part of Taiwan was partially colonized by Chinese immigrants, while the eastern lands were dominated by ferocious headhunting tribes with an history of inhospitality.

The Dutch VOC, which established itself in western Formosa in 1624, was as intent on pacifying the aggressive Formosan aborigines and ultimately establishing a trading center capable of rivaling Macao and thus challenging Portuguese dominance of the China trade. The Dutch were ultimately driven out of Formosa entirely in 1668 by a Chinese backed aborigine resistance.