Politically, an amazing whirlwind of changes occurred during the 17th century. Taiwan was theretofore the living space of Aboriginal peoples. Then it was claimed by Western colonial powers (Spain, then the Netherlands), which established strongholds on the island. Next, the Ming Dynasty general Zheng Chenggong, fleeing to Taiwan with the collapse of that regime, expelled the Dutch and set up his own kingdom.
政治上，從最初的原住民族棲息地，經過西方殖民者的佔據，再成為鄭成功治理的獨立王國，最後又歸入清朝版圖，成為以漢人移民為主體的局面，這一切劇烈的世局變化，都完成於三百多年前的十七世紀。