Date on Honors Thesis

Spring 5-2025

Major

Japanese Language

Minor

International Studies, Chinese

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Jie Wu, Advisor

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Brent Menchinger, Committee Member

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Roxane Riegler, Committee Member

Abstract/Description

Taiwan, strategically located in the South China Sea, has long faced challenges in asserting its sovereignty. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the 20th-century conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party, this study turns to the mid-17th century to trace the roots of the island’s contested status. It centers on Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), also known as Koxinga, who established the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan (1661–1683) following the fall of the Ming dynasty. By examining Koxinga’s actions and the legacy he left behind, this research draws parallels between his retreat to Taiwan and the Kuomintang’s flight to the island in 1949, suggesting that Koxinga’s actions set a precedent for Taiwan as a site of resistance to Chinese and foreign authority. Through comparative historiographies and analysis of shifting narratives, this research contrasts Chinese and Taiwanese perspectives to assess Koxinga’s influence on the modern sovereignty dispute. By tracing the roots of Taiwan’s sovereignty conflict to Koxinga’s foundational role in establishing a competing claim to Chinese authority on the island, this study challenges the dominant scholarship of the 20th century by highlighting how historical narratives and symbolic figures like Koxinga continue to shape national identities and geopolitical tensions. Understanding the evolving interpretations of Koxinga’s legacy—both in Taiwan and mainland China—provides a critical lens through which to reassess dominant narratives and better comprehend the deeply historical and symbolic dimensions of the island’s pro-independence stance today.

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