Taiwan’s stamp history begins in 1886, when the Chinese territory was issued its own stamps. Up until this point, Taiwan had been long known as Formosa, since 1544 when Portuguese explorers first saw the island and called it Ilha Formosa — “Beautiful Island”. After a period of Dutch colonization, China took over the island in 1662, using the local word rendered in English as Taiwan. (Both terms would continue to be used, even to the present day.)
Japanese rule of Taiwan
In 1895, Japan realized one of its ambitions by gaining complete control of the island of Taiwan. The Japanese ruled Taiwan for exactly 50 years, working hard to overcome local resistance and to fully incorporate the Taiwanese into Japanese society. In 1945, having lost World War II, Japan gave Taiwan back to China.
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However, at the very outset of Japan’s control over Taiwan, there was significant resistance and stamps to reflect it: in 1895, the so-called Black Flag Republic — more officially known as the Republic of Formosa — mounted a spirited revolt against Japan, including the issuance of its own stamps. Japan quelled the revolt with relative ease; the Black Flag Republic stamps are beloved by collectors now.
After WW2: Taiwan R.O.C.
From 1945 to 1949, Taiwan remained a part of China, though the changes in that larger country also had repercussions for the Taiwanese. And so, in 1949, Taiwan was given to the Republic of China, an entity which had begun in 1912 and which had at one time ruled over large parts of mainland China; most of the country was classified as the People’s Republic of China — i.e., modern-day mainland China. The P.R.O.C. considers Taiwan R.O.C. one of its autonomous territories.
