Challenges from Overseas

The Opium War of 1840 marked a turning point in Taiwan's history. Following the Opium War, Taiwan's doors opened wide, attracting Western merchants, adventurers, and missionaries. Taiwanese society at the time still harbored suspicion and rejection of foreigners. As a "foreigner" spreading Western religions, walking the streets was met with spitting, orange peels, and even stones. In 1875, when the Baishuixi Church in Tainan was preparing to rebuild, it encountered opposition from local forces, leading to a six-year civil-religious conflict. Although Christianity faced persecution throughout Taiwan, the efforts of missionaries gradually spread the church's influence. From the Opium War, the Mudan Incident, and the Sino-French War, Taiwan became not only a battleground where Eastern and Western imperial powers competed to demonstrate their warships and artillery, but also a thriving island with numerous trading ports and foreign trading companies.