About the Republic of China (Taiwan):
Not to be confused with Peoples Republic of China, which is Communist, the Republic of China is located on Taiwan. You will often hear or read of the Republic of China simply as Taiwan…the island on which it is located. It was here that Chiag Kai Shek and his followers fled once the Communists took over mainland China in 1949. The government of Chiang Kai-Shek was a dictatorship and had a reputation for corruption, which certainly added fuel to the flames of the Communist revolution.
Since its establishment in 1949, the communist People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) has claimed Taiwan as a province and has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The P.R.C. has additionally not ruled out the use of force in the pursuit of unification. It remains one of the possible flashpoints of military intervention.
In terms of geographical size, Taiwan is about 150 miles long and 56 miles wide…slightly bigger than the state of Maryland. As of 2020, it had a population of about 23 million. Only a small percentage of the population is Catholic.
Note: for a short time in history, Taiwan was known as Formosa. That is no longer the case. A bit confusing, we know!
Catholic places of interest in the Republic of China (Taiwan):
Kaohsiung City: Basilica Cathedral of the Holy Rosary
Taipei: Holy Family Church
Wanchin: Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
