Revisiting the Formosan Encounter: how the Dutch-Formosan religious imagination informs contemporary Taiwanese citizenship

The Dutch East India Company encountered in 17th Century "Formosa" (Taiwan) an indigenous population whose religious practices were not yet influenced by either Christianity or Buddhism. In this paper, I will explore how the encounter between Dutch protestant missionaries and local indigenous religious practices shaped the foundation for a hybrid Dutch-indigenous Taiwanese culture and its influence on contemporary citizenship. I will do this by reviewing the literature of the "Formosan Encounter", reports of Dutch missionaries and East India Company personnel on indigenous Formosan religious practices. Secondly, I provide some case studies from fieldwork in Taiwan on the legacy of Dutch colonialism in indigenous Taiwanese folklore.