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After the heirs of Koxinga surrender to the Qing, the imperial court isn't sure what to do with the island -- but a wily admiral convinces Emperor Kangxi to keep it. Plus: the story of the person who arguably wrote the very first Taiwan travelogue.
Cover: The Imperial Flag of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Image source unknown
Below: A portrait of the Qing Dynasty Kangxi Emperor (the third Qing Emperor) who ruled from 1661 to 1722. His reign was the longest in Chinese history, and among the longest in world history. While Kangxi was generally unenthusiastic about taking control of Taiwan, parts of the island were assimilated into the Qing Empire during his reign.
Image via: Wikimedia Commons/Anonymous Qing Dynasty Court Painter - part of The Three Emperors, 1662 - 1795
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became was famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
