ABSTRACT
A noteworthy phenomenon in Taiwan society after the lifting of martial law in July of 1987 was the sudden volcanic eruption of "Taiwanese Consciousness". Its formation and development is an important theme in the intellectual history of Taiwan. For many centuries, Taiwanese expended immeasurable amounts of blood and sweat to melt and unify many dimensions of various cultural traditions. On this multi-cultural basis, they have opened up the prospect for a New Taiwanese life of liberty, democracy and prosperity. The ruling elite class during the Japanese occupation had one sort of consciousness about Taiwan, while the classes of the common people exhibited others. Nostalgia for homeland China was pervasive among the Taiwanese during the Japanese occupation. During the Japanese occupation, Taiwanese Consciousness was a war cry against Japanese imperialism and oppressive colonialism. Taiwanese Consciousness in the post-Retrocession era was aimed at the oppressive discrimination and unjust distribution of powers and privileges by the Kuomintang regime.
