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There are 16 officially recognized Indigenous tribes in Taiwan.
The nation is home to over 600,000 new immigrants, most from China and Southeast Asia.

While Taiwan may be described as a predominantly Han Chinese society, with nearly 95 percent of the population claiming Han ancestry, its heritage is much more complex. The successive waves of Chinese immigrants that began arriving in the 17th century belonged to a variety of Han subgroups with mutually unintelligible languages and different customs. They settled alongside the Indigenous Austronesian tribes who had long inhabited Taiwan, each of which has its own distinct traditions and social structure. Recent years have seen an influx of new arrivals from China and Southeast Asia. Currently, the number of new immigrants is over 600,000.

Hualien County-based Indigenous troupe Alefis performs a traditional dance at the 2024 National Day Celebration. (Chin Hung-hao)

population:23,400,220 (Dec 2024).0-17 years:14.28% 18-64 years:66.53% 65and above:19.18%

There is growing appreciation in Taiwan for the cultural legacies of the 16 officially recognized Austronesianspeaking tribes, which constitute just over 2.6 percent of the population. Public and private organizations are working to revitalize their languages and cultures, as evidenced by the launch of the Taiwan Indigenous Television channel and the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act.

The convergence and interplay of currents of hu manity have helped transform the country into an openhearted, forward-looking society incorporating diverse elements from around the world as part of an evolving shared identity.

The Archway