2016 in Taiwan explained

Events from the year 2016 in Taiwan.

Incumbents

• President – Ma Ying-jeou, Tsai Ing-wen
• Vice President – Wu Den-yih, Chen Chien-jen
• Premier – Mao Chi-kuo, Chang San-cheng, Lin Chuan
• Vice Premier – Chang San-cheng, Woody Duh, Lin Hsi-yao

Events

January

• 1 January – The opening of Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Hall in Datong District, Taipei.
• 10 January – The launch of Islamic Association of Taiwan in Hualien City, Hualien County.^[1]
• 16 January
  • 2016 Taiwanese presidential election.
  • 2016 Taiwanese legislative election.
  • Resignation of Kuomintang spokesperson Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中).^[2]
  • Resignation of Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu.^[3]
  • Resignation of Kuomintang vice-chairman Hau Lung-bin.^[3]

February

• 1 February
  • Swearing-in of new cabinet led by Premier Chang San-cheng.^[4]
  • Su Jia-chyuan sworn-in as Speaker of Legislative Yuan.^[5]
• 5 February – Mainland Affairs Council and Taiwan Affairs Office had their first conversation via the newly establish hotline connecting both heads of the offices.^[6]
• 6 February – The 6.4 Taiwan earthquake affected the southwest part of the island with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), killing 117 and injuring 550.

March

• 26 March – 2016 Kuomintang chairmanship election.

April

• 2 April – The official opening of Hushan Dam in Douliu City, Yunlin County.
• 7 April – The designation of 7 April to be the Freedom of Speech Day.^[7]
• 18 April – Wan An Exercise in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan City, Yilan County, Hsinchu County, Keelung and Hsinchu City.^[8]
• 24 April – The establishment of Taiwan Muslim Association at At-Taqwa Mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City.^[9]

May

• 9 May – The opening of Taroko Park in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung.^[10]
• 12 May
  • Resignation en masse of Executive Yuan led by Premier Chang San-cheng.^[11]
  • Agricultural cooperation agreement with Indonesia signed in Taipei.^[12]
• 18 May – Appointment of Hau Lung-pin, Jason Hu and Lin Junq-tzer as Vice Chairpersons of Kuomintang.^[13]
• 20 May
  • The inauguration of Tsai Ing-wen as the President of the Republic of China at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.^[14]
  • The appointment of Cheng Shu-cheng (曾旭正) as the Deputy Minister of National Development Council.
  • The appointment of Tsai Mi-ching as the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology.
  • The appointment of Weng Chang-liang (翁章梁) as the Deputy Minister of Council of Agriculture.
  • The appointment of Kuo Kuo-wen as the Deputy Minister of Labor.
  • The appointment of Lee Wen-chung and Liu Shu-lin (劉樹林) as the Deputy Ministers of Veterans Affairs Council.^[15]
• 25 May – Tsai Ing-wen sworn in as Chairperson of Democratic Progressive Party for another term.^[16]
• 27 May – The inauguration of Wanhua Lin's Mansion in Wanhua District, Taipei.^[17]

June

• 25 June – the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union, representing some 2500 cabin crew from China Airlines, staged the first strike in Taiwanese aviation history. A total of 122 China Airlines-passenger flights from Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport were cancelled as a result. The strike ended within a day following government intervention, replacement of top officials, and management-representatives conditionally agreeing to all seven demands from the union.^[18]

July

• 1 July
  • The opening of Nangang Station of Taiwan High Speed Rail in Nangang District, Taipei.^[19]
  • Hsiung Feng III missile mishap off Penghu, killing 1 and injuring 3.^[20]
• 3 July – The opening of Hamasen Museum of Taiwan Railway in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung.
• 7 July – Typhoon Nepartak makes landfall, killing three people and injuring 142.^[21]
• 19 July – Bus accident in Taoyuan City killing 24 Mainland Chinese tourists with its Taiwanese driver and tour guide.^[22]
• 23 July – The official opening of the High-Heel Wedding Church in Budai Township, Chiayi County.^[23]

August

• 22–26 August – The 32nd Han Kuang Exercise.
• 26 August – The opening of Taichung Literature Museum in West District, Taichung.

September

• 5 September – Kaohsiung and Panama City signed sister city agreement.^[24]
• 13 September – Typhoon Meranti made landfall in Southern Taiwan, killing 1.^{[25] [26]}
  • 17–25 September – 2016 OEC Kaohsiung 27 September – Typhoon Megi made landfall in Eastern Taiwan, killing 4.^[27]

November

• 1 November – The merging of National Hsinchu University of Education with National Tsing Hua University.^[28]
• 16 November – The opening of DONG Energy branch office in Taiwan.^[29]
• 22 November – TransAsia Airways ceased operations.
• 24 November – Chien-Cheng Circle started to be demolished.^[30]

December

• 10 December – The opening of Ama Museum in Datong District, Taipei.
• 12 December – Start of the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship Division II qualification round.
• 20 December – São Tomé and Príncipe terminated diplomatic relations with the ROC.^[31]
• 30 December – The opening of Chaoma Sports Center in Xitun District, Taichung.

Deaths

• 11 January –, 93, Taiwanese comfort woman.^{[32] [33]}
• 15 January –, 66, Taiwanese businessman, heart attack.^[34]
• 20 January – Chang Yung-fa, 88, Taiwanese businessman (Evergreen Group).^[35]
• 17 February – Liu Wan-lai, 87, Taiwanese translator.^[36]
• 26 February – Loh I-Cheng, 92, Taiwanese diplomat.^[37]
• 10 March – Fangge Dupan, 89, Taiwanese poet.^[38]
• 18 March – Kong Jaw-sheng, 60, Taiwanese banker, chairman of the FSC (2004–2006), heart attack.^[39]
• 1 April
  • Kao Ching-yuen, 87, Taiwanese businessman (Uni-President Enterprises Corporation)^[40] (death announced on this date).
  • , 98, Taiwanese academic administrator, President of Central Police University (1966–1973) and Tunghai University (1978–1992).^[41]
• 8 April – Wei Chueh, 88, Taiwanese Buddhist monk.^[42]
• 21 May – Ku Chin-shui, 56, Taiwanese aboriginal athlete, plasma cell leukemia.^[43]
• 27 May – Wang You-theng, 89, Taiwanese entrepreneur, (Rebar), traffic collision.^[44]
• 29 May –, 56, Taiwanese politician, Mayor of Hualien City, lung cancer.^[45]
• 31 May –, 62, Taiwanese businessman (TransAsia Airways), heart attack.^[46]
• 1 June – Wang Jui, 85, Taiwanese actor, heart and lung failure.^[47]
• 27 July – Lin Kuo-hua, 80, Taiwanese politician, MLY (1999–2005).^[48]
• 6 August – Chow Lien-hwa, 96, Taiwanese Christian minister.^[49]
• 9 August – Wang Tuoh, 72, Taiwanese writer and politician, complications of a heart attack.^{[50] [51]}
• 27 August –, 86, Taiwanese mountaineer, esophageal cancer.^[52]
• 7 September –, 90, Taiwanese acrobat.^[53]
• 8 October – Kuo Chin-fa, 72, Taiwanese Hokkien pop singer, cardiorespiratory failure.^{[54] [55]}
• 16 October – Jacques Picoux, 67, French artist, fall.^{[56] [57]}
• 8 November – Ho Chih-chin, 64, Taiwanese politician, Minister of Finance.^[58]
• 18 November – Liu Sung-pan, 84, Taiwanese politician, MLY (1973–2004), PLY (1992–1998).^[59]
• 22 November – Chen Yingzhen, 79, Taiwanese writer.^[60]
• 28 November – Ng Bi-chu, 88, Taiwanese activist (228 Incident), complications of diabetes.^[61]
• 30 November
  • Peng Chang-kuei, 98, Taiwanese chef, (General Tso's chicken) pneumonia.^[62]
  • , 43, Taiwanese astrologer.^{[63] [64]}
• 1 December – Bor-ming Jahn, 76, Taiwanese-French geochemist.^[65]
• 8 December –, 94, Taiwanese agriculturalist.^[66]
• 26 December – Robert Storey, 63, American-born Taiwanese travel writer.^[67]

Notes and References

1. Web site: About Us. Islamic Association of Taiwan. 19 May 2018.
2. News: Liu. Claudia. Kao. Evelyn. KMT spokesman tenders resignation prior to election results. 20 January 2016. Central News Agency. 16 January 2016. Focus Taiwan.
3. News: Wu. Lilian. Chang. S. C.. KMT's head Eric Chu, deputy head Hau Lung-bin step down. 20 January 2016. Central News Agency. 16 January 2016. Focus Taiwan.
4. Web site: New Cabinet sworn in today, headed by new premier Chang.
5. Web site: New era as DPP takes over Legislature.
6. Web site: China picks up hotline call. Taipei Times. 6 February 2016.
7. Web site: Taiwan to designate April 7 as 'freedom of speech day'. Focus Taiwan. 7 April 2016 .
8. Web site: Wan An Exercise to be staged in northern Taiwan Monday – Society – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 18 April 2016 .
9. Web site: About TMA. Taiwan Muslim Association. 28 May 2018. 15 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161015200348/http://taiwanmuslim.com/en/about/about-tma/. dead.
10. Web site: Kaohsiung City's Taroko Park opens its doors - the China Post . 2 November 2016 . 3 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161103235659/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/kaohsiung/2016/05/10/465706/Kaohsiung-Citys.htm . dead .
11. Web site: Premier leads Cabinet in en masse resignation – Politics – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 12 May 2016 .
12. Web site: Taiwan, Indonesia sign agricultural cooperation pact – Politics – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 16 May 2016 .
13. Web site: Kuomintang News Network.
14. Web site: Tsai Ing-wen sworn in as Taiwan's first woman president – Most Viewed – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS.
15. Web site: Six deputies added to Lin's Cabinet lineup amid protest. 4 May 2016. Stephanie. Chao. The China Post. 8 September 2017.
16. Web site: Tsai sworn in for another term as DPP chairwoman.
17. Web site: 21 June 2016. Sets in the City — July, 2016. Taipei Film Commission. 3 October 2019. 3 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191003062915/https://www.filmcommission.taipei/en/MessageNotice/NewsDet/4587. dead.
18. Web site: 空服員罷工 華航2天營損2.8億元. China Times. 25 June 2016.
19. Web site: New HSR station expected to ease congestion at Taipei Main - Focus Taiwan. July 2016 .
20. Web site: Accidental firing of missile likely due to human error: Navy – Full Index Search – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS.
21. News: Chiu. Po-sheng. Hsu. Elizabeth. 3 deaths, 142 injuries during typhoon Nepartak onslaught. 8 July 2016. Central News Agency. 8 July 2016.
22. Web site: Breaking: 26 dead in tour bus blaze.
23. Web site: 'Cinderella' church opens to tourists. 27 July 2016.
24. Web site: Kaohsiung, Panama City forge sister city relations – Politics – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 5 September 2016 .
25. Web site: Land alert issued for Typhoon Meranti – Taipei Times. 14 September 2016.
26. Web site: Typhoon Meranti leaves 1 dead, 44 injured – Society – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 15 September 2016 .
27. Web site: Taiwan issues land, sea warnings for Typhoon Megi (update) – Society – FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. 26 September 2016 .
28. Web site: College student goes on hunger strike over merger - Taipei Times. 2 November 2016.
29. Web site: DONG Energy opens office in Taiwan - Focus Taiwan. 16 November 2016 .
30. Web site: City government starts demolishing Jiancheng Circle - Taipei Times. 25 November 2016.
31. Web site: Sao Tome Breaks Ties with Taiwan - the China Post . 21 December 2016 . 21 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161221233413/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/intl-community/2016/12/21/487291/Sao-Tome.htm . dead .
32. News: Tang. Pei-chun. Chen. Chih-chung. Hsu. Elizabeth. Kuo. Chung-han. Former 'comfort woman' dies in Pingtung. 7 March 2016. Central News Agency. 14 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310175015/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201601140021.aspx. 10 March 2016. Focus Taiwan. bot: unknown.
33. News: 'Comfort woman' Cheng Chen Tao dies at age of 93. 7 March 2016. Taipei Times. 16 January 2016.
34. News: Humble House founder dies. 26 April 2017. Taipei Times. 16 January 2016.
35. News: Lee. Hsin-yin. Evergreen Group founder dies aged 90. 20 January 2016. Central News Agency. 20 January 2016.
36. News: Wu. Po-hsuan. Chin. Jonathan. FEATURE: Translator, teacher Liu Wan-lai dies. 1 March 2016. Taipei Times.
37. News: Tang. Pei-chun. Wu. Lilian. Veteran diplomat Loh I-Cheng passes away. 26 February 2016. Central News Agency. 26 February 2016.
38. http://web.pts.org.tw/hakka/news/detail.php?id=133216 客籍詩人杜潘芳格 家中辭世享壽90歲
39. News: Former FSC chairman dies, aged 61. 20 March 2016. Taipei Times. 20 March 2016.
40. News: Tien. Yu-pin. Kao Chin-yen, founder of Uni-president Corporation, dies. 1 April 2016. Central News Agency. 1 April 2016.
41. News: Chao. Li-yen. Wu. Lilian. Former university president Mei Ko-wan dies at age 98. 1 April 2016. Central News Agency. 1 April 2016.
42. News: Founder of Chung Tai Chan Monastery is dead. 9 April 2016. Central News Agency. 9 April 2016.
43. News: Chen. Christie. Lu. Hsin-hui. Taiwanese decathlete Ku Chin-shui dies at 56. 25 May 2016. Central News Agency. 25 May 2016.
44. News: Jiang. Esme. Lin. Milly. Tsai. Page. Tsai. Yi-chu. Chang. S.C.. Fugitive Wang You-tseng reportedly killed in car accident in U.S.. 31 May 2016. Central News Agency. 30 May 2016.
45. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Hualien Mayor Tien Chih-hsuan dies of lung cancer at 56. 30 May 2016. Taipei Times. 30 May 2016.
46. News: Pan. Chi-yi. Wu. Lilian. TransAsia Airways president dies after heart attack. 31 May 2016. Central News Agency. 31 May 2016.
47. News: Wu. Wan-ting. Chen. Christie. Golden Bell-winning actor Wang Jui dies at 85. 1 June 2016. Central News Agency. 1 June 2016.
48. News: 黃 . 淑莉 . 農運先驅林國華病逝 享壽82歲 . 12 July 2020 . Liberty Times . 29 July 2016 . zh.
49. News: Chang. Ming-hsuan. Low. Y. F.. Pastor Chow Lien-hwa dies at age 96. 6 August 2016. Central News Agency.
50. News: Chung. Li-hua. Chung. Jake. Writer, former legislator Wang Tuoh dies at 72. 10 August 2016. Taipei Times. 10 August 2016.
51. News: Lu. Hsin-hui. Cheng. Sabine. Wen. Kuei-hsiang. Liu. Claudia. Hou. Elaine. Renowned Taiwanese writer, politician Wang Tuoh dies at 72. 10 August 2016. Central News Agency. 9 August 2016.
52. News: Wu. Hsin-tien. Hetherington. William. Leading expert on ancient mountain trails dies at 86. 29 August 2016. Taipei Times. 29 August 2016.
53. News: Shan. Shelley. Acrobat Lee Tang-hua dies at 91. 9 September 2016. Taipei Times. 9 September 2016.
54. News: Chen. Chao-fu. Wen. Kui-hsiang. Chang. Jung-hsiang. Hsu. Elizabeth. Death of Taiwanese singer caused by cardiorespiratory failure. 9 October 2016. Central News Agency. 9 October 2016.
55. News: Tsai. Ching-hua. Hung. Ting-hung. Chung. Jake. Singer Kuo dies during concert. 9 October 2016. Taipei Times. 9 October 2016.
56. News: Hsu. Elizabeth. French artist Jacques Picoux dies after fall from building (update). 17 October 2016. Central News Agency. 17 October 2016.
57. News: French ex-lecturer falls to death. 18 October 2016. Taipei Times. 18 October 2016.
58. Web site: Former finance minister Ho Chih-chin dies. Chi-wei. Hsu. Lilian. Wu. 8 November 2016. Focus Taiwan. 9 November 2016.
59. News: Pan. Jason. Fugitive former official dies in US. 8 December 2016. Taipei Times. 8 December 2016.
60. News: Chang. Shu-ling. Cheng. Sabine. Chang. S. C.. Minister, friends mourns death of writer Chen Ying-chen. 23 November 2016. Central News Agency. 22 November 2016.
61. News: Chung. Li-hua. Chin. Jonathan. Massacre archive founder Juan died at age 90: family. 4 December 2016. Taipei Times. 1 December 2016.
62. News: Peng Chang-kuei, chef credited with inventing General Tso's Chicken, has died. 4 December 2016. Chicago Tribune. 2 December 2016.
63. News: 許信欽. 花振森. 薇薇安傳病逝？殯葬業者證實：12/16告別式. 4 December 2016. SETN. 3 December 2016.
64. News: Lee. Ching-hui. Chung. Jake. Family confirms astrologer Vivian's death. 4 December 2016. Taipei Times. 4 December 2016.
65. Juhn G. Liou . Liou . Juhn G. . Bor-ming Jahn (BMJ) biographical memoir and brief introduction to BMJ's scientific contributions and academic services . Journal of Asian Earth Sciences . 1 September 2017 . 145 . 298–308 . 10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.06.006. 2017JAESc.145..298L .
66. News: Liu. Li-jen. Chung. Jake. Officials honor late agricultural expert at his Thai home. 20 December 2016. Taipei Times. 20 December 2016.
67. News: Frazier. David. The passing of a Lonely Planet pioneer. 5 January 2017. Taipei Times. 5 January 2017.