The term “祖國 Ancestral Land” often refers to the People’s Republic of China governed by the Chinese Communist Party within Taiwan’s historical and contemporary context. However, the term originates from Western concepts such as homeland—terms like fatherland, motherland, pátria, or patria. In early East Asian and Taiwanese history, the idea of a “nation-state” or nationalist identity as we know it today did not actually exist. At the time, when people left their hometowns to build new lives elsewhere, their longing was more for “home” or “hometown,” or what is called “祖家 Ancestral Home” (chó͘-ke) in Taiwanese (Zhangzhou dialect).

To clarify this historical context, we must revisit the history of East Asia and Taiwan. By examining the movement of maritime communities during that period, we explore how diverse ethnic groups interacted across the seas. An extraordinary number of people traversed the ocean: From the first Portuguese arrivals to other Western powers, how did they engage with the local populations in East Asia? On a small island like Taiwan, how many untold stories and hidden footprints remain?

Through a deeper investigation into the ocean, language, and culture, we will re-examine East Asia’s international dynamics and see how Taiwan, as a small island inhabited by ordinary people, was swept into the turbulent currents of global history. Let’s re-evaluate the debates on Taiwanese subjectivity and national identity—and open new directions for dialogue and understanding.