Songs of early immigrants to Taiwan It was a chance encounter. A ship of Portuguese sailors passing the island of Taiwan exclaimed “Ilha Formosa!” meaning “beautiful island.” This was the wake-up call for “Formosa,” as Taiwan was thereafter called by Westerners, gently rousing it from a long dream, and introducing it to the joys and sorrows of the wider world. By the late 17th century, immigrants from China’s southeast coastal region began flowing into Taiwan. Over time these early pioneers developed this land with the sweat of their brows, and with their music. They hummed “The Plowing Song” as they cultivated their fields. Although their days were hard, they reconciled themselves to their fate—just as does the woman in “An Oysterman’s Wife.” When they began to miss their old homes back in mainland China, they could release some of that longing by singing “Recalling.” During those pioneering days, folk music was closely tied to the soil and to the feelings of the early settlers. Their songs are now a valuable part of the historical record, but even more, they are a permanent asset for all the people living on this land.