Charting recreation and tourism geography in Taiwan: a review of the literature 1946–2016

Since the inception of a Kuomintang-led governance in 1949, recreation and tourism geography in Taiwan has evolved to meet the conditions of the times. Its development represents a unique case periphery to the core Anglo-American international discipline and therefore it is worthwhile investigating how geography studies can adapt to unique circumstances through the application of a number of theoretical paradigms. To illustrate the case of Taiwan’s recreation and tourism geography development, 318 articles were found in the Chinese Geographical Society’s (2008), Centennial Table of Contents/Index of Chinese Geographical Writings (Mainland, 1911–1949; Taiwan, 1949 to present). These articles have been categorized by date of publication, distinguished by five historical periods ranging from 1946 to 2016. They have also been identified by geography studies paradigms, including regional studies, positivism and spatial science, behavioural; humanistic, radical, cultural turn, and applied geography. This review of recreation and tourism geography literature in Taiwan takes an interpretive approach to exploring how its research reflects active responses to unique local social-political and economic challenges of the times. It also illustrates how geographers may, at times, counter dominant development policies and it also demonstrates how the discipline can be highly localized and subject to academic agendas.