Events from the year 2012 in Taiwan,

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northea ...

. This year is numbered Minguo 101 according to the official Republic of China calendar.

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

–

Ma Ying-jeou Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from 1 ...

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is o ...

–

Vincent Siew Vincent C. Siew or Siew Wan-chang (; born 3 January 1939) is a Taiwanese politician who served as the Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2008 to 2012. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former ...

Wu Den-yih Wu may refer to: States and regions on modern China's territory * Wu (state) (; och, *, italic=yes, links=no), a kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period 771–476 BCE ** Suzhou or Wu (), its eponymous capital ** Wu County (), a former count ...

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

–

, Sean Chen * Vice Premier – Sean Chen,

Jiang Yi-huah Jiang Yi-huah (; born 18 November 1960) is a Taiwanese politician and former Premier of the Republic of China (ROC). On 29 November 2014, he tendered his resignation and was succeeded by Mao Chi-kuo on 8 December 2014. Prior to his appointmen ...

Events

January

* 1 January ** Taipei 101 New Year's Day Fireworks Countdown at

Taipei 101 Taipei 101 (; stylized as TAIPEI 101), formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a supertall skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. This building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2009 ...

was

television broadcast A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid-1 ...

on TVBS News. ** The renaming of Council for Hakka Affairs to

Hakka Affairs Council The Hakka Affairs Council (HAC; , Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Hak-kâ Vî-yèn-fi) is a cabinet-level unit under the Executive Yuan of the government of Taiwan. Its mission is to revitalize Hakka language and culture, and promoting Hakka cultural research a ...

. * 5 January – The opening of

Fu Jen University Station The Taipei Metro Fu Jen University station is a station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station opened on 5 January 2012, and is named after the adjoining Fu Jen Catholic University. Station overvie ...

Touqianzhuang Station The Taipei Metro Touqianzhuang station is a station on the Xinzhuang Line located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The station opened for service on 5 January 2012. The elevated Circular line platforms opened on 31 January 2020. Sta ...

and Xinzhuang Station of

Taipei Metro Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), branded as Metro Taipei, is a rapid transit system serving the areas of Taipei and New Taipei in Taiwan, operated by the government-owned Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, which also operates the Maokong Gondola ...

Xinzhuang District Xinzhuang District () is a district in the western part of New Taipei in northern Taiwan. It has an area of and a population of 413,443 people (2016). History A former name of the area is ''Pulauan'' (). On 15 January 1980, Xinzhuang was u ...

New Taipei New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...

. * 14 January **

2012 Republic of China presidential election Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 14 January 2012. The election was held concurrently with legislative elections. It was the fifth direct election for the President of the Republic of China. Prior to 1996, the President was elected b ...

. ** 2012 Republic of China legislative election. * 15 January – The officiating ceremony of Xiaolin Village Memorial Park in

Jiasian District Jiasian District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a rural district in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Located far from the coast, the township is regarded as a gateway to Taiwan's Central Mountain Range. History Qing Dyna ...

, Kaohsiung. * 23–25 January – Chinese New Year's Day ( dragon

year A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the ...

) at

was

on TVBS News.

February

* 3 February – The opening of Guo Ziyi Memorial Hall in

Neihu District Neihu District is a district of Taipei City, Taiwan. Neihu means "inner lake." The older name originates from the Ketagalan word ''Tayour'' (transliterated by the Dutch as ''Cattajo''), meaning woman's head ornament. Many mountainous roads an ...

, Taipei. * 6 February ** Sean Chen became the

of the Republic of China. **

became the Vice Premier of the Republic of China. * 16 February – The visit of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Guo Jinlong Guo Jinlong (; born July 1947) is a Chinese politician, who served as the Vice Chairman of the Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization, and was a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. Between 2008 and 2012 ...

to Taiwan for a 6-day visit.

March

* 1 March ** The establishment of

Taiwan International Ports Corporation The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC; ) is a state-owned shipping company in Taiwan that operates ports in Taiwan. History The company was founded on Thursday 1 March 2012. Organizational structure * Public Affairs Department * Lega ...

. ** The establishment of

Maritime and Port Bureau The Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB; ) is the port authority under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China (Taiwan) responsible for building a quality environment for the maritime industry, reinforce maritime cap ...

April

* 1 April –

Skip Beat! , abbreviated as ''Sukibi'', is a Japanese shōjo manga by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is the story of , a 16-year-old girl who discovers that her childhood friend and romantic goal, Shotaro Fuwa, only keeps her around to act as a maid and to e ...

was closing telecast aired on

Formosa Television Formosa Television () is a television station based in New Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 27, 1996, FTV began broadcasting on June 11, 1997. Formosa Television is also the first free-to-air television station which was established wit ...

. * 23–29 April

2012 OEC Kaohsiung The 2012 OEC Kaohsiung was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the first edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan between 23 and 29 April 2012. Sing ...

* 25–26 April – 2012 Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary.

May

* 7 May – The visit of

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The pr ...

Governor Wang Guosheng to Taiwan for an 8-day visit. * 12 May – The opening of

Miaoli Hakka Cultural Park Miaoli City (Wade–Giles: ''Miao²-li⁴''; Hakka PFS: ''Mèu-li̍t-sṳ''; Hokkien POJ: ''Biâu-le̍k-chhī'' or ''Miâu-le̍k-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Miaoli County, Taiwan. Miaoli has a relatively h ...

in Miaoli County. * 13 May – The opening of

Macau Economic and Cultural Office The Macau Economic and Cultural Office (; pt, Delegação Económica e Cultural de Macau) is the representative office of Macau in the Republic of China. Its counterpart body in Macau is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Macau. The of ...

in Xinyi District,

Taipei City Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the nor ...

. * 15 May – The inauguration of

Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office The Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (HKETCO; ) is the representative office of Hong Kong in the Republic of China. Its counterpart body in Hong Kong is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong. The office is located ...

in Taipei City. * 20 May **

inaugurated as the

President of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had au ...

for the second term. **

inaugurated as the

of the Republic of China. ** The Aviation Safety Council became an independent body from the

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its leader is the Premier, who is appointed by the President of the Republic of China, and requires confirmation by the Legislative Yuan. Unde ...

. ** The establishment of

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry ...

from the former Council for Cultural Affairs. ** The disestablishment of

Government Information Office The Government Information Office, Executive Yuan (GIO; ) was a cabinet-level agency of the Executive Yuan of Taiwan (the Republic of China) in charge of promoting government policies and regulating domestic media. History In April 1947, the ...

. * 22 May – The establishment of

Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development (BAMID; ) is the bureau of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China responsible for supervising and promoting film, broadcasting, television and popular music sectors of Taiwan. ...

of the Ministry of Culture.

June

* 27 June – The opening of the first Taiwanese branch of

Bank of China The Bank of China (BOC; ) is a Chinese majority state-owned commercial bank headquartered in Beijing and the fourth largest bank in the world. The Bank of China was founded in 1912 by the Republican government as China's central bank, repl ...

located in Taipei City. * 30 June at 12:00 Taiwan Time - The

digital switchover The digital television transition, also called the digital switchover (DSO), the analogue switch/sign-off (ASO), the digital migration, or the analogue shutdown, is the process in which older analogue television broadcasting technology is con ...

in Taiwan is completed, and

analogue television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, phase and frequency of an analog s ...

ended operation.

July

* 7 July – Referendum for casinos establishment in Lienchiang County which 56% voters voted in favor.

August

* 5 August – The ''East China Sea Peace Initiative'' proposed by President

. * 11 August – The opening of

Yeh Shih-tao Literature Memorial Hall The Yeh-Shyr-Tau Literary Memorial Museum () is a memorial hall dedicated to Yeh Shih-tao in West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan. History The building where the memorial hall is housed today used to be the Tainan Forestry Affairs Office. In 2 ...

West Central District West Central District () is a district located in the center of Tainan City, Taiwan. It is home to 76,983 people. History The district was founded on 1 January 2004, which merged with West District and Central District.. This district was t ...

Tainan City Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of hi ...

. * 24–28 August – The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations Asia Conference in Taipei.

September

* 1 September – The establishment of

Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs The Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (IDIA; ) is the agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China. History IDIA was originally established in January 1969 as Foreign Service Training Institute and renamed to ...

of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The enti ...

. * 10 September – The establishment of

Taoyuan American School Taoyuan American School (TYAS; ) is an American international school in Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.How to Access

in Luzhu Township,
Taoyuan County Taoyuan County () is under the administration of Changde, Hunan Province, China. The Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. It covers an area of 4441 square kilometers, of which is arable land. It is from Zhangjiang Tow ...
. * 28 September – The opening of
Beihu Station Beihu () is a railway station on the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) West Coast line located in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan. History The construction of the station was completed in July 2012, as a result of TRA's policy of t ...
in Hukou Township,
Hsinchu County Hsinchu County ( Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a county in north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka; with a Taiwanese aboriginal minority in the southeastern part of the county. Zhubei is the county capital, wh ...
.

November
* 21 November – The establishment of China Affairs Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party. * 28 November – The closing of Baoshan Station of
Taiwan Railways Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...
in
Taoyuan City Taoyuan () is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County, Taiwan, Yilan County to the south-e ...
,
Taoyuan County Taoyuan County () is under the administration of Changde, Hunan Province, China. The Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. It covers an area of 4441 square kilometers, of which is arable land. It is from Zhangjiang Tow ...
.

December
* 19 December – The establishment of Labor Union of National Taiwan University. * 24 December – The opening of Taiwan Stock Museum in Songshan District, Taipei. * 28 December – The discontinuation of
Linkou Line The Linkou Line () was a railway branch line in Taiwan operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration. It was located in Taoyuan County and New Taipei City. The Linkou line was suspended for operation in December 2012. History The railroad was ...
of
Taiwan Railways Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...
.

Deaths
* 3 January –
Fong Fei-fei Fong Fei-Fei (), born Lim Chiu-Luan (; 20 August 1953 – 3 January 2012), was a Taiwanese singer, host and actress. As one of the biggest pop singers in Taiwan, she was known for her melodic love songs, unique personal stage style and broad voc ...
, 58, Taiwanese singer, lung cancer. * 25 February – , 86, Taiwanese essayist and engineer. * 1 April – Chang Mei-yao, 71, Taiwanese actress. * 15 June –
Ming Ji Ming Ji (; 24 January 1923 – 15 June 2012) was a Taiwanese film director. As the general manager of the Central Motion Picture Corporation, Ming worked extensively with many prominent Taiwanese New Wave directors such as Hsiao Yeh, Hou Hsiao-hsie ...
, 89, Taiwanese film director, organ failure. * 20 June –
Liao Fu-pen Liao Fu-pen (; 1 June 1938 – 20 June 2012) was a Taiwanese politician who served in the Legislative Yuan from 1984 to 2002. Education Liao studied at National University of Tainan and National Taiwan Normal University before earning a maste ...
, 74, Taiwanese politician, MLY (1984–2002), multiple organ failure. * 14 July –
Wen Hsing-tsun Wen Hsing-tsun (; 16 November 1926 – 14 July 2012) was a Taiwanese educator and politician who served in the Legislative Yuan from 1987 to 1990. Born in 1926 to Hakka parents in Japanese-era Taiwan, Wen was raised what became Gaoshu, Pingtung Co ...
, 86, Taiwanese politician, MLY (1987–1990), pancreatic cancer. * 20 July – , 30, Taiwanese actor. * 22 August –
Paul Shan Kuo-hsi Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J. (; 3 December 1924 – 22 August 2012) was a cardinal in the Catholic Church. He was at times the bishop of Hualien and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and the chairman of Fu Jen Catholic University. Biography Kuo-hsi was born in ...
, 87, Taiwanese Roman Catholic cardinal. * 23 August – Paul Ch'eng Shih-kuang, 96, Taiwanese Roman Catholic bishop. * 13 September – , 69, Taiwanese entertainer, lung cancer and multiple organ failure. * 7 December –
Chen Wen-yu Chen Wen-yu (; 20 November 1925 – 7 December 2012) was a Taiwanese botanist, horticulturist and an inventor in agriculture science. He bred new strains and varieties of plants, including fruits, flowers, and vegetables over his 70-year-long car ...
, 88, Taiwanese horticulturalist. * 26 December **
Chu Ting-shun Chu Ting-shun (; 30 November 1928 – 26 December 2012) was a Taiwanese folk musician and yueqin player. Born in Hengchun, Pingtung County, in 1928, when the area was still under Japanese rule, Chu began learning the music indigenous to the are ...
, 84, Taiwanese musician. ** , 79, Taiwanese essayist and literary critic. * 31 December –
Yang Teng-kuei Yang Teng-kuei (; 1938–2012) was a Taiwanese businessman with holdings in multiple media ventures. He operated a concert hall in Kaohsiung during the 1980s. Yang was active in the East Asian media and entertainment industry, having helped many p ...
, 74, Taiwanese film producer, stroke.

References
{{Asia topic, 2012 in Years of the 21st century in Taiwan