1840 年的鴉片戰爭對台灣而言,是個歷史的轉折點。鴉片戰爭後,台灣門戶洞開,西方的商人、冒險家、傳教士紛紛來到台灣。台灣社會當時對洋人還抱著懷疑和排斥的態度,身為一個傳洋教的「外國番仔」,走在街上,會被人吐口水、扔橘仔皮,甚至丟石頭。 1875 年,台南地區的白水溪教會準備重建時,即受到地方勢力的對抗,造成長達六年的民教衝突。雖然基督教在台灣各地常常受到迫害,但由於傳教士的努力,教會的影響力還是在台灣逐漸擴散開來。從鴉片戰爭、牡丹社事件到清法戰爭,台灣不但成為東方與西方各種帝國勢力競相展現船堅炮利的四戰之地,也成為各通商口岸洋行林立的四通之島。隨著島上政權的轉手,無論是漢人或原住民,他們的命運又將有更激烈而戲劇性的變化。 在設省後不到十年,台灣被戰敗的清帝國割讓給了日本。
The Opium War of 1840 marked a turning point in Taiwan's history. Following the Opium War, Taiwan's doors opened wide, attracting Western merchants, adventurers, and missionaries. Taiwanese society at the time still harbored suspicion and rejection of foreigners. As a "foreigner" spreading Western religions, walking the streets was met with spitting, orange peels, and even stones. In 1875, when the Baishuixi Church in Tainan was preparing to rebuild, it encountered opposition from local forces, leading to a six-year civil-religious conflict. Although Christianity faced persecution throughout Taiwan, the efforts of missionaries gradually spread the church's influence. From the Opium War, the Mudan Incident, and the Sino-French War, Taiwan became not only a battleground where Eastern and Western imperial powers competed to demonstrate their warships and artillery, but also a thriving island with numerous trading ports and foreign trading companies.