This essay attempts to explore the process of the regional
development through the research on Northeastern Pingtung
District. In the first place, the process of land exploitation
and the formation of towns and villages will be dealt with in
details.The process of change in administrative division will be
discussed as an index of re-division and re-organization of the
district. Through the presentation of the establishment of local
administrative system, the structure of community networks,the
relationship between ethnicity groups, the formation of
administrative structure and diverse features in life style will
be discussed. In Northern Pingtung the formation of towns and
villages and exploration were indispensable.At the beginning of
the land exploitation, The Hans were the pioneers in the
uninhibited areas, but they did not obtain the ownership of the
land. It was not until the applications were submitted to the
government andland exploitation permits were granted did large
scale exploitation became legal. As the landlord who held the
pernits for land exploitation were not residing on the land and
were not able to cultivate large pieces of land, rent-collecting
agencies came into being. They managed all affairs. As core-
persons in the settlement.the rent collectors, together with the
pioneers,called on large groups of people from their clans or
from their native towns and villages to come andexploit the
land.they became the major force in the land exploitation.
Gradually, towns and villages came into being. Although there
were no distinct administrative division, landlords and tenants
formed one power and the opposing groups of Minnan and Hakka
immigrants as another, which helped in laying the foundation for
theadministrative divisions in the latter part of Ching Dynasty.
During the Japanese reign, in an attempt of easy administration
and tax collection, Liu Ming-Chuan's land survey were revised,
the regions were defined in consideration to natural environment
features, history, culture and social background. Thus the
administrative system in Taiwan were established. In the times
of Republic the division of administrative regions edfined
during Japanese reign still prevailed in most cases. On the
whole, the founding of regional administrative system was
effected bythe landlords and rent-collectors, but tenants and
existing farmers played the majorrole in the regional area.
tenants and existing farmers formed the community network.
Different tribes had different reactions to changes in natural
environment, socialstructure and the arrangement of settlement.
Long-term excharge, inter-effect andinterflow between tribes and
immigrants gave rise to similar characteristics and special
features, thus, forming the special regional features.