Old photo of the people of Orchid Island, near Taiwan published in a Japanese colonial government publication, ca. 1931.

An Orchid Island native with a canoe (1960s)

An Orchid Island native in her house

Orchid Island (Traditional Chinese: 蘭嶼; pinyin: Lán Yǔ; POJ: Lân-sū) is a 45-km² volcanic island off the eastern coast of Taiwan in the Pacific. It is governed as Lanyu Township of Taitung County of Taiwan Province, Republic of China. The island is the homeland to the Tao Taiwanese aborigines (also known as the Yami people), who call the island Ponso no Tao ("the island where we live"; also spelt Pongso no Tao). The island is also known as Botel Tobago. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2910x4188, 833 KB) Summary an Orchid Island native and a canoe - Photo taken by Dr. Ting-Hsuan Ko in 1960s Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2910x4188, 833 KB) Summary an Orchid Island native and a canoe - Photo taken by Dr. Ting-Hsuan Ko in 1960s Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3129x2257, 404 KB) Summary an Orchid Island native in her house - Photo taken by Dr. Ting-Hsuan Ko in 1960s Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3129x2257, 404 KB) Summary an Orchid Island native in her house - Photo taken by Dr. Ting-Hsuan Ko in 1960s Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... It has been suggested that Pinyin method be merged into this article or section. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A small island in the Adriatic sea An island is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock, that is completely surrounded by water. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... Taitung County (Traditional Chinese: 台東縣; Hanyu Pinyin: Táidōng Xiàn; Tongyong Pinyin: Táidong Siàn; Wade-Giles: T`ai-tung Hsien; POJ: Tâi-tang-kōan) is a county in eastern Taiwan. ... Motto: Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang... Old photo of the Tao people on the shore of Orchid Island, ca. ... A Rukai village Chief visiting the Department of Anthropology in Tokyo Imperial University during the Japanese rule. ...

Since 1982, Taipower Company has been dumping nuclear waste on this island and surrounding sea. Political Punk band from Victorville, Ca WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NUCLEARWASTEX ...

In January 19, 1946, the island was designated as Hongtouyu Township (紅頭嶼鄉 "Red-headed Island") of Taitung County. November 24 of that year, it was renamed to Lan Yu, or Orchid Island, after the local Phalaenopsis orchids. From 1958 to 1972, thousands of convicts were sent to a prison on this island. Type Species Phalaenopsis amabilis Blume, (1825) Species See text. ...

The village communities (社) are: (The asterisks indicate the four current administrative villages (村)

The islanders are mostly fishermen-farmers.

Lesser Orchid Island (Hsiao Lan Yü; Pinyin: Xiao Lanyu), an uninhabited volcanic islet near the main Orchid Island, is the southernmost point of Taitung County. It has been the target of military airplane's target practice. It is home to a crticially endangered endemic orchid, Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea. It has been suggested that Pinyin method be merged into this article or section. ...

See also

• Green Island - the other offshore township of Taitung County
• List of islands of the Republic of China
• Free Area of the Republic of China