This analysis of Taiwan's 300-plus year history is divided into four periods: the Ching dynasty; the Japanese era; the ROC's martial law period; and the post-martial law period. Major developments in each of these four phases are also examined. Next, the following three characteristics of Buddhism in Taiwan are also pointed out: complexity of the historical development; the peripheral nature of Buddhist culture in Taiwan; and fundamental instability. The third part of this paper analyzes the status of contemporary Buddhism in Taiwan, again in three parts: local monastic institutions; national monastic institutions; and "Tibetan, Southern, and Japanese Buddhism". The paper also puts forward the concepts of "generational theory" in Buddhist cultural development and "Buddhist cultural morphology". Essential elements in the development of Buddhism in Taiwan are also discussed.