The Department of Taiwanese Literature was founded in 2000 to promote the study of Taiwanese literature, which includes aboriginal and Han folktales, literary works written in classical Han during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, literary works written during the Japanese Occupation era, and all contemporary literature written after 1945. They provide students with a solid foundation in both literature and language, including the theory and practice of each, and an environment well suited to developing critical thinking skills. In addition to teaching, collecting and editing literary works from Taiwan s different historical periods is one of the major jobs of the department.