Isle of Time

The story of Taiwan, unfolded

Free · In‑App Purchases

Isle of Time is a digital exhibition chronicling four hundred years of Formosa's history — from the Age of Exploration to modern Taiwan. Presented with the editorial clarity of a broadsheet newspaper, each article draws from primary sources, archival documents, and images spanning eight distinct historical eras. Browse at your own pace, follow thematic threads that weave across centuries, or let the app surface a new reading each day. CHRONICLE Browse a curated timeline spanning eight eras of Taiwan's history — from Dutch and Spanish colonization through the Qing Dynasty, Japanese colonial period, and the road to democracy. A parallel music timeline traces the island's sonic heritage from early gramophone recordings to contemporary indie. HISTORICAL ATLAS See where history took place. An interactive map of Taiwan, Penghu, and Green Island plots key events as color-coded dots. Pinch, zoom, and tap to explore connections between eras, follow thematic threads across the island, and jump straight into any article. THEMATIC THREADS Follow cross-cutting themes — trade, governance, identity, resistance — that connect events across four centuries into coherent narratives. DAILY READING A different article surfaces each day, drawn from across the full archive, so there is always something new to discover. LISTEN Have any article read aloud with built-in text-to-speech, and continue listening as you browse. BOOKMARKS & SEARCH Save articles for later and search across the entire archive by title or keyword. Sources and images are drawn from the Academia Historica, National Archives Administration, U.S. National Archives, and other publicly available scholarly resources. Designed and developed by Studio Aspen.

  • 4.8
    out of 5
    6 Ratings

Fifteen new volumes, 160 in all. 111 archival images, and images inside a volume now open full screen. The atlas draws Kinmen, Matsu, Dongsha and Orchid Island. Fixed the zoom viewer's window size on Mac, and the clipped edge on figure portraits.

The developer, Wei-lun Su, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

    The developer does not collect any data from this app.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More

    Seller
    • Wei-lun Su
    Size
    • 28.8 MB
    Category
    • Education
    Compatibility
    Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
    • iPhone
      Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
    • iPad
      Requires iPadOS 18.6 or later.
    • Mac
      Requires macOS 26.2 or later.
    • Apple Vision
      Requires visionOS 2.6 or later.
    Languages
    • English and Traditional Chinese
    Age Rating
    4+
    In-App Purchases
    Yes
    • Small Tip $0.99
    • Patron Tip $8.99
    • Supporter Tip $2.99
    Copyright
    • © 2026 Studio Aspen. All Rights Reserved