Abstract
In this paper we intend to explain the complex patterns of rural residential land ownership in Taiwan by analyzing its transition processes, and we hope this study will be useful for the improvement-planning of rural settlements in Taiwan. Therefore we put a general view upon the history of rural settlements, and analyze the historical changes of land ownership in a social, political and economic context. Two villages were chosen for investigation, these were founded by immigrants from Fu-Chien Province and Hakka people from Kwan-Tong Province of mainland China. Through this investigation, we understand the major factors of the complexity in the ownership of rural residential land and that there are some differences about the patterns of land division and residence extention between these two villages.
