George Candidius

George Candidius (Chinese: 干治士; pinyin: Gān Zhìshì) (1597, Kirchardt, Palatinate – 30 April 1647, Batavia, Dutch East Indies), also recorded as Georgius Candidius, was a Dutch Reformed Church missionary to Dutch Formosa from 1627 to 1637. He was the first missionary to be stationed on the island. Sun-Moon Lake in central Taiwan was named Lake Candidius in his honour and is referred to thus in older English writings, although this name was not adopted by the local inhabitants and later fell into disuse.

Candidius studied at Leiden, Netherlands, from 1621–1623, when he was persuaded by Sebastiaen Dankaerts to minister overseas. Before arriving in Formosa in 1627 Candidius worked in Ternate, Moluccas. Having arrived in Taiwan he refused to live in the Dutch castle Zeelandia and settled in the native village of Sinckan (modern-day Xinshi) instead.

In 1632 he married Saartje Specx, Eurasian daughter of Governor-General Jacques Specx. Saartje had previously evoked a scandal in Batavia and Holland when she was discovered making love to a young soldier in the private quarters of Specx's predecessor, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, who was known for his harsh discipline. Narrowly escaping a death sentence, she was flogged and her lover beheaded.

After a year in residence in the region of Tayouan (present-day Tainan), Candidius commented regarding his missionary duties that:

"I have used great diligence to learn their language, and from the outset to instruct them in the Christian faith; and I have succeeded so far that a fortnight before Christmas of the year 1628 there were a hundred and twenty-eight persons who knew the prayers and were able to answer in the most satisfactory manner with regard to the principal articles of our Christian faith; but for certain reasons none of these have been baptized."

Candidius returned to the Netherlands in 1639 and went to Batavia in 1643, where he served as rector of the Latin school until his death.