The aim of this paper is to examine,through the lens of rhetorical analysis and critical discourse analysis(CDA),how cultural representation in grade-seven Chinese textbooks has influenced the formation of Taiwanese students’ identities.The data samples are from junior high school Chinese textbooks between the 1970 s and the early 2000 s.The current paper offers explicit cultural indicators in terms of proper names,proper places,and linguistic registers to examine the cultural issues under investigation.This paper employs a rhetorical analysis and CDA approach with emphases on discourse,ideology and power relation which helps us comprehend whose culture is represented or silenced.The empirical findings indicate that in the1970 s the texts were predominated with Chinese Nationalist rhetorical statements which directly constructed Taiwanese students’ Chinese Nationalist identity.The texts of the 1980 s emphasized the learning of classical Chinese moral lessons with the practice of filial piety,and integrity.Chinese identity was thereby constructed through contact with Chinese literature and moral persons.In the 1990 s,the texts significantly increased the Taiwanese local culture,thus promoting local Taiwanese identity.In the 2000 s,diversified cultures,including classical Chinese,Hakka,Hoklo,Western and the ethnic minorities in Taiwan,were presented.This result suggests that the texts of the 2000 s attempted to accelerate multicultural representation as well as global culture and identities. The aim of this paper is to examine, through the lens of rhetorical analysis and critical discourse analysis (CDA), how cultural representation in grade-seven Chinese textbooks has influenced the formation of Taiwanese students’ identities. The data samples are from junior high school Chinese textbooks between the 1970 s and the early 2000 s. The current paper offers explicit cultural indicators in terms of proper names, proper places, and linguistic registers to examine the cultural issues under investigation. This paper employs a rhetorical analysis and CDA approach with emphases on discourse, ideology and power relation which helps us comprehend whose culture is represented or silenced. The empirical analysis that indicate in the1970 s the texts were predominated with Chinese Nationalist rhetorical statements which directly constructed Taiwanese students’ Chinese Nationalist identity. the texts of the 1980 s emphasized the learning of classical Chinese moral lessons with the practice of filial piety, and integrity. Chinese identity was thus constructed through contact with Chinese literature and moral persons. the 1990 s, the texts significantly increased the Taiwanese local culture, yet promoting local Taiwanese identity. the 2000 s, diversified cultures, including classical Chinese , Hakka, Hoklo, Western and the ethnic minorities in Taiwan, were presented. This result suggests that the texts of the 2000 attempts to promote multicultural representation as well as global culture and identities.