Expanding in range of products and quality, Taiwan’s foreign meat-product manufacturers cater to comfort-food cravings while broadening local palates. If there’s one Taiwanese snack that loses its appeal quickly, it’s the sausage. While many long-term foreign residents initially develop an affinity for the juicy, chewy – or often gristly – texture and the sweet, rice…
Fires and ghost stories haven’t prevented the proliferation of Southeast Asian restaurants surrounding a historic shopping center from creating a novel blend of cultures and cuisines. When a fire broke out on Chenggong Road in Taichung’s Central District in mid-November, it brought back vivid memories of a mid-1990s spate of blazes that destroyed property in…
With major Taiwanese companies having received criticism for environmental and labor rights violations abroad, some analysts see signs of improvement, while others call for a more hands-on approach. On October 31, a group assembled at an industrial plant in Point Comfort, Texas, to protest an ongoing horror story. Led by activist Diane Wilson, representatives of…
With a solid manufacturing base already established, analysts see Vietnam as the ideal partner for transferring tech and innovation know-how. Taiwanese entrepreneurs had been exploring opportunities in Vietnam long before discussions about a “China Plus One” strategy of minimizing supply chain dependency on China by diversifying sourcing emerged among Western companies. By 2013, Taiwanese investment…
Once synonymous with industrial pollution, New Taipei City undergoes a design-led transformation as it hosts the Taiwan Design Expo ’23, reflecting the city’s efforts to build a vibrant urban environment. Design is not the first thing most people would associate with New Taipei City. Some of the districts in this special municipality, which was formed…
Twenty years ago, live stand-up comedy was a rarity in Taiwan. Now, thanks to the efforts of a committed core of performers, things have taken off – though not necessarily in a direction everyone had anticipated. When I met Brian Tseng more than five years ago at a comedy event in Taipei, he was a…
The government, together with large corporations, has launched initiatives to help small and medium-sized enterprises address the challenges of digital transformation, stringent ESG requirements, and intergenerational management systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent 99% of all enterprises in Taiwan, have been cited as a linchpin to the country’s rapid post-war development. Yet SMEs…
In a system that relies on “self-regulation,” Taiwan banks are hesitant to lend their services to foreign nationals. What’s in a name? When it comes to banking in Taiwan, quite a lot – especially if you’re a foreigner. For Anthony van Dyck, a long-term Canadian resident of Taiwan, an unwieldy name has proved a perennial…
Huaxin Street, also known as “Little Burma,” is home to a diverse group of Burmese Chinese restaurant owners, each with a fascinating backstory. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES BARON On most afternoons, Henry Wong and friends sit outside A-Mui’s Noodle Shop (阿妹緬甸小吃, 41 Huaxin St.) in Little Burma, sipping tea from yellow cups. On cooler…
The invasion of Ukraine, a global supplier of noble gases needed for semiconductor production, has raised concerns about supply chain disruptions. The impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on supply chains is hitting European countries the hardest, threatening to bring a winter of shortages and high energy prices. But the rest of the world…
