From award-winning cat boxes to elegantly packaged noodles, there’s a wide range of unforgettable presents to bring home from your Taiwan adventure. There was a time when tourists to Taiwan viewed the nation as a microcosm of traditional Chinese culture. Gift shopping would mirror this thought process, and consequently, the tired traveler would return home…
As Taiwan grapples with demographic changes, experts and policymakers are turning to increased immigration to address worker shortages – a solution with recurrent historic precedent. Taiwan is set to become a super-aged society by 2025, meaning 20% or more of the population will be 65 years or older. This number could possibly reach 41% by…
Taiwan’s ubiquitous Lunar New Year-end parties have taken on new formats after the pandemic forced many events online. Will this be a new upgrade for the MICE industry? No occasion is as indicative of the health of Taiwan’s corporate events industry as the annual year-end party, or weiya (尾牙). The longstanding tradition, which has deep cultural…
The growing research field of Taiwan studies approaches Taiwan as an entity in its own right rather than a subset of scholarship on China. The increasing global focus on Taiwan is also reflected in the expansion of Taiwan studies, a relatively new field of academic research that frames how the world sees Taiwan. Taiwan studies…
This picturesque section of Taipei offers a variety of options for dining or snacking. PHOTOS AND TEXT BY JULES QUARTLY Caffe City North (小城外咖啡) 2F, No. 4 Minle St. Tel: (02) 2559-5560 Caffe City North is difficult to find, but a pleasure once you do. It has one entrance accessible through an eco-conscious fine-crafts store called Earthing…
Taiwan’s main claim to pizza fame is nontraditional toppings, but the island is home to some great artisanal pizzerias, too. Taiwan has fallen in love with pizza – not just with the fast-food staple from the major American pizza chains, but also artisanal and famously innovative versions of what is arguably one of the world’s…
Taiwan’s ubiquitous night markets are cleaning up their act, becoming more environmentally friendly, providing better entertainment options, and exploring new markets to accommodate the island’s changing demographics. It’s twilight and drizzling, and the backlit signs in the Tonghua Night Market flicker as they come to life. Vendors set up their stalls as a motorbike with…
Taiwan is uniquely placed to benefit from the application of information technology to agriculture, enabling it to help provide food for an expanding global population. After becoming a world leader in semiconductors and other electronic products, Taiwan is now looking to smart agriculture as its next vine to climb. The island aims to supply much…
Local companies are betting that e-scooters and the sharing economy represent the future of mobility. Imagine pedestrians walking down spacious sidewalks in Taipei, free of motorbikes. The only sounds heard are from their conversations, the whir of electric vehicles, and the chirping of birds. Cars and public transport are self-driving, but for the “last mile”…
Taiwan’s status as a just and equitable country has been burnished by its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the reasons Taiwan has done so well in halting the spread of COVID-19 is the nation’s relative wealth equality. Experts say this factor contributed to the establishment of a universal healthcare system and has led…
