How best to stand up to the authoritarian bully next door? For many young Taiwanese, the answer seems to be humor. Political satire, including spoof news YouTube channel EyeCTV, is rapidly gaining traction online. Their preferred targets: China and Taiwan’s uncertain international status. “Reporting from the Free Taiwan Area on the red bandits’ policies affecting…
Despite the prevalence of satellite data, traditional map-makers continue to tell remarkable stories with historical and contemporary images of Taiwan. In the age of smartphones, satellite data shows us the world in real-time to an accuracy of up to 30 centimeters per pixel with just the tap of an app. How can traditional maps, produced…
Travelers in Taiwan these days can expect to find a wide range of unique, modern places to stay. Type the name of any popular resort area or major city into a booking website and a huge list of options for lodging will appear. But if you have slightly unusual requirements – you need wheelchair access,…
A unique Taiwanese experience and spectacular showcase of the island’s temple culture, the annual Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage brings together longtime adherents and, more recently, young Taiwanese interested in local customs. Besides the religious significance, the event is also a major contributor to the central Taiwan economy. With its firecrackers, dancing troupes, and mascots costumed as…
With no end to the pandemic yet in sight, it may take years for the travel industry to fully recover. In the short term, the leisure market has the best prospects. As Taiwan faces a difficult coronavirus outbreak, imagining the future of travel in the country is a challenge. After all, besides containing the outbreak,…
Not known for being a particularly international city, Tainan has nonetheless been influenced by foreigners for hundreds of years. Contemporary visitors can still see and experience a number of their lasting contributions. It’s been almost 400 years since Dutch traders disembarked in present-day Tainan, kicking off a long history of foreign interaction and influence. In…
Taiwan has become a hub for music festivals, both big and small, over the past two decades. The passionate organizers – many of them foreigners – work hard to put on the best show possible despite the numerous risks and challenges. In April of 1995 two young American expats, Wade Davis and Jimi Moe, held…
Despite its gloomy reputation, Yunlin County – rich in culture and history – can provide a tranquil escape from the bustle of big city life. Photo credit: Steven Crook Situated just over 200 kilometers southwest of Taipei by freeway, Yunlin County suffers from a reputation for being flat, uninteresting, and insignificant. It has none of…
When you go, eat like the locals. Tuck into big portions, don’t waste time standing in line, and enjoy the freshest beef soup in Taiwan. Soft-shell turtle, freshly slaughtered beef scalded in broth, hearty portions, and sugar, sugar, sugar. That’s some of what you’ll encounter when dining in the southern city of Tainan, a prime…
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…
