Kaohsiung Elects Chen Chi-mai Chen Chi-mai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected mayor of Kaohsiung on August 15, defeating Jane Lee from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Wu Yi-jheng of the Taiwan People’s Party. The special election follows the recall in June of the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu. After losing to…
Taiwan’s Military Chief Dies in Accident Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming was among eight military officers killed January 2 when their helicopter made a crash-landing in mountainous terrain shortly after take-off from Taipei on the way to visits troops stationed in Yilan County in the island’s northeast. Shen, who was 62, assumed Taiwan’s…
Tsai, Han Announce Running Mates President Tsai Ing-wen, who is up for re-election in January, on November 17 announced that she had chosen former premier William Lai as her vice-presidential running mate on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket. Lai also previously served in Taiwan’s legislature from 1999 to 2010 and as Mayor of Tainan…
Bridge Collapse in Eastern Taiwan The Nanfang’ao Bridge, a suspension bridge in Yilan County on Taiwan’s northeast coast, collapsed on October 1, killing six Indonesian and Filipino migrant fisherman stationed aboard boats berthed under the bridge. The collapse – thought to be the result of corrosion of the suspension cables – also injured several other…
Terry Guo Leaves KMT, Will Not Run in 2020 Former Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou on September 12 resigned from his honorary position in the Kuomintang (KMT), citing the party’s “culture of reactionary politics and backroom horse-trading” as influencing his decision. His departure was criticized by many in the KMT, who argued that he broke the…
Mayor Ko Establishes new Political Party Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je announced in late July the founding of a new political party. Named the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), a reference to a party of the same name founded by Japanese colonial era democracy activist Chen Wei-shui in the 1920s, the TPP will present an alternative to…
EVA Air Strike Causes Heavy Losses The 17-day strike by EVA Air flight attendants that began on June 20 caused the airline nearly US$1 billion in losses. The strike caused some 1,400 flights to be canceled, affecting over 200,000 passengers. The strikers demanded higher wages, EVA agreement to a “no-free ride” policy that would exclude…
Some suggestions on where to go and the singers and bands you might hear. It’s a night full of surprises – the good kind. You managed to overcome your “worked-all-day, just finished-dinner” lethargy to head out into the night for a live band you’ve never seen before in a place you’ve never been. The venue…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A Westerner goes to see a psychiatrist at Tzu Chi Hospital. In reasonably fluent Mandarin, he says:“Doc, you’ve got to help me. Taiwan has become too vivid for me, too noisy. I swear I’m hearing trumpets and firecrackers even when there’s no festival at the temple next to…
Taiwan offers a wealth of options for helping to improve wellness and mindfulness. In many countries, religious and spiritual retreats have become a counterweight to the relentless march of progress and materialism. The trend is especially evident in Taiwan, which is known for being a beacon of religious freedom and one of the world’s centers…
