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During the Chinese New Year, Taipei becomes a hub of activity, with locals flocking to markets for traditional shopping sprees, notably at Nanmen Market. As the Year of the Dragon approaches, Nanmen Market emerges as a focal point for those seeking the festive fervor of niánhuò, offering an array of dried snacks, decorative couplets, and other auspicious items.
With the approach of the 2024 Lunar New Year, Commonwealth summarizes some taboos and New Year blessings that play a crucial role in the festival's observance. These traditional beliefs and practices ensure good luck, prosperity, and the avoidance of misfortune.
Taiwan welcomes the end of the year and ushers in a delightful array of sweet and savory rice cakes, integral to the Lunar New Year's celebrations. These dishes are not just treats to the palate; they are laden with hopes of prosperity and abundance for the year ahead.
In an era where traditional art forms are rapidly vanishing, Taiwanese glove puppetry stands as a vibrant testament to cultural resilience and evolution. At the forefront of this cultural preservation is Robin Ruizendaal, a Dutch scholar and puppetry enthusiast whose passion for Taiwanese puppetry extends beyond mere appreciation to active preservation and innovation.
Lunar New Year's Eve in Taiwan, where families gather to prepare a feast symbolizing luck, wealth, and prosperity. Key dishes include fish, representing surplus and luck; sycee-shaped dumplings for wealth; rice cakes for rising fortunes; and the central hot pot symbolizing family reunion.
This article explores Taipei's autumn barbecue tradition, tracing its origins and introducing three distinct barbecue styles: Mongolian, Japanese, and Korean. What are the tips for a DIY Taiwanese barbecue?
Why does Taipei seem to be stuck in the 1950s? Compared to Hong Kong or Shanghai, Taipei is "not modern at all", but behind it lies the secret of Taiwan's competitiveness.
How much is the right amount to give in a “red envelope” for New Year’s in Taiwan? What taboos and pitfalls are there to look out for? CommonWealth has a comprehensive guide for you.
Yuan Yung-cheng set a milestone as the first home-grown Taiwanese to become a pro soccer player in Europe when he signed with a Spanish club in 2021. What was behind this unprecedented feat and can Yuan overcome the challenges he still faces?
The sound of firecrackers, the smell of incense, and the sight of the vibrant embroidered banners are one of the most fascinating aspects of these processions are the Ba Jia Jiang (八家將, Eight Generals) in Taiwanese temple procession. But what are the history and traditions behind?
Cui Jian’s latest album “A Flying Dog” won a 2022 Golden Melody Award, an indication that China’s aging rock ‘n’ roll pioneer still has it. In an exclusive interview with CommonWealth Magazine from Beijing, he shares what has kept him going so long.
With the rise of digital technology and music streaming platforms, it’s difficult for people nowadays to imagine using a hand-cranked gramophone to play vinyl records. Nevertheless, Friedman Wang (王信凱), founder and director of the Classical Palace Society (古殿樂藏) near MRT Mingde Station (捷運明德站), has devoted his entire life to the promotion and transcription of vinyl records here in Taipei.
Alex Houghton is an Aussie photographer / graphic designer who has called Taiwan his home for 19 years. He shared his thoughts on the visual diversity that Taiwan has to offer.
Over the past three months, Taiwan has been in a partial lockdown. For producer Derrick Sepnio, the pandemic provided an opportunity for one of the most productive periods of his career. How will he continue to challenge the limits within the framework of Mandopop in the future?
For much of hip-hop’s three-plus decades of history in Taiwan, rappers have worked tirelessly to convince music industry gatekeepers that their craft is both artistically valuable and commercially viable. It hasn’t always been easy.
When you know you are ready but the world you are in is not ready for you, don’t stay there forever hoping things will change, waiting to be picked. Pick yourself!
Her meteoric rise to the top of world rankings at 22 was matched only by her spectacular fall back outside the top 100. Having spiraled into the depths of depression, she eventually managed to regain her grounding.
Racial discrimination in Taiwan had left Yosifu Kacaw with an inferiority complex and little interest in his indigenous heritage. But while carving out a living as a house painter in Britain, he discovered his talent and passion for painting, reconnecting to his indigenous roots through art.
Matt Leisy, who stars as Raoul in the international tour of The Phantom of the Opera, talks in an exclusive interview for CommonWealth Magazine about how he felt both fortunate and anxious to be touring in Asia in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This ancient temple and the pure land located at Kinmen’s highest point has, from humble origins, survived and thrived through hardships and turmoil over the long years, through the Southern Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. During this period it underwent many repairs and expansions. Though the structure’s external appearance and surroundings have seen myriad changes, what has never changed is its irreplaceable lofty status in the hearts of Kinmen’s people.
Seek no further as you enter the Yong-Xiu Temple.Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, it is surprisingly and conveniently located at the heart and center of one of Hsinchu’s busy districts. Under the guardianship of abbess Master Kuan Chien, it has become an educational space blending the extracts of art and Buddhism.It is a place of comfort for many people, offering tea, floral banquets, and melodic sounds drifting from the piano.
Not content for the indigenous experience to be a superficial whirlwind, this Bunun Tribe settlement in Hualian’s Fengbin Township opted for an immersive experience instead of pandering to the mass market, attracting indigenous visitors from as far afield as Maori from New Zealand.
Hidden in the mountains in northeastern Taiwan are the remnants of some of the earliest trade routes connecting the Taipei basin with Yilan County. The system of trails showcases diverse landscapes, a sense of adventure and distinct glimpses at the past, and the chance to enjoy the charming town of Shuangxi on the way home.
After some experiences where the “soup” has poured out down my shirt or onto the table (so elegant) I’ve learned how to eat these like an expert and I was looking forward to further refining my technique.
We’re off on a mini-tour through the twin season, and we’ve specially invited two VIP guests, Keoni Everington and Queenie Li, to serve as cultural co-navigators. This tour has two themes. The first presents key cultural adventures; the second is cross-cultural comparison
How do you shoot that which you cannot see? Capturing images of the elusive Formosan black bear is tougher than filming the polar bears you see on Animal Planet.
“Nina Wu” is a Taiwanese psychological thriller directed by Midi Z (趙德胤). It is written by Wu Ke-xi (吳可熙), who also stars in the leading role. When it premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, noted Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino was not only in attendance, but praised it as “Thrilling, you have to see it twice!” What is the movie about?
Let’s take a themed grand tour of Taipei using all five senses to the fullest — hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste — with your host for the day, the publisher of the acclaimed magazine The Big Issue Taiwan Fines Lee.
Netflix’s first original Mandarin series, Nowhere Man, is now available for streaming. And now attention turns to Taiwan as Taiwan stands poised to become one of the world’s top-20 countries for original TV series.
Sinhua Old Street in Tainan is set to become the hub of the revitalized Sinhua District. Two architectural styles dominate the streets: Baroque and modernist. The contrast is uniquely refreshing. But how will this old town survive the modern era when its glory days are past?
Are you still waiting for “the one”? Perhaps Yue Lao and Guanyin have already matched you with someone in The Book of Marriage, and are merely waiting for you to declare your love in front of them.
Keelung Port, whose history dates back to the 17th century, has always played a crucial role as Keelung City’s lifeline. While in the past the port thrived on handling and transferring cargo, it has now traded that business for the tourist trade. Today, elegant cruise ships towering over the pier like office high-rises count among Keelung’s most striking sights.
Paper creations often seen at Taiwanese funerals carry blessings for the dead, but the taboos associated with them can keep people away. Why have these traditional crafts appeared twice in recent years in museums in Paris and led French visitors to marvel at how “romantic” they are?
Ciwang Teyra is a woman from Taiwan's Truku Tribal Nation. She is also a PhD candidate in Social Welfare at the University of Washington. She has been involved in indigenous social movements and the fight for indigenous human rights in Taiwan for several years.
Chinese settlers originally came from the closest mainland province of Fujian and brought with them the Fujian Hokkien dialect which became the language now called Taiwanese, spoken by about 70%. They also brought their traditional forms of puppetry.
@hungryintaipei, aka Joan H., is a food blogger currently based in Taipei by way of Los Angeles. She started her blog, A Hungry Girl’s Guide to Taipei, since 2005, and covers various restaurants, stalls, or cafes in Taipei, hoping to bring out the best in the city.
The streets of Taiwan are filled with brightly colored signs and haphazardly arranged structures finished in corrugated aluminum. Is this objectively ugly? Or can it be seen as “Taiwanese lifestyle aesthetics”?
Artist Yosifu Kacaw, a member of Taiwan’s indigenous Amis people, brings the vibrant colors of his hometown on Taiwan’s picturesque east coast to an international audience.
Surf’s up! On the coast of Taitung, the surf breaks range in difficulty from beginner to high-intermediate. In recent years, surfers around the world have made their way here, especially those from Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong.
Of all the other issues that indigenous peoples in Taiwan have been facing, young people’s absence in indigenous communities is among the most crucial ones, and some within the communities have been looking for ways to make the younger generations stay.
Falling on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, Dragon Boat Festival is a holiday that involves racing Dragon Boats, eating zongzi and more.
Hidden within an alley and surrounded by vendors, Dongtai Cloth Shoes Shop (東台布鞋莊) has seen seven decades go by since its establishment. Though the storefront is just big enough for one person to go through at a time, it keep providing customers with comfortable cloth shoes which is not commonly seen nowadays.
Thanks to a new Netflix series called Street Food, Taiwan made the first season. The show’s creators make a bold choice by skipping the usual Taiwanese culinary tropes of night markets, dumplings and beef noodle soup, choosing instead to focus on the culinary traditions of lesser-known city of Chiayi.
“Papercraft has been by my side through many important moments in my life. I can even make a chronicle of life with papercraft works. It is always there for me, giving me the ingredients to survive and memories to cherish. It pushes me forward.”
Did you know that Taiwanese high school students had to wear uniforms during Japanese colonial rule? The design of these school uniforms changed over time to reflect current social and political trends. Let’s take a look at some typical school uniforms of that period.
Originally a birthday party for Baosheng Emperor, the god of medicine, the festivities have grown into a two month-long celebration of Taiwan’s history and culture.
A group of young Taiwanese unfamiliar with war fashioned a board game that recreates war-torn Taiwan 72 years ago to plug a gap in Taiwan’s collective wartime memory. Why has this board game found success in a relatively crowded market?
Some traditional Taiwanese breakfast items have western counterparts, while others will be familiar to anyone who’s traveled in China, Japan or Korea. But a few items are definitely uniquely Taiwanese.
The Forestry Bureau used to commission its annual calendar as a promotional give-away to non-government organizations, schools and government institutions. But during the past two years, the calendars suddenly became so sought-after that even urgently ordered reprints were immediately sold out. Few would have guessed that a civil servant was the mastermind behind this successful publicity campaign.
Yizhuo L. is always being suspected by her Dutch in-laws of trying to turn their only grandson Taiwanese, or being hounded by her own parents to make sure the heritage of traditional Chinese culture is not lost in her son. She teaches Chinese to foreign students and embraces sinology while bring bombarded by cultural differences. Right now, her greatest challenge is nurturing her cross-cultural marriage.
Who would have thought that three Taiwanese people would be instrumental to the establishment and growth of Japan’s number one red light district? Not only is this true, but it points to the considerable role certain Taiwanese quietly played in Japan’s overall post-war history.
To use a baseball analogy, if the first six days of Chinese New Year are the playoffs, then the Lantern Festival is kind of like the World Series. Only way more colorful.
Danzi noodles and miso soup, Formosa Plastics Steak and moon shrimp cake, Chiang Kai-shek and his Chinese chefs...Taiwanese cuisine goes a long way to answer some basic questions: who are we? Where are we from? What is us?
The Taiwanese people began spending their vacations abroad after 1979. 470,000 people vacationed abroad during that first year. By 1988, the number was over a million, and it kept on climbing. In 2017, on average every Taiwanese visited another Asia-Pacific country—mainly Japan—more than once that year...
When Dadaocheng was at its lowest point, the Sedai Group moved to renovate and reinvigorate an area long steeped in tradition. Today, old stores are embracing a new entrepreneurial spirit and reinventing themselves with cultural and creative flair.
“Taiwan has a strong reading culture, and Taiwanese readers have tremendous intellectual curiosity about and interest in articles and publications from Germany. This is an ideal basis for our partnership and the reason why we have been working with the Taipei International Book Exhibition for years."
If you’re in Taiwan over the Chinese New Year Holiday, congratulations: You couldn’t have picked a more festive time of the year for your visit. And if you find yourself invited into a local home over the holidays, 雙贏! (Shuangying, or double win) because you’re about to experience Taiwanese culture from an insider’s perspective to which few casual visitors are ever privy.
“We don’t have any form of writing at Iwan. This is our true text, a living one, ” says an elderly woman as she prepared food for an Amis festival in Iwan in Taitung county.
How have more than 400 students from 46 countries around the globe come to study in Pingtung? What makes the Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation so special?
Selected by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Best Movies of All Time, the digitally-restored version of the Chinese cinema classic “Farewell My Concubine” is playing in theaters to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its 1993 release.
Have you ever tasted bread with straw mushrooms, crown daisy, bamboo shoots, or water spinach? Wang Peng-chieh, who earlier this year earned the title World Master Baker with the sculpted statue of a general from Taiwanese folk religion, wows bread lovers with authentic Taiwanese ingredients and seasonings.
When a group of TEDx ambassadors visited Taiwan recently, they said it was Taiwan’s cultural freedom and diversity rather than the usual night market delicacies that proved to be the biggest draws. What did they see that left the deepest impression on them?
Xiao long bao, or little dragon dumplings, generally top anyone’s must-try in Taiwan food list. Though there are many places to get great soup dumplings around Taiwan, Taiwan Scene listed ten of the best.
At 24, Jeffery Lin returned to his hometown of Sanxia in New Taipei City to save his grandfather’s soap factory from going under. Together with a few friends, Lin established a new soap brand that generated sales worth NT$50 million in four years. Despite his commercial success and a bright future, Lin decided to call it quits and test uncharted waters. With borrowed money, he launched a community-based social enterprise.
The Chinese character “wu”, written in different calligraphy styles from an ancient, formal seal script to a rounded and smooth cursive script, has been freed from the confines of paper to come alive on fashion apparel, moving with light and space. Taiwanese calligrapher Tong Yang-tzu, well known for breaking into the realm of modern art with her unruly, playful approach to traditional East Asian calligraphy, has co-curated another exhibition exploring a crossover between modern calligraphy art and fashion design.
He sees himself not only as the director of the documentary "Plastic China", but a social worker who takes action: discover the problem, present the problem, resolve the problem.
“If one day a foreigner comes to tour Dadaocheng, and when you ask him ‘What brought you to Taiwan,’ he tells you: ‘Well, I came because I saw A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities’, then all my efforts were worth it. It would mean much more to me than winning a Golden Bell Award!”
With traditional culture kept alive along the county’s coastline and in the mountains, four distinct seasons and a wealth of seasonal flowers and fruit, Miaoli has all it takes for developing slow tourism.
With an architecture scene of the past that stresses practicality over beauty, Taipei has been dubbed by travel guides as "the ugly duckling of Asia.” Yet does that describe the future outlook? With more eco-friendly buildings, more public art spaces, and more innovative integration of form and function, Taiwan is now proving that its realm of architectural beauty covers more than just Qing-dynasty temples and Japanese Colonial-era buildings.
Is Crazy Rich Asians just a romantic comedy about people with inherited wealth? Why are people shedding tears in the theater? The steady rise in educational levels and career achievements of Asian immigrants and their children, together with depictions in television and movie dramas, are drawing more attention to the situations of ethnic Asians in U.S. society.
Red meat production is a major contributor to global warming because of the methane emitted by cattle and sheep. Which countries eat the most meat? This chart tells you the top meat-loving countries in the world.
Would you be ready to spend NT$8,000 – NT$10,000 per day immersing yourself in the everyday life of an indigenous village in Taiwan? “Never has a tourist tried to haggle over the price. Since they feel it’s worth it, they don’t think of cutting prices,” notes American travel writer and tour guide Cheryl Robbins, who takes visitors on tailor-made tours to the island’s indigenous communities.
Wondering where to go during the hot summer months? Consider visiting one of Taiwan’s growing regions to experience the sweet fun of fruit picking. This season, delight your tastebuds with plump and chewy lychee, the bright red meat of dragon fruit, plump orange mangoes, and sweet, juicy watermelon while enriching your love of travel.
According to the latest research from Bloomberg, Generation Z will outnumber Millenials for the very first time by next year. Gen. Z, born and raised in the digital age, has no experience in pre-digital life. The rise of Gen. Z might shift business paradigms for companies that want to engage with this new demographic.
A tradition in both Daoism and Buddhism, Ghost Month is celebrated during the seventh lunar month in Taiwan, generally falling in August and September. In this article, we’ll be talking about the traditions, taboos and individual festivals associated with Ghost Month in Taiwan.
Why are there rumors that Taipei Guest House is haunted? How could eunuchs become door gods? Anything you’re curious about doors and windows, find your answers at Dadaocheng this year.
Chishang is a rural township of around 10,000 people located in southeastern Taiwan’s Taitung County. Although small, the town attracts a significant number of tourists year-round, and with good reason.
Shifting trends in global travel, along with the impact of the transformations of Taiwanese industry and manpower, have placed unprecedented challenges before tourism in Taiwan. In response, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has taken up the mission to consolidate central government and local resources and create new immersive experiences through smart travel.
At a recent European Travel Fair, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s branch in Germany collected several questions about Taiwan from German Travelers. So we asked unseren guten Freund (our good friend) Klaus Bardenhagen, AKA The Taiwan Reporter to pick out a dozen of them to answer in his own mother tongue. So put on some Kraftwerk, crack open a Weißbier and some Erdnussflips , and please enjoy 12 Facts German Travelers Want To Know About Taiwan.
The city of Hsinchu has much more to offer than traditional cuisine and microchips. Over time, the forefathers who settled in the area around the Long-en Weir on the Touqian River some 300 years ago built a unique history and culture. Their descendants continue to innovate and improve their environment. Let’s take a look at the city’s past, present and future as presented at the recently concluded Hsinchu 300 Expo, which marked the city’s 300th anniversary.
As health-consciousness and animal welfare awareness are rising, vegetarian buffets are enjoying a boom in Taiwan. Exploring the food, this Fulbright scholar emphatically argues that Taiwan is the best place in the world for vegetarian food.
Today, 75% of the world’s plant food is made up of only 12 species. This dramatic impact on the world’s agro-biodiversity is accompanied by accelerating environmental degradation, the loss of diverse cultural understandings and appreciation of food, and an increasingly bland globalized menu – one that isn’t even very healthy. Luckily, diverse culture and food have an ancient and fascinating history in Taiwan.
The members of Taiwan foreign community are increasingly engaged in society, willing to slog hard, always appreciative of the opportunities for which they had to fight. Over the years, they have also contributed to an increasingly cosmopolite society that welcomes and values the input from minorities at all levels of governance.
A time lapse video clip called A Taste of Taiwan has recently created a buzz on the Internet. Behind the production is Danish photographer Henrik Matzen. The video celebrates Taiwan’s scenic beauty but is also meant as Matzen’s personal thank you to the island and its people. What made Matzen spend three months shooting this video, paying out of his own pocket?
When 94-year-old Chung Chao-cheng walked into the living room, the visitors did their best to stay quiet as to cover up the exhilaration in their hearts. On this day, Chung would be talking about his home, Longtan—the land which never leaves his thought.
Taiwanese singers Nana Lee Chien-na and Judy Zhou Ding-wei, who both became famous through the Taiwanese “One Million Star” talent contest TV show, play the lead roles in a new pop version of the original Chinese-language musical Mulan. With their powerful vocals, the pair brings to life a version of Mulan that casts the legendary devoted daughter in a somewhat different light. Playwright Tsai Pao-chang, director of the modern theater troupe Tainaner Ensemble, and composer Owen Wang, founder of theater company Studio M, add moments of laughs and tears, stemming from contemporary gender role issues.
With Taiwan’s EasyCard, a stored value or prepaid card, you can just leave your wallet at home. Cashless payments with EasyCard make life so much more convenient, covering all your daily needs – food and beverages, transportation, shopping, leisure and entertainment. Just swipe your EasyCard when shopping for groceries at Shidong Market in Taipei’s Tianmu neighborhood, or when making a donation at Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township. Do you need tickets to the National Palace Museum or a tourism factory and want to take public transport or a taxi to get there? All it takes is EasyCard.
Almost one in ten players in the World Cup were born outside of their country. There are 1,032 players involved in the tournament. Of those, 98 were born beyond the borders of the country they are representing.
Fifty minutes away from the island of Taiwan by air, Kinmen has an incredibly rich history, culture and natural environment. Once a Cold War battleground, the island county stands out for its protected historical sites, traditional Minnan houses, and birdwatching opportunities.
Summer is in full force here in Taiwan, bringing with it sunshine, humidity and the occasional typhoon. While there are plenty of activities in Taiwan for those looking to embrace the summer heat , and plenty more for those looking to avoid it , river tracing is one of the few that kind of lets you do both at the same time.
Recent years have seen the Port of Kaohsiung, long a source of local pride, blossom with numerous new sites and attractions in the district, including Pier-2, the Hamasen Railway Cultural Park, and Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (KW2). The area is easily accessible and enjoyed via bikeways, the MRT, the light rail, and the newly christened KW2 Ferry Terminal, bringing the century-old port district into the new century.
In the mid-19th century, Taiwan had three major exports: tea leaves, camphor laurel, and sugar cane. Tea leaves and camphor laurel were mainly cultivated along the Taiwan Romantic Route 3. The Chiang A-Shing Tea House in Beipu Township, Hsinchu, the Formosa Tea Industry and Culture Gallery in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu, and many other well-preserved former tea factories remain as a reminder from those glorious years.
There are many ways to create a livable city; why start with design? What did Taitung, not exactly an affluent county, do to make design prowess the shared goal of all its local government departments? What do the people of Taitung get out of all this? A dialogue on the topic of “Design Entering Municipal Government Offices” between Han Wu, guest editor-in-chief of Future City@CommonWealth, Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang, and Taiwan Design Center Chairman Chang Chi-yi gives us a glimpse of how change in the public sector also transforms the everyday life of Taitung County residents.
Tons of people are using the popular crowdsourced Q&A website Quora to ask questions about Taiwan. Since many of these questions concern travel in Taiwan, we’ve recently taken to Quora to offer tips & suggestions for first time visitors and the merely Taiwan curious.
From a track to a national greenway, the Reknus Selu Trail of the Taiwan Romantic Route 3 is an ancient path full of Taiwan’s treasures. There are legend and heritage on these whirling axles spreading more than 400 kilometers. Tea leaves and camphor laurel cultivated on this path interlinked Taiwan and the world in 19th century. The Taiwan Romantic Route 3, a way leading Hakka people home, highlights the underestimated romance of Taiwan.
Here, you cover scenery as you cover ground on the race course. From sparkling coastal courses, to a stunning route wending through a marble gorge, and a marathon that feels like a banquet on foot; Taiwan hosts an incredible variety of races like nowhere else in the world.
Asia has emerged as a fierce tourism battleground. How should Taiwan's tourism sector be improved and upgraded so that Taiwan can be better appreciated by its people and stand out in the world?
Participating in the annual boat races is a unique chance to connect with local cultures for most foreigners. It is also an opportunity to build social connections and successful team dynamics that enhance your fighting spirit.
From sweet rice ball soup, zongzi, to sticky oil rice for celebrating a baby's first month, glutinous rice is milled into the most familiar and nostalgic flavors for Taiwanese. It is frequently a component of festivals throughout the year and at various stages of people’s lives.
Notes from a Small Island meets Eat Pray Love on the Tropic of Cancer, Formosa Moon is a dual-voiced cultural exploration around Taiwan undertaken by Joshua Samuel Brown (a long-time resident and author of three other books on Taiwan) and Stephanie Huffman (a first-time visitor who’s reluctantly agreed to relocate sight unseen), a sneak excerpt of which to kick off our featured #Taiwander submission series.
This article is a reader’s contribution to Crossing. It explores the environmental pollution caused by the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, one of Taiwan’s most famous tourist attractions. What can be done to create a win-win situation for the environment and the tourism industry?
Named by the Discovery Channel as one of the top three religious festivals in the world, the Dajia Mazu holy pilgrimage attracts large numbers of people of Chinese descent from abroad and foreign travelers alike. What makes the Mazu pilgrimage so special and fascinating that participants keep walking, determined to never look back, even when they have painful blisters on their feet?
Thanks to the dedication of Henrik Matzen and Jonas Hoholt, a breathtaking video was made, revealing the vibrancy of the island that put both travelers and locals in awe.
Taiwan has thousands of temples, ranging from large multi-story buildings bearing multiple shrines and countless deities to small single-shrine structures barely big enough to fit a single god. Taiwanese temples can be dedicated to Taoist, Buddhist or Confucian beliefs, and often times multiple faiths (and deities) coexist peacefully under one roof.
Prawn fishing is a popular pastime among distraction-hungry urbanites in Taiwan. Have you ever wondered how prawn fishing evolved into a leisure activity?
Everyday experiences like shopping for materials at Yongle Market or listening to the rush of motorcycles on nearby streets provide vital creative energy for emerging Taiwanese fashion designer Angus Chiang. This attuned sensitivity to Taiwan’s distinctive everyday culture has helped Chiang make inroads into the fussy European fashion market.
Joshua Samuel Brown, co-author of twelve Lonely Planet guides, started his "long and slow" Tai Chi journey, not just to delve deeper into the mysteries of Chinese culture, but also because he doesn't want his Tai Chi classmates think he's a quitter.
Former Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai went to the United States to study when she was 23. She stayed there for nine years and subsequently lived in Europe for another 13 years. Back in Taiwan, Lung served as head of Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and then joined the Cabinet as Minister of Cultural Affairs. Between her government posts, Lung taught at universities in Hong Kong for a total of nine years. During more than three decades abroad, her parents back in Taiwan were always at the back of her mind.
When was the last time you gave yourself a timeout in this bustling city? This May, join us for some film-watching along the scenic riverbanks at Tamsui River Film Festival.
What's your #Taiwander story? Share it with us, let us broadcast it to the world through CommonWealth Magazine and then find yourself on an exciting MyTaiwanTour this year!
For many overseas visitors to Taiwan, Tainan is not at the top of their list of destinations. But in this commentary, travel agency owner Yu Chih-wei explains why his experience in promoting Tainan has given him hope for Taiwan’s tourism sector.
What's your #Taiwander story? Share it with us, let us broadcast it to the world, then find yourself on an exciting MyTaiwanTour this year! Where would you like to go with MyTaiwanTour? Here are some best travel recommendations for 2018 from their guides.
Ever wondered why spring rolls are called “spring” rolls? Run bings (潤餅), or steamed springs rolls, hold a special place in the hearts of many Southern Taiwanese, especially when tomb sweeping day is around the corner.
Haven't visited Ximen and Beimen last weekend? This weekend might be your last chance to catch a glimpse of the beauty of the city lit up with lanterns! Had a visit already? Then check out the list of top attractions and surprises to see if you have missed out any.
Stephen Turban is a recent graduate of Harvard College and an alumnus of Jianguo Municipal High school. Here he shares his personal attempt in becoming an internet celebrity in China and Taiwan and his observation on the two’s social media landscapes. (Part 2)
Kaohsiung Main Public Library is beautiful during the day and charming at night. Its structure composes of unique design and emphasis on humanities, radiating a vibe that is playful and serious at the same time.
There are only two overwintering butterfly valleys in the world, one is in New Mexico, U.S.A. and the other one is in Maolin. Each year during autumn and winter seasons, millions of butterflies migrate to warm areas to cope with the cold.
Stephen Turban is a recent graduate of Harvard College and an alumnus of Jianguo Municipal High school. Here he shares his personal attempt in becoming an internet celebrity in China and Taiwan and his observation on the two’s social media landscapes. (Part 1)
Still wondering where to go for the coming holiday season? Fly a lantern to send your blessings, ask some friends to join you 'around the round table,' then drink yoursleves merry to welcome the new lunar year!
In Taitung’s Chishang Township, the Granary Art Museum, ISwell Cultural Boutique, and Bike De Koffie, which makes bagels from local rice, introduce new local aesthetics.
The New Gangshan Hilltop Observation Deck (崗山之眼) was built as a sky cloister under a budget over NT$100 million. What is innovative about the observation deck is that it exhibits the beautiful landscape of Gangshan through the symbol of music, which conveys an image of melodic harmony.
Other than the “little eats” snack food for which Tainan is renowned throughout Taiwan and beyond, in generations past the private banquet food served in the homes of the area’s wealthy represented the pinnacle of fine cuisine. Now this ‘rich man’s fare’ is making a comeback.
This exclusive interview with All the Money in the World director Ridley Scott, actor Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer and Mark Wahlberg brings a first hand look behind the scenes and into its famous 'reshoot'. How did Scott and others manage to replace protagonist Kevin Spacey and reshoot the scenes in nine days?
Kungadavane Tribe is the final stop of the Maolin Scenic Area and also the very origin of local culture. Enter the tribe of Kungadavane and indulge yourself in the well-crafted stone houses, stone BBQ and rice cooked in bamboo tubes. The diverse characteristics of indigenous local life are great experience of five senses for visitors.
“Daxi is a living old street. Here foreign visitors can experience local life. It is like a living museum,” says Mu-Chin Lee, a travel expert who assists the Taiwan Tourism Bureau with showing foreign visitors around Taiwan.
Is time socially constructed? If so, why do we make new year resolutions? Having said goodbye to the bumpy year of 2017, how should we keep making progress?
With the Taoyuan Airport MRT and city bike rental service (YouBike) combined, it is easy, leisurely and economic to visit great travel spots in Taoyuan. The old town area of Zhougli is one of those spots that you shouldn’t miss. It is rich of local history and culture. Moreover, the night market and food are astonishing.
Do you consider yourself as an artistic, trendy hipster? Or are you just a normal person who occasionally enjoy culture and art? Either way, Pier-2 Art Center in Yancheng, Kaohsiung is an excellent place for you to spend a weekend.
Samuel Galler is a Harvard graduate and DPhil candidate in International Development at Oxford University. He shared with CommonWealth his experience in Taiwan and the importance of establishing understanding and trust in today’s unstable world.
Heading towards the unknown can be challenging but also rewarding. The high and exciting Kungadavane suspension bridge is one of these kinds of challenges. This extremely beautiful bridge is located in Maolin, Kaohsiung, attracting adventurous travelers with magnificent scenery and remarkable experience.
KUBIC, a cultural and creative market in Kaohsiung captures the eyes of both the city's visitors and residents. It is built by containers and will definitely challenge your imagination and concept of architecture.
"Nostalgia looms large to be a Channel. Here am I, and yonder my Continent!” Once a poet that had strummed the strings of all nostalgic hearts, Yu Guangzhong (余光中) conveyed one message through all his writings: “The beauty of Chinese culture should be passed down through words."
"Long live to you" is what the director of the movie The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful said to the corrupt officials he based his characters on.
The accomplished indigenous musician expands on the inspiration behind his music, as well as how nature and culture have both helped him deal with the challenges in his life.
She has danced herself from Yilan to New York, from stage to screen, conquering large theaters around the world for 30 years. For this 46-year-old dancer, what has driven her to never stop improving? What sort of satisfaction and joy did she gain from the journey? Meet Fang-Yi Sheu, a woman still dancing her way up to achieving her dreams.
Taiwan's first Michelin Chef André Chiang has just officially announced the closure date of Restaurant ANDRE after 8 years of legacy. He expressed his enthusiasm and caring about passing down his experience and knowledge to young talents and cultivating a better food culture for Taiwan in the future.
Under the bright sunny day, a group of sweaty people are wearing gloves and protective clothing in a large pineapple field, and hurriedly harvesting pineapples. The edge of pineapple leaves is very sharp which one hand has to hold the bottom while the other bend it down with great strength. However, these group of people aren’t farmers at all, they are tourists coming from Japan.
Laura Russell is a writer and recipe developer based in Portland, Oregon. She is also a regular panelist on the award-winning podcast, The Four Top. Here she shares her experience and journey with the interesting factor in Taiwanese cuisines: "Q".
The female farmers group “Land Dyke” has established a new model of communal living and farming, using environmentally friendly farming methods, while also engaging in exchanges with local farms to share good food and good ideas with a greater audience.
A first in Taiwan, the curriculum in elementary schools in Tainan, one of the island’s major agricultural regions, includes “food education”. By growing their own food, students gain greater self-confidence and develop a stronger bond to the land.
In Mandarin, “flavor” is pronounced “way,” so we’ve decided to call authentic Taiwanese flavors the “Taiwan Way.” Up to now, it has defied definition but efforts are afoot to give it a clear identity and have it resonate around the world.
Veterinarian Kung Chien-chia witnessed the problems of Taiwan’s dairy industry first-hand on his daily visits to rural dairy farms. Realizing that the farmers are at the mercy of the island’s three major milk brands, Kung decided to rewrite the rules of milk distribution.
From buying Hollywood talent and acquiring movie theater chains around the world to protecting its home market, China is intent on becoming a powerhouse in the global film and video industry and setting the agenda on video content.
Chef André from Restaurant ANDRÉ, one of the 50 best restaurants in the world, chef Daniel Humm and manager Will Guidara from the Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park have an astounding cooking trio together, creating one of the most sensational dining experience ever.
Long recognized on the music scene as an exceptional talent, two-time Golden Melody Awards nominee for Best Female Singer Jia Jia tells how she learned to believe in herself…
A milkfish farm in Kaohsiung has found success with ecological aquaculture, using mostly all-natural feed. Its experience has raised hopes that eco-friendly fish farming can maintain supplies while allowing our exhausted seas to catch their breath.
Fair trade starts at the source. That’s why the Japan-born fair trade label People Tree set out to transform the fashion supply chain, making Japanese society realize that buying organic, fairly traded garments brings more joy than pursuing the latest fashion craze.
Romantic yet practical, Taipei’s free-flowing creative energy is surging beyond Taiwan and into ethnic-Chinese communities around the world. Even countries in the West are showing fascination with the city’s creative expression.
Fanatical young Shanghainese are bringing the world to Shanghai, from as far afield as Europe and America, and as nearby as Taiwan, carrying their cultural momentum forward, reproducing, tweaking and surpassing it… with the goal of taking Chinese design to the world.
Like his projects, Thomas Heatherwick operates in a world of practical considerations and constraints, relentlessly working to bridge modern cities with the individual need to feel important and productive. Inside Heatherwick Studio, an exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum through May 15, celebrates and gives insight into the mind behind such projects as the Garden Bridge and the British Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Once a high-profile media figure in Taipei, Hsu Lu now enjoys a quiet existence in laid-back Taitung, where she is redefining the concept of "home" and "family" on her own terms.
Inside a cluster of decrepit wooden houses dating from the Japanese period, French scholar Stéphane Corcuff came across a wooden ancestral memorial plaque that changed his relationship with Taiwan.
Building momentum out of niche interests, she is working to raise issues that help reinsert depth and breadth back into Taiwan's increasingly superficial publishing market.
Having barely graduated from university ten years ago, Tsai Pao-chang created a novel play consisting of six one-hour episodes, building his reputation as one of Taiwan's most promising theater talents. Now, Tsai wants to take his innovative playwriting abroad to entertain European audiences with plays in English and French.
Huang Sheng-Yuan's many architectural landmarks in Yilan reflect a free and rebellious style honed over the past two decades. That sometimes unappreciated style has now earned him the chance to exhibit at a Japanese architectural shrine.
Taiwan produces relative few coffee beans, but it is a prime destination when Asians want to open cafés, roast good coffee, or grow premium beans. How has Taiwan gained renown as a premium coffee hub in such a short time?
Jonathan Franzen is known for taking on Twitter and Facebook and lamenting how reading is becoming a lost art. In this exclusive interview, Franzen talks about how reading and literature have an important role in the new digital era.
Older people swore it couldn't work, but for the team at 1987 Studio, opportunity was right there before them, and they are determined to pave a new way in filmmaking for themselves and their young peers.
Lukang has a nostalgic grip on its natives who work in other parts of Taiwan, a grip so strong that budding arts manager Chaz Chang has returned, hoping to bring the arts to his backwater hometown.
CommonWealth Magazine talked to Takeshi Kaneshiro when he returned to his native Taiwan recently to promote his latest film. Out of the limelight, Kaneshiro is very different from his melancholic heartthrob on-screen persona.
Taiwan occupies center stage in the ethnic-Chinese music world. How is it coping with the digitization of music, the decline of albums and competition from China, to maintain and fortify its position of strength?
He is the man behind the stunning UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2012 Olympic cauldron. How does this uncompromising "Da Vinci of our times" present a new Great Britain to the world?
The British design team of Barber and Osgerby gained world fame with their design of a stylish and light all-weather Olympic torch for the London Olympics in 2012. What is the source of their creativity?
People from Hong Kong have swarmed to Taiwan in recent years to enjoy its night markets and slower pace of life and to learn from its "happy protests." But an unmistakable disenchantment with Beijing may lie behind this infatuation.
One in every four Taiwanese suffers from anxiety, depression or other mental disorders. The more turmoil we face, the more we need tranquility for clearer thinking.
Accustomed to affluence, the newest generation of youth in China and Taiwan has never known a world without the Internet. Their lifestyle and consumption patterns are rewriting the retail world.
You don't need to sit in a classroom to learn. At National Dong Hwa University, students explore every nook and cranny of rural Hualian County, sparking new enthusiasm and creativity.
Indonesia is one of the world's fastest growing emerging markets and the place where Taiwan's high-tech companies are looking to drive future growth. What makes them so upbeat?
Taiwanese officials warn of a looming talent gap, yet Taiwan boasts a talent pool of nearly one million people with advance degrees. After studying for more than 20 years, why are they facing such difficulties finding decent jobs?
The convergence of fewer students, globalization and pressure-packed evaluations is brewing a perfect storm for Taiwan's higher education system. Where will it all lead?
Within two decades more than one third of Taiwan's universities may have to close down for want of students. All of a sudden, university presidents and professors alike are being forced to peddle their services.
Founded 400 years ago as a cultural center, Kanazawa boasts a rich artistic heritage, which it lavishes with love, labor and generous investments. How is this city breathing new life into its creative and cultural industries?
As more and more cultural immigrants plant their roots in Tainan, Taiwan's first capital city is slowly emerging as the island's creative and cultural Mecca.
Along Taiwan's north coast the stocks of squid are in decline. Fearing for their future, local fishermen have decided to fight for the sea creatures on which their livelihoods depend.