Came for the Movies, Returned for the Cuisine: An Interview with Food Writer Matt Gross
May 30th, 2019
Acclaimed Taiwanese directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang can take credit for more than award-winning movies like as The Puppetmaster and Yi Yi: A One and a Two. Back in the early 1990s, their films inspired in one American a profound curiosity about Taiwan which has turned into an ongoing love affair with the […]
Read more »
New Taiwan Photo Book: Ilha Formosa Taiwan in 100 HDR Panoramic Images & Scripts
May 8th, 2019
If you think the photos accompanying this blog post are stunning, you’re not alone. They’re just a few of the hundred pictures Sherman Cheng selected for inclusion in his stunning new book, Ilha Formosa Taiwan in 100 HDR Panoramic Images & Scripts. Cheng, who retired a few years ago after a career in a multinational […]
Read more »
The Rich Tapestry of Taiwan’s Place Names, Part 2
April 25th, 2019
Many places in southern Taiwan, like those in the north, have names that trace their origins to the island’s Austronesian indigenous languages. For instance, the historic port town of Lukang, often referred to as ‘Deer Harbour,’ may have derived its name from the herds of sika deer that once roamed the nearby lowlands. However, modern […]
Read more »
The Rich Tapestry of Taiwan’s Place Names, Part 1
April 20th, 2019
Tour guides in Taiwan must be well-prepared to answer all kinds of intriguing questions, including “Why does this place have that particular name?” Many Taiwanese place names hold captivating stories of their origins. Some are very straightforward. Taipei, meaning ‘North Taiwan,’ and Tainan, translating to ‘South Taiwan,’ are geographical references. Roughly halfway between the current […]
Read more »
How to Read a Taiwanese Temple, Part 3: Conventions and Offerings
April 7th, 2019
A little knowledge about the the habits and taboos of Taiwanese popular religion will help you, as much as is possible during a short visit, to grasp the ineffable nature of the faith that influences more than 90% of the island’s people. And as a thoughtful traveller, it goes without saying that you’ll wish to […]
Read more »
How to read a Taiwanese Temple, Part 2: Icons and Incense
March 18th, 2019
In the ancestor shrines which many Taiwanese families maintain, those who’ve passed away are represented by names on elegant but austere tablets. In almost every folk temple, however, gods and goddesses take the form of colourfully-attired effigies. Some of these josses (a word derived from the Portuguese word for god, deus) are no larger than […]
Read more »
How to Read a Taiwanese Temple, Part 1: Roofs and Doors
February 19th, 2019
Even without counting the ancestor altars that are found in many homes, Taiwan has tens of thousands of places of worship. Some of these shrines are no bigger than a sentry box, while others are multi-level palaces. In a good number of the former, the ceiling is so low that those who step inside to […]
Read more »
Reasons to Visit Taiwan in 2019
December 22nd, 2018
‘The people are incredibly friendly, but not many of them speak English well’. This is something we at Life of Taiwan hear again and again. It’s something we respectfully agree with, and it’s an issue that’s recognised by Taiwan’s government. Therefore, we’re delighted to know the authorities have begun rolling out additional programmes and policies […]
Read more »
Embracing Obsessions: Foodie Journalist Clarissa Wei
December 13th, 2018
Clarissa Wei is a Taiwanese-American journalist who describes herself as ‘obsessed with traditional ecological knowledge, and trying to learn as much as I can about the plants and foods that indigenous Taiwanese people ate, and how they processed them’. Over the past ten years, Wei has written dozens of articles about the cuisines and culinary […]
Read more »
Tainan: The City That Never Changes (But Keeps Getting Better)
November 8th, 2018
The ancient city of Tainan is very close to Life of Taiwan’s heart. Between them, the founding team has lived in Tainan for well over half a century. The great appeal of Tainan, the reason why visitors come back again and again, is that it never changes. The former capital’s most famous landmarks, such as […]
Read more »
No Cyclist Knows Taiwan’s Roads Better: Chatting With Nathan Miller
October 29th, 2018
‘Taiwan offers some of the best cycling in Asia. The network of roads that wind throughout the mountainous terrain is a hill-climber’s dream come true,’ says Nathan Miller, an American who’s been pedalling around and across the island for a decade. It’s fair to say Miller is a hardcore cyclist. ‘I have seven bikes: two […]
Read more »
New Taiwan Food Book: A Culinary History of Taipei
October 10th, 2018
This is a very personal entry. I’m delighted to announce that this week sees the publication of A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai by Rowman & Littlefield. This book, which I co-wrote with Katy Hui-wen Hung, is the first English-language book that attempts to answer the questions: What do the Taiwanese eat, […]
Read more »