Embracing Yellow and Its Cultural Significance
September 22nd, 2020
In Taiwan, the sweltering heat of the year’s peak is finally giving way to the refreshing embrace of autumn. As the season transitions, the colour yellow takes centre stage, both as a symbol and a vibrant presence in the island’s temples and shrines. This hue, deeply rooted in tradition, particularly shines in the Buddhist facets […]
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Taiwan’s Delectable Dumplings
June 17th, 2020
Taiwan beckons the adventurous gourmet with an array of mouthwatering dumplings that come in various tantalizing forms. Whether you prefer them boiled, fried, or steamed, stuffed with succulent pork, shrimp paste, vegetables, or even a flavorful soup, Taiwan’s dumpling diversity knows no bounds. These delightful parcels are often enveloped in a thin skin or dough, […]
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Exploring Taiwan’s Rich Variety of Local Vegetables
April 8th, 2020
Official statistics fail to capture the full extent of vegetable cultivation in Taiwan. Beyond the rice paddies and orchards, many farmers also tend to seasonal greens, often sharing their harvest with family rather than selling it. Even city-dwellers get in on the action, cultivating scallions or cilantro in balcony boxes. In Taiwan, few opt for […]
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Sustainable Mountain Tourism
January 6th, 2020
This year’s International Mountain Day theme is sustainable mountain tourism, a matter close to our hearts at Life of Taiwan and cherished by Taiwan’s hiking community. Due to Taiwan’s high population density and growing interest in outdoor activities, authorities diligently manage tourism’s ecological impact in sensitive regions. Scaling Peaks: Yushan and Xueshan To reach the […]
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Taiwan’s Lush Green Landscape
October 5th, 2019
Taiwan’s natural beauty comes alive as you venture beyond its bustling cities. This island nation, straddling the Tropic of Cancer, enjoys abundant sunshine and rainfall, fostering a vibrant, green landscape. Lands left untouched by urbanisation or agriculture quickly transform, with grasses, weeds, bushes, and fast-growing trees reclaiming their space. A Rice Legacy in […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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Dodging Raindrops in Central Taiwan
July 10th, 2018
Central Taiwan enjoys an equitable climate yet heavy rain is possible between late May and early September. The region’s major population centre is Taichung, a municipality that now stretches from the coast to the high mountains. The city is growing faster than any other major settlement in Taiwan and has benefitted from some major infrastructure […]
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Mango Madness and Other Tasty Reasons to Visit Taiwan in the Summer
June 7th, 2018
Summer isn’t the most comfortable of seasons in Taiwan. In urban areas, the mercury often hits 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) and these temperatures are usually accompanied by high humidity. But for travellers who enjoy the vibrant colours of the hot season—think lushly green foliage in the hills and maritime shades of blue at […]
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Adore Pork? You’ll Love Taiwan
May 14th, 2017
Taiwan has been called a ‘hog island’ and for good reason. In places like Pingtung County, the density of pig farms far exceeds that of anywhere in North America or Europe. Because local consumers prefer fresh to frozen meat, the sight of swine being trucked to market isn’t unusual. As recently as the late 1960s […]
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