24 Hours in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s Maritime Metropolis
March 31st, 2023
You’ve spent several days revelling in the natural splendour of Taiwan’s unspoiled east or you’ve just finished exploring Tainan, the island’s historic former capital, and now you have a whole day in Kaohsiung before your fly out from this southern metropolis. Unlike Taroko Gorge and Taipei 101, Kaohsiung doesn’t have much of an international profile. […]
Read more »
Must-Try Taiwanese Breakfasts: Taipei
January 15th, 2023
When you’re in Taipei, why start the day with a generic hotel breakfast? Thanks to the winds and vagaries of history, Taiwan’s capital is home to more than its share of must-try Taiwanese breakfasts. More than a hundred years ago, breakfast for the inhabitants of the Taipei Basin would have looked very similar to their […]
Read more »
A Rising Destination: History of Taiwan Tourism
September 27th, 2021
Taiwan has long been a place familiar to business travelers, but only in the past decade or so have people in Europe and North America begun thinking of this dynamic East Asian island as a vacation spot. The first effort to attract foreign tourists to Taiwan was made more than a century ago. During the […]
Read more »
Taiwan in 100 Books
November 2nd, 2020
Hoping to visit Taiwan when the pandemic eventually ends, and thinking of reading up on the island in the meantime? There’s no shortage of English-language books about this East Asia country. In fact, there are so many you may not know where to start. Since moving to Taiwan from his native New Zealand in the […]
Read more »
Taiwan In Colours: Red
December 26th, 2019
In many Western countries, red is associated with Christmas because it dominates Santa’s outfit. In Taiwan, red is also the colour of festiveness. In societies which draw most of their traditions from China, it represents good fortune and happiness. Nowadays, most Taiwanese brides wear lacy white dresses, but in the past the traditional wedding garment […]
Read more »
Jason Cole Mager: An American Artist Inspired by Taiwan
August 29th, 2019
Back in 2012, when Jason Cole Mager began renting a spare bedroom in his home in New York to tourists, he had no idea the decision would eventually bring him to Taipei. ‘If you’re ever feeling apathetic about your surroundings, open your home to travellers. Their enthusiasm for what you’ve been ignoring will remind you […]
Read more »
Island of Trees: Taiwan’s Magnificent Woodlands
June 20th, 2019
Here’s a statistic that astounds many who’ve never visited Taiwan: About 58% of the main island is covered by trees or bamboo, with stands of hardwoods accounting for more than half of this area. That’s a higher percentage than in the US, Canada, or Brazil. The figure for the UK is a mere 12%. This […]
Read more »
Cats, Dogs, Deer and Salt: The Story of Place Names in Taiwan, Part 2
April 25th, 2019
As in north Taiwan, several places in south Taiwan bear names that are derived from the languages of the island’s Austronesian indigenous people. It used to be said that the ancient port town of Lukang (‘Deer Harbour’, image at the top of this blog post) got its name from the herds of sika deer that […]
Read more »
Peach Garden and Turtle Mountain: The Story of Place Names in Taiwan, Part 1
April 20th, 2019
‘Why does this place have that name?’ This is a question every tour guide should prepare for, especially in Taiwan where a lot of interesting stories can be told about place names and their origins. Some are very straightforward. Taipei (pictured top left) means ‘North Taiwan’ and Tainan is ‘South Taiwan’ (for more about place […]
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 »
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 »
When Rain Forces You Indoors in South Taiwan
July 20th, 2018
Between late September and early May, visitors to the southern third of Taiwan can expect long spells of dry, sunny weather. During the dry season, inclement conditions are not only surprising, but also make it hard to appreciate the history of Anping in Tainan or the grandeur of the Buddha Memorial Centre at Foguangshan. Fortunately […]
Read more »