An Interview with Life of Taiwan Founder Mark Pemberton
September 18th, 2019
Mark Pemberton, Life of Taiwan’s founder and managing director, was recently interviewed by a local English-language newspaper, Taipei Times (‘Expats play key role in boosting Taiwan’s tourism’, September 10, 2019). For reasons of space, the article didn’t include all of the original interview, which we now present here in its entirety: Of the 11.07 million […]
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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 […]
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Taiwan in Colours: Blue
July 4th, 2019
Taroko Gorge, perhaps Taiwan’s finest natural attraction, is one of those places where Mother Nature avails herself of almost every hue on her palette. The layers of marble, schist and gneiss range from near-pure white to dark grey. There are creamy browns, near silvers and even diluted golds. But at the bottom of this breathtaking […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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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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 […]
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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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Why a Car and Driver Makes all the Difference
August 24th, 2018
Taiwan is a hiker’s paradise. Whether you seek a multi-day epic trek through the island’s highest mountains or an hour-long stroll through soothing woodland, you’ll find a multitude of trails that match your fitness and ambition. Some of the finest hill-country experiences, however, are only available to those who have their own vehicles. Even then, […]
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Taiwan After Dark
August 6th, 2018
The sun has set but you know you won’t be able to sleep for a good few hours. You’ve no interest in hitting a bar, and you went to a top-notch restaurant for dinner so there’s no point in going to a night market. Department stores don’t do a lot for you, so what are […]
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Much More than the Great Outdoors! Rainy Day Attractions in North Taiwan
July 3rd, 2018
Like the weather in other parts of the world, Taiwan’s weather isn’t entirely predictable, and even if you’ve planned your trip with careful reference to climate data there’s a risk rain might be falling on the day you hope to venture into the mountains or out to the coast. This is more likely to […]
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