Slender, elegant bamboo thrives all year round. The watercolor painting House Surrounded by Bamboo, by the famous Taiwanese artist Ran In-ting (Lan Yinding, 1903–1979), depicts life at a rural dwelling in a bamboo forest.
Taiwan has abundant bamboo forests, and in traditional society bamboo was an essential part of daily life. With advances in technology, the utilization of bamboo has evolved from the simple to the modern. One could even say that it has given rise to a particular lifestyle.
“Hot” is no doubt the word that best describes the summer of 2024. While the planet finds itself sweating under the blazing sun, a feeling of fraternity is spreading across the globe like wildfire. As the host of the first Olympic games since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Paris is the center of the world’s ardent attention.
At the Green Destinations Global Conference 2023, held in Tallin, Estonia, not only were all six of the Taiwanese national scenic areas that participated named in the Top 100 Green Destinations, they were all selected for the “2023 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories” list. This marked a dazzling milestone in the development of sustainable tourism in Taiwan.
The freedom and vibrancy of Taiwan’s publishing scene have not only infused the comic industry with a steady stream of fresh energy, but have also recently enticed many international comic artists to publish their works in Taiwan. Some have even crafted “Taiwan” stories from a global perspective.
When composing a Line message, you can express your feelings with a “Mei Mei” sticker that says, “You don’t understand my style.” The drinks tumbler in your hand may be a co-branded item combining the Bugcat “Capoo” with a hand-shaken drinks bar brand. Or as you browse the web on your phone you may come across a hilarious short video of “Shaogao.” In these ways, “character intellectual property” (character IP) is making its way into our daily lives.
Many comic-book fans take advantage of the two days a week (Fridays and Saturdays) when Graphic Life Studio is open to the public to come and visit. There they can see Zhou Jian-xin, illustrator of Son of Formosa, at work and maybe get an autograph in a book purchased on-site.
A visit to a group of wooden buildings on Linsen Road in Taichung City’s West District will bring back childhood memories and teach you about the latest developments in Taiwanese comic books. This is the National Taiwan Museum of Comics (NTMC).
Whether or not you are a fan of comic books, you should visit Taiwan Comic Base in Taipei, the National Taiwan Museum of Comics in Taichung, and Graphic Life Studio in Tainan. You will gain a deeper understanding of how amazing Taiwan can be.
When Taiwan Panorama reported on the state of the Taiwanese comic-book market in 2022, the industry was feeling hopeful about developments since 2010, and beginning to ask if a third golden age might be on its way. We now know the answer: an unequivocal “Yes!”
Thanks to government grants, more than 700 Taiwanese comic books—manhua—have seen the light of day in recent years. This success invites us to ask, what characteristics define today’s Taiwanese manhua?
