We exchanged Instagram accounts with high-school students in Palau and talked about each other’s hobbies. Even after returning to Taiwan, we stayed in touch with them. I think this is the appeal and the core spirit of the International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program—the dynamism of youth knows no national boundaries!” So says International Youth Ambassador Lawrence Wu.
In the time before refrigeration, preserving food for long periods was no easy task. However, our forebears made good use of natural resources and their own ingenuity to develop what have become lip-smacking nostalgia triggers, including Parma ham, Iberian ham, Jinhua ham, Hunan cured meat, and other such delicacies.
Twenty years ago, a farmer in Sanzhi named Yang Wenshi discovered the rare Taipei frog (Hylarana taipehensis) in his lotus fields. To give this unusual creature a chance of survival, he decided to switch from conventional farming to eco-friendly cultivation. Now, whenever summer comes around, one can hear the clamor of their croaking amid the lotus leaves, in this paradise for Taipei frogs.
From HBO Asia’s The Teenage Psychic, which broke new ground in the Chinese-language market, and The World Between Us, which garnered high ratings both in Taiwan and abroad, to the recently released Shards of Her, which has built an impressive following by word of mouth, Taiwan’s television producers have released a steady stream of shows that have become surprising international hits.
The peoples who speak Austronesian languages are mainly spread out across the islands of the South Pacific Ocean. Numbering roughly 250 million people, the Austronesian-speaking peoples not only share similarities in their languages and appearance, but many also have a tradition of tattooing.
Art imitates life, and life imitates art. In watching television shows, we seek empathy and see the shadows of ourselves in the characters. Such shows also shape national cultures and zeitgeists.
Do you remember The Daily Prophet, the daily paper of the wizarding world in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels? Just one page long, the paper could show different content on demand, and its pictures even moved! The wizarding world took this for granted, but scientists are currently working with corporations to bring this fictional, fanciful idea to life in the real world, too.
Taiwanese films and TV dramas are floutishing, supported by a dazzling array of online streaming platforms. The public’s insatiable thirst for new content has led to the resurgencs of the film and TV industry, and many talented people have thrown themselves into this line of work. To meet the rapidly increasing demand, where do producers look for good stories?
A motor scooter freighted with five gas bottles, a red house overgrown with greenery, people wearing blue-and-white flip-flops and carrying red-striped plastic bags—Cheng Kai-hsiang and Tom Parker have portrayed these familiar street scenes with gusto, capturing the intimacy and vibrancy of everyday life in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s screenwriters have been going all out over the last two years, with TV shows such as Gold Leaf and The World Between Us attracting large audiences and getting people talking. Taiwan is generally recognized as having the freest and most democratic creative environment in the Chinese-speaking world. Now, public and private entities are working together to improve our television and film industry’s business model.
