“Happy Diwali!” On November 4, 2022, Taiwanese and Indians together celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the American Club Taipei. The event featured the first staging in Taiwan of the dance drama Ram Leela, which symbolizes not only the celebration of Diwali but also the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, while also expressing the desire for peace and wellbeing.
Smells can trigger memories and stir emotions. They can even capture the essence of a culture. From perfumes distilled from Taiwanese teas to traditional incense reinvented for the modern age, Taiwan is captivating the world through its authentic local fragrances.
“Does the Roadkill Network have anything to do with the Reuters news agency?” (Their Chinese names share two of three characters.) “Is the group ‘Moth Observation in Taiwan’ related to the vampire film Twilight?” (They sound identical in Chinese.) Their names may inspire endless jokes, but the ecological scientists behind these organizations have taken on their shoulders responsibility for a serious task: protecting the environment.
Christianity was first introduced to Taiwan in the early 17th century. In more recent times, since the mid-19th century, the indefatigable efforts of Western missionaries have inspired generations of Taiwanese believers, and the teachings of Jesus Christ have taken root here. But what about our home-grown church buildings? What do they look like?
Ecologist E.O. Wilson proposed that humanity has an innate affinity for nature, a trait he called “biophilia.” As the people that build bridges between mankind and nature, facilitating happy interaction between the two, one could consider landscape designers to be ambassadors of biophilia.
The American architect Louis I. Kahn, who was widely praised for the beautiful libraries he designed, once said: “How precious a book is in light of the offering, in the light of the one who has the privilege of this offering. The library tells you of this offering.”
Why are buildings erected? Structures are built to provide spaces that meet various needs of people in daily life. But buildings are never just functional spaces. For architect Chiang Le-ching, who has many years of experience in the field of public infrastructure, no matter whether she is designing residences or public spaces, what she focuses on is how to create more opportunities for human contact within the space.
When it comes to classical music, most people think of Western composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. However, since the first half of the 20th century many Taiwanese have composed classical works, often inspired by local elements. These works born in Taiwan reflect the reassessment and advocacy of nativist culture that began among the island’s intellectuals in the 1930s. Listening to these Taiwan-themed compositions is like transcending time.
In my memories, Grandmother’s coat always gave off a gentle fragrance of camphor. This honor was reserved for precious clothing that she would only wear on formal occasions and so mostly remained hanging in the closet. This fragrance once made Taiwan the world’s “camphor kingdom.”
Aboriginal youth in Taiwan today are choosing to return to their tribal lands to erect family houses and integrate weaving, fishing, hunting and gathering into their lives, for culture is the sum manifestation of a lifestyle. They are using their actions to query their fractured culture and redefine “tradition” in the 21st century.
