In Taiwan, rice wine is essential for both home-cooked meals and banquets, a constant companion through life, from birth to death.

Did you know that betelnuts, besides being a stimulant, can be used to convey affection? Did you know that in Taiwan betelnuts have long been given as gifts to draw people closer together? Did you know that betelnuts can be used in religious rituals, and even in divination? Did you know that there are many more things to know about betelnuts?

Is there any food in your culture which can be used in myriad ways and is not only for eating, but also conveys the meaning “best wishes” as well as being closely connected to major life events like birth and death?

During the ice ages, many plants and animals in Asia gradually migrated to the Pacific seaboard. The area that later became Taiwan provided welcome refuge from the freezing cold. Some 18,000 years ago, temperatures began to rise, and Taiwan was eventually separated from the continent by the sea. The island thus became a permanent home for migrant flora and fauna which developed into endemic species as they adapted to the peculiarities of the local climate and geology.

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) for the first time designated one day of their meeting as Health Day. More than 120 of the participating countries signed the Declaration on Climate and Health, reminding us all that we must remain aware of the health implications of climate change.

Ferns, which have been called “living fossils,” reveal the powerful resilience and adaptability of ancient life forms. Among them, tree ferns, which are perfectly adapted to local conditions in Taiwan, are an everyday sight on the island. They also offer a precious travel experience to visitors from around the world.

“Taiwan is India’s most important collaborative partner in its effort to achieve a prosperous India in 2025,” emphasizes Ambassador Ger Baushuan, Taiwan’s representative to India.
“Right now is the most opportune moment to invest in India,” says Jason Ho, president of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in India.

Tsou mythology has it that when a god shook the Formosan sweetgum trees on Yushan, human beings were created from the fallen fruit and leaves. The Saisiyat and the Bunun name their clans after plants. The Paiwan, who traditionally adhere to a strictly hierarchical social system, refer to their chieftains and eldest offspring as vusam—seeds.

In the middle of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, we visit Chunqiu Fine Arts Studio on Minzu Road in Changhua City. The arcade space outside the studio is hung with numerous handmade lanterns of various designs. Depicted on them are personalities including the four great field marshals of Daoist legend, surnamed Wen, Kang, Ma, and Zhao, as well as the four deities in charge of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

In 2023 a research team from the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) discovered a new species of black truffle in Taitung County’s Taimali Township, and named it the Taitung black truffle (Tuber taitung) after the county. The truffle grows in areas between 300 and 600 meters above sea level, making it the lowest-elevation truffle species yet found in Taiwan.