People living in coastal areas pickle fresh seafood with salt, and just a single piece of pickled seafood is enough to flavor a whole bowl of rice, traditionally supplying the needs of the simple daily lives of ordinary people. Meanwhile mullet roe, which was once only consumed at banquets or at the Lunar New Year, symbolizes abundance.
Paper artist Hung Hsinfu used a paper lantern themed for the Year of the Dog to rewrite the history of the materials used in Taiwan for Lantern Festival hand lanterns. In recent years he has also used precise and sophisticated lines to produce paper sculptures of Taiwanese endemic species.
In the Taiwan of 40 to 50 years ago, the best-selling summertime treat was “four fruit ice,” which was made by taking a big bowl of shaved ice and covering it with a compote typically consisting of shredded papaya, candied plums and dried carambola. Old folks one and all associate this treat with happy memories. Taiwan produces fruits in huge quantities and bewildering variety.
Everyone loves searching for hidden capsule toys, but did you know that there is also hidden scenery?
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.
