The Big Issue, a street paper founded in the UK, opens people’s imaginations to what employment for homeless people can look like. In Taiwan there are numerous organizations working hard to cultivate the employment skills of the homeless, such as Wanderers’ Table, with its night-market stalls staffed by homeless people; Yo Wash, which specializes in power washing; and the community cleaning service Jujiamei. These organizations are weaving a safety net of support for homeless citizens.
In Disney’s The Lion King, the runaway lion cub Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa, and then embarks on his hakuna matata (“no worries”) journey. When hunger eventually drives him to take a few steps down the food chain, Simba tries a caterpillar, lifting an eyebrow as he chews and remarking with surprise: “Slimy yet satisfying.”
Black holes cause all the world’s nations, regardless of political system or religion, to look in the same direction.
Lanyu (Orchid Island) is internationally known as a diving hotspot, with clear ocean water, a rich undersea ecology, and the maritime culture of the Tao indigenous people who live there. Underlying traditional indigenous culture one can find great wisdom and the concept of sustainability, making it worthwhile for visitors to Lanyu to learn about this culture.
You probably already know that Taiwan’s Quanta Computer manufactures roughly one out of three of the world’s notebook computers; that Taiwanese companies produce 70% of the powertrain components used in Tesla electric vehicles; and that Yilan’s Sheico Group makes 65% of the world’s wetsuits.
Abigail Hing Wen is an American writer of Asian descent. Packed with romance, her Loveboat, Taipei—a New York Times bestseller—tells the story of four young people who come to Taiwan for a summer program in Chinese language and culture. Shortly after the novel’s publication in 2020, US-based Ace Entertainment bought the film rights, and filming started in Taiwan the following year. This is the first Hollywood movie to be set wholly in Taiwan.
The international management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that between now and 2030, 15,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargers per week need to be installed in the European Union to keep up with demand, and President Joe Biden has announced that the US will spend US$5 billion over the next five years to install EV charging stations nationwide. Meanwhile, Taiwan is aiming for all new cars and motorcycles to be electrically powered by 2040.
In 2021 a presentation titled “Taiwan Beats Showcase” brought Taiwanese bands and singers to the Austin, Texas-based South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival, which moved online in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. To record their sets for the show, musicians and singers got out of the studio and sought out performance spaces with local color—including high mountains, a temple, a shrimp fishing pond, and a traditional factory—to offer the global audience fresh new musical experiences.
The last few years have introduced the public to a new way to appreciate Taiwan’s rich and varied terrain. The hard work of government and private organizations has brought Taiwan its first nationally recognized “silent mountain trail”: the Cueifong Lake Circular Trail on Taipingshan. In 2020, it also saw Yangmingshan National Park designated the world’s first “urban quiet park.” In 2021, Taipei City’s “culture and quiet” earned it a place on Time magazine’s list of the “World’s Greatest Places.
Taiwan’s comics industry has historically had two golden ages, each creating numerous famous figures whose works have spanned media and even reached across borders. However, for any number of reasons, the industry has more recently been in the doldrums, with the environment particularly difficult in the past decade.
