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 …
The plant life of forests is rich and varied, Raising bees on the forest floor can provide an abundant supply of honey, while the bees can also increase the rate at which trees set seed. Raising chickens and growing mushrooms on logs can bring in additional income that helps foresters plant more trees. And when farmers don't interfere with the forest, and uphold the practice of applying neither…
Lin Sheng-Xiang is a unique voice in Taiwan's music community. Taiwan's music community. He has long been focused on issues related to farming, labor and the environment, and he has a particular style that has absorbed the traditional and the modern in a blend of traditional Taiwanese music with Western rock and roll. Besides winning Golden Melody Awards and Golden Indie Music Awards, Lin She…
When then it comes to service, the British emphasize elegance, while the Japanese focus on meticulousness, but both tend to generate a sense of aloofness. But in Taiwan, this little Pacific Island off the coast of East Asia, friendliness does not need to be "unzipped," and personable hospitality is in endless supply. This is what makes visitors into regulars, eager to come back over and over. S…
In 2016 The Wall Street Journal praised the Taiwanese as "the world's geniuses of garbage disposal." That same year the newly elected government proclaimed that Taiwan was entering the era of the "circular economy" as part of the nation's "5+2" industrial innovation program. Instantly, the phrase be- came a buzzword. Nevertheless, many people mistakenly equate the term with recycling. In fact, …
How do you extend the value of a brand? How do you forge ties with consumers? B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore's book The Experience Economy suggests that experi- ences are in fact a kind of economic product, one that goes beyond traditional goods and services and creates new value for companies. When Yilan's Sheng Yang Leisure Farm faced price competition, and when Tainan's Chih Kang Mat…
These days, the phrase "Tai jiu xian"-which usually means "Taiwan Provincial Highway No. 9"-doesn't necessarily refer to the east coast high- way at all, but to a burgeoning connection between Taiwan and Japan's Kyushu Region. The island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan was the cradle of ancient Japanese civilization. And, taking a time machine forward to the late 19th century, we find that …
In recent years, mothers in Taiwan have enthused about Isu Mer's Giving Birth to a Child: The Magical Cure for My Over-Sentimental Personality. The author describes trenchantly how motherhood transformed her from a tender- hearted young culture vulture into a woman whose daily life requires her to take the bull by the horns. Labay Eyong knows this transformative experience all too well. A sensi…
Bamboo has always been an important element in East Asian cultures. Emerald green bamboo, sprightly and fresh, is like an elegant gentleman of virtue and integrity. Its beauty is not showy or eye-catching, but one whose ap- peal grows over time. Bambu selalu menjadi elemen penting dalam budaya Asia Timur. Bambu hijau zamrud, segar dan bersemangat, bagaikan pria yang anggun, berbudi luhur, d…
In their communications with the public, government agencies are turning away from old habits of issuing haughty pronouncements couched in stuffy officialese. Instead, they are employing social media editors who are full of whacky ideas and are a match for every concelho able challenge. These editors expose fake news and interpret policies for the general public by making connections with every…