A Philosophy of Life in Miaoli’s Foothills

CMP Village’s 100-Year Plan

Located in Miaoli’s Zaoqiao Township, the Shangrila Paradise theme park was once a bustling place, filled with the hubbub of humanity. Many have fond memories of its carnival rides. But over the course of a decade, the park fell into decline. Then the CMP Group took over, and in 2016 launched ......

A Bird’s-Eye View of Taiwan

Architecture

Taiwan has a diverse architectural culture. Southern Fujianese, Hakka, Japanese, Western, and all kinds of innovative styles find a common home and blossom in this land. This diversity of architecture has become a special part of the scenery in places all over Taiwan. As part of the series “A ......

Flashes of Taiwan —Riding the High-Speed Railway

The completion of the Taiwan High-Speed Railway has shortened distances north to south in western Taiwan. Travelers buzzing this way and that get brief but beautiful memories and impressions. In the spaces from one station to the next, people see the scenes around them transform, and they feel......

Life in the Slow Lane: Nanzhuang and Sanyi

Every April and May, the petals of the tung blossoms cover the ground like snow, giving off a genteel fragrance and creating a delightfully romantic mood. This is the perfect setting for two quiet little mountain communities in ­Miaoli County: ­Sanyi and Nan­zhuang. In February 2016 both were ......

Learning Huayu in Taiwan

—A Journey of Boundless Possibilities

Lukas Engström is a Swedish national based in Taiwan. Shortly after he started to learn Mandarin Chinese here, he visited a soft drinks bar to buy a cup of pearl milk tea. While in the queue, he kept repeating to himself the Chinese phrases he had to say to the staff. When at last he gave the ......

Soothing Taiwan’s Sweet Tooth

Stories of Local Pastries

Rivaling Willy Wonka’s legendary chocolate bars, and laden with even more stories than Marcel Proust’s madeleine cakes, Taiwanese pastries continue to satisfy our sweet tooth. With their origins in traditional Chinese confectionery, they are made with local ingredients rich in cultural meaning......

Tradition and Innovation:

The Protean Power of Instant Noodles

Who invented instant noodles? In Taiwan, we come across the forerunner of instant noodles, the world’s first instant noodles with sauce packets containing sumptuous chunks of meat, as well as those featuring distinctively local recipes that make use of Chinese medicinal herbs and huadiao, a cl......

A New Trend in Medical Tourism

—Healthcare and Health Maintenance in Taiwan

Hospitals in Taiwan possess high-end medical technology and equipment, and Taiwan is a world leader in certain specialties, including liver transplantation and reproductive medicine. Institutions here provide very cost-effective healthcare services and have a competitive advantage against the ......