智慧城市．永續經濟

Smart Cities, Sustainable Economies

Ivan Chen /tr. by Jonathan Barnard

Amid the rise of “smart cities” around the world, Taiwan is not being left behind. Along with the central government’s farsighted plan to foster smart cities and make Taiwan the “Silicon Valley of Asia,” five of our special municipalities have established offices to promote smart-city infrastructure.

In this month’s Cover Story we witness how major Taiwanese cities are making use of smart technology for applications ranging from disaster preparedness to traffic management and air quality monitoring. We go deep into the countryside to observe firsthand how the Internet of Things, big data and smart machines are being deployed in agriculture. And we discover how the textile industry is using a byproduct of fish farming to create technical fabrics that are marketed globally.

Further afield, in Thailand, the Thai‡­Taiwan Business Association, with the help of Taiwan’s representative in Thailand, Tung Chen-yuan, has set up the Thailand‡Taiwan High Technology Center. The center has hired some 210 experts from academia and industry, bringing Taiwan’s high-tech prowess to bear to assist Taiwanese-invested businesses in tackling technological issues.

Located high in the mountains of Hsinchu County, Smangus was once one of Taiwan’s most isolated indigenous communities. Here residents farm the land and provide hospitality to visitors together, sharing in the work and the rewards under a cooperative system that is unique in Taiwan. We take a look at how their success is attracting tribe members who had left the village to come back home and join in pursuing the dream of sustainable development for their community.

Surrounded by a lush garden, the exhibition hall at Hu Shih’s old home displays a wealth of rare letters, manuscripts and other documents. More than just cultural assets, they represent a precious resource for future researchers. Our report on Hu’s residence recalls the life of this brilliant thinker, political philosopher and diplomat. Our Photo Essay, meanwhile, transports you to Orchid Island, homeland of the Tao people, to give you a glimpse of the tribe’s cultural heritage, which is inextricably bound to the sea.

Taiwan is rich in local culture and artistic energy waiting to be discovered. We introduce you to expert scientific illustrators, to the host of a Thai-language radio show, and to a family that has witnessed the dramatic changes in Taiwan’s lumber industry over the last century.

For many years, Taiwan Panorama has been going to every corner of Taiwan to uncover the spirit and ideals animating people of different professions—for theirs are the true faces of Taiwan. The values and spirit of those people and places are beautiful and moving representations of our island. Collected in these pages, they become a bridge for overseas Chinese and foreign readers to better understand Taiwan.