The Beauty of Creation

Gentle Birthing in Taiwan

Have you ever asked your mother about the circumstances of your birth, or asked other family members about theirs? We are taught all our lives that the day we were born was a great trial for our mothers. Certainly it takes a heroic effort for a mother to give birth. But aside from the physical suffe ...more

Green Island Reflections

After 50 minutes bobbing through mighty waves, the ferry from Tai-tung’s Fu-gang Fishing Harbor finally brings us to Green Island, which stands alone out in the Pacific Ocean. This is a place where political prisoners were once confined, and the hillsides still retain patriotic slogans carved ...more

Decorative Tiles and Red Brick

A Taiwanese Architectural Dialogue

Look up while visiting a traditional Taiwanese san­he­yuan, or courtyard home, and you might see decorative tiles dotting the roof ridge or the walls. These tiles were an ingenious finishing touch added to lovely old Taiwanese buildings, their visual interplay with the ordinary red brick aro ...more

Crafty Fashion: Giving Taiwanese Manufacturing a Voice Through Design

Designers are often faced with the question of how to balance personal creativity with commerce. Tai­chung makes that balancing act a bit easier. Its relatively low rents and labor costs, and Tai­pei-comparable competitive pressures, make it more accommodating to experimental spaces, enticin ...more

The Black-Faced Spoonbill's Second Home

Mankind’s connection with the sea allows the concepts of conservation of natural resources, preservation of human culture and history, and sustainable lifestyles to find a perfect interpretation in Tai­jiang National Park. Let us really think about the value of this place, how to carry for ...more

A Collector’s Vision: Kuo Su-jen Brings Art into Old City Streets

Since returning from the United States in 1996 and buying her first collectible artwork (a figure of Sakya­muni Buddha by Liao Hong­biao), Kuo Su-jen, who will be 60 next year, has continued to expand her art collection and has worked to restore historic residences, combining architectural a ...more

The Teenage Psychic Set to Dazzle International Viewers

Taiwan’s Public Television Service and HBO have joined forces to create a new television series. Produced by a Taiwanese team, The Teenage Psychic will premiere in early April. The Teenage Psychic tells the story of a 17-year-old female high-school student with psychic powers. Set against a b ...more

Cycling in Taiwan —Saddle Up and Make the Scene

People have very different takes on travel: some like to squeeze in as much as possible, while others like to take it easy. But traveling by bus or train means following a route chosen by someone else. If you want to regain your autonomy as a traveler, try cycling, which lets you choose your route, ...more

Sanxia: A Century-Old City Rises Again

Sanxia is located in the southwest corner of the Tai­pei Basin. Mountains rise on three sides and to the west it faces the Da­han River Valley and the coastal plains. Passing through the vicissitudes of a century, the town long ago outgrew its earlier role. Yet a deep, rich cultural heritage ...more

Spreading Hope in Houbi: Father Verny

It was at a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in the ­Houbi District of Tai­nan City that Father François Verny, originally from France, first made himself well-known among the local people—specifically by kara­oke singing the Taiwanese-language hit “Marching Forward.&rd ...more