We experienced something very rare as we were putting together this month’s Taiwan Panorama: a powerful cold front sweeping southwards across Taiwan turned even the lower slopes of our mountains into a winter wonderland. People hoping to see snow for themselves made a beeline for the mountains and had a great time. But it wasn’t all fun and games: the bitter cold also caused severe damage to agricultural and aquacultural operations. Worse, the cold was soon followed by the most severe temblor to hit Taiwan since the Jiji Earthquake of September 21, 1999. The powerful quake violently jolted an entire city, bringing merciless destruction and leaving torn concrete and devastated lives in its wake. Around Taiwan, hearts rose and fell with each update on the plight of those buried in the collapsed building in Tainan.
Our own reporting from abroad was somewhat less dramatic. For this month’s Overseas Report, we turn our attention from our recent look at the work of Taiwanese NGOs with refugees on the Thai–Myanmar border to explore the work of other Taiwanese NGOs and institutions of higher learning in Vietnam. By teaching Mandarin and supporting education, part of a long-term effort to build bridges between Taiwan and Vietnam, these organizations are helping to further Vietnam’s development. This month’s issue also includes another feature on Southeast Asia which examines a program that sends immigrant mothers, their children, and their Taiwanese teachers on visits to the mothers’ homelands. We discover how these long-distance family sojourns were initiated, and how they are continuing.
In fact, Taiwan has been riding a wave of growing international enthusiasm for learning Mandarin, and using it to pass on traditional Chinese characters. This month’s Taiwan Panorama investigates government and private efforts to advance Mandarin education not just in local classrooms, but also in aesthetically appealing urban spaces. While teaching Mandarin, these institutions are promoting Taiwan too, blending creativity, culture, art, folk customs, and lifestyles in ways that enable individuals in other countries to experience Taiwan up close.
This month we also bring you articles on the simple garments of fabric designer Cheng Hui-chung and the life and music of Aboriginal singer–songwriter Ilid Kaolo, giving readers a sense of the determination and tenacity of these amazing individuals. Faced with crises that could have caused them to abandon their ambitions, they held fast to their ideals and persevered, earning the respect and admiration of their fans with their restrained, naturalistic styles.
For all that, our thoughts can’t help but return to the recent temblor, which struck just two nights before the Lunar New Year. Like the Jiji Earthquake before it, the temblor wreaked terrible destruction and loss of life. As Eileen Chang once wrote, “The scalding smoke rose weighted with souls.” The swirling smoke and dust were both an awe-inspiring desolation and an unbearable tragedy. In the aftermath, we must pull together, support one another, and pray for Taiwan’s wellbeing.
