New Approaches to Border Control—Balancing Convenience and Security

The end of 2015 was a period of enormous global turbulence. People worldwide were feeling the anxiety created by a series of terrorist attacks. More than 10 million people arrived in or departed from Taiwan last year, and the number is rising. By the end of 2015, close to 161 countries had per......

Dalin: Culture, Nurture and Nature

After several successive days of rain, the air feels saturated with moisture. A series of distinct calls—“dee, dee, dee”—pierce the bamboo grove’s night. The extraordinary sound filling one’s ears is the call of the farmland green tree frog, which can only be heard in Taiwan. Commonly found cl......

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 ......

Saving Taiwan’s Crow Butterflies

“Thousands of crow butterflies Flap their resilient wings In a three-day aerial parade Undulating forward across hill and dale.” —Tseng Kuei-hai, “Wintertime Festival of the Crow Butterflies”......

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......

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 ......

The Taiwanese Camino:

Mazu Pilgrimages

The activities that take place in Taiwan each March to celebrate the goddess Mazu are the island’s most boisterous folk culture events. For seven to nine days and nights, people follow Mazu—Taiwan’s “number-one goddess”—on pilgrimages and “tours of inspection.” Walking in these processions pro......