“By shrinking the distance between two places, a bridge makes them one.”
Taiwan Panorama has been building bridges for more than 30 years. That mission remains unchanged, even in the era of the Internet.
This month’s issue happens to look directly at bridge building in several arenas: in culture, diplomacy, sharing, and even hope.
This month’s cover story looks at the cultural bridge of Mandarin education around the world.
The piece explores how Taiwan is leveraging its retention of traditional Chinese characters, innovative educational approaches, and localized curricula to stake out the strategic high ground in the international Mandarin education market and counter the waves of cash and manpower that mainland China has been throwing into its own educational forays.
Another article investigates the diplomatic bridge of a fellowship exchange program that brings emerging leaders to Taiwan.
To inaugurate its Mosaic Taiwan program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited 27 outstanding young Americans to Taiwan for a three-week tour that introduced them to the full “Taiwan experience.” While here, they witnessed local customs in both rural and urban areas, sampled Taiwanese cuisine and snacks, and spoke with young people in the arts, industry, and the social welfare sector. These young leaders will be able to speak for Taiwan in the future, providing a communicative and diplomatic bridge between Taiwan and the international community.
This month also features an article on PTT, Taiwan’s largest bulletin board system and a “sharing” bridge.
With mobile communications apps such as LINE and WeChat, and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, allowing people today to share their thoughts and ideas effortlessly, social media are coming to play an important role in social movements both in Taiwan and abroad.
Established here in Taiwan 20 years ago, PTT currently has more than 2 million users. As fascinating as ever, it continues to link people into online discussions of the big issues of the day while nurturing a uniquely Taiwanese culture. PTT’s diverse membership includes the likes of Mayday lead vocalist Ashin, sportscaster Hsu Chan-yuan and online writer Giddens Ko, all of whom are senior members of the community.
And we look at the bridges of hope being created by Taiwan’s NGOs.
Hank Hsu, who goes by the moniker “Dogface,” set out for Cambodia in 2011, camera in hand and pursuing a dream. In 2013 he joined the Formosa Budding Hope Association’s creative program for children, while also undertaking his own Love in Cambodia photography project. Our photo essay relates a portion of Hsu’s Cambodia experience through photos he hopes will move readers in other nations.
Finally, we look at the bridges the Taipei City Government is creating to shorten the distance between urban and rural areas.
Taiwan has possibly the world’s highest population density of frogs, and summer is their breeding season. In tribute to this aspect of our natural environment, the Taipei City Government has designated six summer frog-watching paths, including the Xinyi District’s Elephant Mountain Trail, Shilin’s Tianmu Old Trail, Neihu’s Dagouxi Trail, and Wenshan’s Xianjiyan Trail.
Why not spend a midsummer evening strolling one of these nature trails? Take a moment to escape the urban hubbub, listen to the songs of the frogs, and simply unwind. You might even encounter something entirely new, as we hope you do with each new issue of Taiwan Panorama.
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