The growth of interest in humanity’s relationship with the natural world stems not just from environmental awareness, but also from a worldwide focus on environmental protection. The establishment of national parks serves as a benchmark in the struggle to protect environments and species.
In this month’s cover story, we visit four of Taiwan’s national parks—Taroko, Yushan, Taijiang and Kenting—to explore various environmental topics, from the conservation of the Formosan sambar and the black-faced spoonbill to Yushan’s Walami Trail and the ecology of the Hengchun Peninsula. These are multifaceted issues that involve species, environments, ecologies, local economies, and ecotourism. Our comprehensive reporting reflects the immense pride in the success of Taiwan’s various conservation efforts.
The article “Homeland of Mackerel: 90 Years of Nanfang’ao,” published in Taiwan Panorama on February 2nd, 2014, delved into the history of the fishing port Nanfang’ao. In this issue’s article “Reawakening Nanfang’ao,” we explore the town’s future and a series of initiatives intended to restore this treasured little place to its former glory.
Recent trends in popular culture have coalesced around local storytelling, especially tales of yaoguai (mythical demons), which have inspired numerous stories told through fiction, animation, theater, and video games.
The West has its own canon of mythology, China has mythological classics including The Classic of Mountains and Seas and Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, and Japan has the Kojiki collection of mythological tales. But just what is the equivalent in Taiwan?
Novelist Ho Ching Yao scoured historical and literary anthologies, materials compiled by Taipei Legend Studio, and a series of yaoguai-inspired products created by Chiaos Creative Inc., in an attempt to trace the origins of yaoguai, flesh out depictions in the fantasy genre, and nurture the conditions for development of the genre in Taiwan.
What kind of sparks fly when Asian calligraphy meets Western art? In one approach, calligraphy was re-imagined through global artistic perspectives to create new works that combine various media—allowing music, fashion, and multimedia to play supporting roles. In this issue we visit master calligraphic artist Tong Yang-tze, who takes us on a journey through the world of global art.
Children of various ages perform in the Puzagalan Children’s Choir, named for the word for “hope” in the Paiwan language, voicing the aspirations of their hometowns on an international stage. This performance troupe, along with the Taiwan Smile Folksong Group, which draws from Taiwan’s folk singing traditions, and Formosa Circus Art, which melds acrobatics, juggling, dance and theater, as well as the athletes of the Taipei Universiade featured in this month’s Photo Essay, illustrate Taiwan’s unique passion and energy just in time for the National Day celebrations. They provide an enviable demonstration of Taiwan’s soft power.
