Taiwan–Vietnam Migrations

—Building Lives in Other Lands

Since the 1990s, Taiwan’s government has promoted the “Go South” and “New Southbound” policies, under which the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have become fertile new ground for Taiwanese entrepreneurship. At the same time, Taiwan has opened up its labor market......

From Manufacturing to Healthcare:

Taiwanese Investment in Vietnam

The streets of Ho Chi Minh City are always packed with people and vehicles, while boats dance along the Saigon River. The animated scene hints at Vietnam’s economic vitality.......

Growing Ties of Friendship

Taiwanese–Vietnamese Relations over the Years

On the streets of Taiwan, you can find Vietnamese at hairdressers and nail salons as well as Vietnamese rice noodle shops. You can also find them working at tea plantations in Nantou, ­lychee orchards in Taitung, water lily fields in Meinung, and bed and breakfasts and sesame twist factories o......

Renaissance of Bunun Millet Culture

Growing Native Varieties Under the Garden Program

In recent years a number of young Bunun indigenous people have been returning to their hometowns and, through millet cultivation, have begun a renaissance of fading traditional millet culture. From one plant pot and one garden they have expanded outward, enabling Bunun millet culture to once a......

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......

Tradition and Innovation:

The Protean Power of Instant Noodles

Who invented instant noodles? In Taiwan, we come across the forerunner of instant noodles, the world’s first instant noodles with sauce packets containing sumptuous chunks of meat, as well as those featuring distinctively local recipes that make use of Chinese medicinal herbs and huadiao, a cl......

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 ......