Daily Life in Taiwan

“As far as I know, Taiwan has at least 60 groves of giant trees, and even in the most accessible, including those at Qilan, Smangus, and Cinsbu, there is always a ‘boss’ tree [the tree with the greatest girth] that is not so easy to find.” So said giant tree expert Huang Zhaoguo in our interview with him. There are few places in the world like Taiwan which offer all the conveniences of urban life yet have primeval forest just a short journey away.

Our Cover Story this month will introduce readers to the relationship between the people and trees that live on this island. Through interviews with relevant scholars, experts, and private citizens, we highlight the ideal of a utopia where daily life and the environment coexist in harmony.

Other articles in this issue that are closely related to daily life in Taiwan are one on Taiwanese shacha sauce and another on congee. Come with us as we explore how this sauce that is key to so many recipes has made its way onto the dining tables of ordinary people, and study the evolution of congee, a warming rice porridge that is served with myriad savory side dishes. You can once again familiarize yourself with these typically Taiwanese tastes.

The customs of Taiwanese folk religion often leave foreign visitors perplexed. What deities or spirits do the Taiwanese worship, and what do they ask them for? What are the connections to daily life? Regardless of whether you have religious beliefs yourself, through our report in this issue you can discover the inherent goodness of the concept of “revere heaven and love man” that people in Taiwan aspire to.

“Ran In-ting was the only artist who was able to paint Taiwan’s bamboo forests to such a level, and even to capture their movements and mugginess.” This is a remark made by Hsiao Chong-ray, professor emeritus in the Department of History at National Cheng Kung University, during an interview with us. In this issue we look at Ran’s oeuvre and that of his contemporary, Liao Chi-chun. Through the work of these two early Taiwanese artists, and analyses by later generations of artists and art experts, we can once again appreciate the magnificence of the arts on this island.

The 2023 Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS) was held in early March. Its themes included energy-saving green industry, smart networking, flexible manufacturing, and digital simulation. All of these are areas in which Taiwan has a competitive advantage. What were the highlights of ­TIMTOS 2023? How can Taiwanese firms, with their strengths in areas such as intelligent manufacturing and green supply chains, create comprehensive industrial value chains and provide solutions? Tommy Hsu, president of the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry, guides us through the issues involved to look at the future of Taiwan’s machine tool industry.