Colors in Bloom

Through the ages, people have taken deep pleasure in the blooming of flowers. Taiwan’s mild climate allows for various plants to blossom throughout the year. Splendid beauty springs forth from a backdrop of green, adorning otherwise ordinary landscapes and providing a marvelous occasion for an......

Cherry Blossoms at Wuling Farm

In early spring people all over Taiwan love to go out and view the cherry blossoms. More than 20,000 ornamental cherry trees of more than ten varieties have been planted at Wuling Farm, making it a popular place to admire the blossoms. At this beautiful time of year, why not get outdoors and g......

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......

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 ......