Business And Industry In Taiwan Episodes

Ever taken Kaohsiung’s cable car across the harbor, had fun at Chiayi’s Universal Studios theme park, marveled at Taiwan’s Statue-of-Liberty-style gift to the US (a giant Moon Goddess monument)? Well, no, you couldn’t have because these projects were never realized. These are just a few of the many bleached bones we explore from the graveyard of broken dreams. AND – there will be an extra episode coming this Saturday with a wild premise. Is it possible the ancient Chinese settled in Taiwan during the time of China’s first emperor, or in Japan, or crossed the Pacific and made contact with Central American civilizations such as the Maya?

From Chiang Kai-shek’s nuclear ambitions to the fallout from Chernobyl and Fukushima, Taiwan’s nuclear story has always been controversial. The ROC once came within months of being nuclear-bomb ready, but today, fission is gone from even civilian atomic power generation. This Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, voters face a radioactive referendum. The core question? Whether to restart the recently decommissioned Ma’anshan Nuclear Power Plant 馬鞍山核能發電廠 in Kenting, Pingtung County. After years of splitting atoms over this hot topic, a critical mass is forming in a debate that may reveal just how divided the island remains on atomic energy. Join us as we explore the chain-reaction politics of Taiwan’s nuclear dilemma and the referendum which may trigger a U-turn on uranium.  Please follow us on social media, and leave a review or comment. Thanks, it really helps.

After the “execution-style” murder of Taoyuan Magistrate Liu Pang-yu and half a dozen others at Liu’s official residence in November 1996 by assassins deemed connected to the underworld, Taiwan’s authorities began getting serious about trying to rid its ranks of those with ties to organized crime – but it’s no easy task. A report from that same year found that at least a third of elected officials were part of a system termed “Black Gold,” or put simply: gangsters in government.

Shortly after the Lunar New Year of 1990, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (the Taiex) hit a peak of almost 12,500. Eight months later it had fallen to a low of about 2,500 – an 80% collapse, and one of the worst stock market crashes of all time! In this week’s Taiwan history Formosa Files episode, we’re looking at the “Great Stock Market Bubble” of the late 1980s, when too many people had a lot more money than sense. Taiwan’s financial sector in the late 1980s was so crazy that the Republic of China (Taiwan) got a nickname: “the Republic of Casino”.

Did you know that former Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 is the youngest of eleven siblings? Her personal story is a dramatic example of how quickly we’ve fallen from high fertility in the 1950s, when the rate was over six children per woman, to the current birthrate of about one. That’s half of what’s needed to maintain a population. Eryk and John discuss Taiwan’s dramatic demographic changes and explore possible solutions. This is an important subject, an existential threat for Taiwan, which is why we chose it to kick off Season Five of Formosa Files.

The person who did most of the work creating the company people around the world almost immediately associate with Taiwan has no ancestors from this island, was not born here, didn't go to school here, and only came here for the first time when he was almost 40 years old. But, of course, Morris Chang 張忠謀 didn't create Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) out of thin air, nor was he the sole person who set up the famous Taiwanese microchip powerhouse. He had partners, backers, and more than a little assistance from the Taiwanese government. Check out this fascinating story on Formosa Files.

A horrific murder of an American teenager by two other American teenagers in 1985 led to some serious soul-searching: How could the international community in Taiwan (some of whom don't speak Chinese well enough to get help from local sources) aid those going through mental health crises, are in need of counseling, or simply need better ways to gather and bond? The answer became the Community Services Center, a place where, for almost 40 years now, people help each other, organize public service activities, take language, weaving, or you-name-it classes, and much more. Adam McMillan (stepping down soon after 11 years as director) has some stories to tell.

Three devastating crashes over an eight-year span, 1994 to 2002, with a combined 685 fatalities; a record that could easily bankrupt an airline. However, China Airlines (Taiwan's flag carrier) not only survived these horrific events but changed and flourished. They improved pilot training and communication, and built a more robust safety culture, and in 2023, China Airlines won Global Traveler magazine’s “Best Airline in North Asia” award.

Although Eryk is as sick as a dog, both he and John are in very high spirits, and not just because, once again, they get to chat about stinky tofu. In this "bits and pieces" episode there's some jumping around, a look back and a look ahead. But most importantly, we tease an exciting new development! No, Formosa Files isn't going into the Chou Doufu business, but rather... Well, find out by listening to the show.

Taiwan is a food-lover's paradise, with tasty treats, delicious dishes, scrumptious suppers, marvelous morsels... a versatile, vast variety of fabulous foods. John and Eryk aren't really down with the whole clichéd, “let's make stuff about foreigners eating stinky tofu” phenomenon, but we decided to do a food episode, topped with some yummy yarns from yesteryear. Hear the origin story of the locally globally-famous Chiayi turkey rice, the 15-star gourmet Din Tai Fung restaurant chain, and finally, yes, we'll sniff out some feelings on chou doufu 臭豆腐, the smelly snack that seems to somehow always steal the show.

Taiwan loves seafood, and boats from this island trawl for yummy ocean offerings thousands of kilometers away from our shores. Taiwanese fishing vessels are very good at what they do, but they weren't always so good in how they did it. The use of drift nets, so-called "walls of death" that entangle species like sea turtles and dolphins, drew international ire. Taiwan boats also did a lot of fishing in waters they weren't supposed to be in. By 1989, the US Coast Guard had had enough and launched a sting operation to catch the violators. They ended up chasing a Taiwan-registered ship for some 2,700 miles (or about 4,300 kilometers). Here's the story: Note: This episode was originally released on January 9, 2022, under the title E1-S23 - Walls of Death.

Seen the Barbie movie? No worries... Eryk saw it for you, and he noticed one thing they didn't mention in the film: from 1967-1987, most of the world's Barbie dolls were made in Taiwan. Factories in the tiny town of Taishan 泰山 (now a district of New Taipei City) churned out millions of these well-made toys before Mattel moved operations to cheaper manufacturing locations. Plus, we've got info on traditional Taiwanese toys and John ends this week's episode with a strange tale of "possessed" paper dolls.

As this already-iconic structure and performance center turns five, John and Eryk have been commissioned to tell its tale: it's a 40-year saga of a century-old military base becoming a park and home to, more than arguably, one of the world's finest performing arts venues. Happy 5th birthday, Weiwuying! (2023)

Have you been to the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, 衛武營國家藝術文化中心, more commonly called Weiwuying? If not, you really should as it totally lives up to the hype, and is now the best such venue in Taiwan. You may have heard stories or seen TV programs about how hard it was to build "the largest ship on land," or "the largest performance center under one roof," but you can't beat hearing about it directly from one of the people who helped lead the team: Dutch architect Friso van der Steen. Trust us: it's a marvelous tale. Visit www.npac-weiwuying.org for more info on Weiwuying in both English and Chinese.

Ever daydreamed about traveling to East Asia and studying under the great martial arts masters? American Chris Bates did just this, first coming to Taiwan in 1976 to study Mandarin and train in martial arts. Follow Chris’ journey, from meeting the eccentric Liao Wuchang (the Monkey Boxer), training under the retired general and Shaolin master Kao Fanghsien, to getting a wife. John and Chris also discuss other notable figures, including Donn Draeger and Robert Smith, two Americans who helped bring East Asian martial arts to the West. Chris would gravitate toward the internal Chinese martial arts (xingyiquan in particular), training since the early 1980s under the acclaimed Hong Yixiang and his sons. In fact, Chris has just translated Blurred Boundaries, a magnificent biography of the late Master Hong. Chris wraps things up talking about his latest book, the timely novel Rise of the Water Margin.

The Jhuzimen Hydro Power Plant (竹仔門發電廠) was built by the colonial Japanese authorities in 1908 -- in what's now Meinung District (美濃區), Kaohsiung City. Manuel Tsao is a German national in the renewable energy business who has lived in Taiwan for over 15 years. But before coming here, he spent time in Japan -- and speaks Japanese fluently. And, while in Japan, Manuel became somewhat of an expert on the Jhuzimen Hydro Power Plant -- now called the Jhumen Unit of Kaohsiung/Ping-tung Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company (高屏發電廠竹門機組). Hear the story of this still-operating power plant, and learn a bit more about renewable energy in Taiwan from Manuel, in this special Formosa Files INTERVIEW.

Go virtually anywhere in the world and you'll see them: green shipping containers with large white letters reading "EVERGREEN." The company is one of the biggest and best in the shipping world, while also having a hand in air travel and a dozen other ventures. The man who started it all was one of those rare "self-made" billionaires. Overcoming poverty and personal tragedy, he worked his way up from the “banana boats” to build his own company, starting with one small vessel in the 1960s. Today, Evergreen’s giant container ships, some as long as 400 meters, ply the seas to bring people across the planet everything from cars to toilet paper. This is the story of the remarkable 張榮發 Chang Yung-fa (Zhang Rong-fa ), 1927-2016, the founder of Evergreen Marine.

Taiwan's only English radio station, International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) has been a part of millions of Taiwanese -- and many an expat in Taiwan's -- lives since it took over from the US military in 1979. Tim Berge, a 30+ year Taiwan resident, has spent most of his years here working for ICRT, and is today the station's GM. In this new Formosa Files interview feature, Tim Berge talks to Eryk about where ICRT came from, waxes nostalgic over the 'golden era' of the 1980s-90s, gives info on how ICRT is funded, tells a few lesser-known stories and answers questions about common misconceptions. (Full disclosure: Eryk Michael Smith has, since 2007, worked for or with ICRT as a writer, news broadcaster, and 'stringer' reporter from south Taiwan)

The Dutch were expelled from southwestern Taiwan by a pirate warlord and Ming loyalist Koxinga in 1662. Their relatively brief stay of 38 years was marked by impressive achievements and lasting impacts. But why they were there in the first place? What did they want? Who did they trade with? How did they get along with the locals? Enjoy a mini "deep dive" in this bonus episode exploring Dutch Formosa.

In the 1980s, Japan's, South Korea's, and Taiwan’s massive fishing fleets gained notoriety for their destructive driftnet fishing. The use of giant driftnets, sometimes tens of kilometers long, threatened to turn the oceans into deserts. In 1989 the United States launched a high-seas sting operation, which culminated in a US coastguard cutter chasing a Taiwanese fishing boat carrying illegally-caught salmon for 2,700 miles across the Pacific. This operation would help bring an end to these “walls of death.”

U.S. economic aid to Taiwan ceased in 1965. Mostly agrarian Taiwan needed to come up with new ways to make money... and it did! From manufacturing Barbie dolls to computers, here’s the story of what many call the island’s “economic miracle.”