Cultural Stories Episodes

如果要說到臺灣人過去最熟悉的牙膏品牌，「黑人牙膏」絕對是名列前茅。即使後來因為可能有種族歧視的意味而全面改名為「好來牙膏」，商標的顏色也幾度調整，但依然還是臺灣各大賣場架上最常見的牙膏品牌。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版，就讓兩位主持人來一起聊聊這個歷史意外悠久的牙膏品牌，以及它背後的一些歷史爭議故事。

2001年，有一部臺灣改編自日本漫畫的電視劇席捲全臺，開啟了臺灣「偶像劇」的年代，甚至還輸出到中國及亞洲各地，成為當時重要的社會、文化現象。而演出這部《流星花園》女主角的徐熙媛（大S），則是無論劇裡劇外，都是對臺灣社會風氣、性別印象帶來強烈衝擊的新時代女性。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版，就讓兩位主持人來一起聊聊這位一度走在時代尖端，但又有無數爭議的「女主角」。

Formosa Files presents two incredible stories about WWII airmen in this week’s remastered, re-edited encore episode (first released in Sept. 2022).  First, a tale by the author of “God is My Co-Pilot” about a U.S. pilot who cobbled together a plane – with bamboo “skis” instead of wheels – and flew it on an epic raid a year after the Pearl Harbor attacks.  And second, the story of how a young Japanese fighter pilot from Mito (near Tokyo) became “General Flying Tiger,” a deity worshiped at a temple in Tainan City, Taiwan.  We recommend listening to the whole episode; however, if you're only interested in the “General Flying Tiger” story, skip to about minute 14.

在一些神明出巡的時候，總會有一團「家將」在駕前護衛，協助神明執行任務。這個「家將」的文化由於時代與人心變遷，大多已經失去過去的宗教意涵，還時常由於廟會的各種失序行為與黑道滲透，在現代社會中遭受非議。但也有許多家將團，在現代的各種誤解與非難中，持續努力維持正派與傳統，讓世界看見臺灣文化。這集的Formosa Files 中文版，我們邀請到長期紀錄廟宇文化的「一步就出走」文字影像工作室的阿丹，來與大家一起聊聊臺灣家將文化的歷史與故事。

Sing: Gongxi, Gongxi, Gongxi Ni, hey, (repeat ad nauseum).  Sin Nien Kwai Le (as they might write it in Kaohsiung). We hope everyone is enjoying the long holiday. Nine days of auspicious food, firecrackers, red envelopes, and… relatives!!  Should you, however, need a little break from the mahjong table or the relatives, John and Eryk have a few snake stories for you. Not to give too much away, but guess what? John is a snake eater, and he also refrigerates snakes! Eryk is not a fan of snakes; except for a certain fire snake woman, and a certain water snake child.

The press called her a “two-pistol-packing” grandma. She witnessed and participated in the chaos of warlord China, World War II, and the CCP-KMT civil war. For a time, she was a criminal. Later she became a household name for her bravery in fighting the Japanese and then the Communists, resisting right up to the evacuation of Dachen Islands in 1955. Huang Bamei died in Taipei in 1982 (age 76) after devoting the last decades of her long and action-packed life to caring for children orphaned by the Chinese Civil War; an amazing life that, quite honestly John and Eryk would rather talk about than have lived through.

2013年，美國《時代》雜誌選出了世界史上最具影響力的15頭動物，林旺也名列其中，讓林旺的知名度從臺灣跨向全世界。曾經身有軍階，最初出生在緬甸叢林的林旺，究竟是如何來到臺灣，又與臺灣有些什麼樣的故事呢？這集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊，過去臺北市立動物園裡人見人愛的這頭「林旺爺爺」。

颱風對臺灣人來說，真的是又愛又怕。臺灣既需要颱風帶來的雨水（以及防災假？），但颱風又時常對臺灣帶來非常嚴重的災害。2024年臺灣歷經了許久不見的颱風登陸，2025年第一集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊印象最深刻的颱風，以及一些颱風的歷史小故事。

Part of the landscape, but not really given much thought, paifang 牌坊, also known as a pailou 牌樓, are a part of traditional Chinese architecture. They are generally an arch used as a gateway. But they are not just decorative, they have a long history and deep significance. In this first chat of 2025, John and Eryk muse about archways, filial piety, and chastity, and then detour into Taiwanese military prostitution and brothels. Happy New Year and perhaps you’d care to join the Formosa Files team in a new year’s resolution: pay more attention to things around us that might seem mundane, and discover the stories behind them.

傳統市場是臺灣過去數代人的共同記憶。熱鬧的街邊攤販、市場建築內一字排開的商家，伴隨著市場特有的氣味與人情溫度，都是臺灣歷史中相當鮮明的一筆。然而由於社會變遷、消費型態改變，傳統市場逐漸衰落，甚至已經有許多市場建築消失了。究竟傳統市場有些什麼小故事，又能怎麼繼續存活下去呢？這集 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast 邀請到目前正在中山大學HISP計畫服務的專案經理林心乙，跟我們一起聊聊傳統市場的過去、現在與未來。

If you've been to a Taiwanese wedding this century, it was likely a much toned-down version of what these boisterous events could once be like. John (who apologizes for having a cold) recounts watching a wedding and a funeral 20 meters apart held at the same "auspicious" hour. John and Eryk explore the development of Taiwan’s seemingly Western but actually home-grown modern wedding culture. And they recall the days when it was considered normal that a wedding (or sometimes a religious ceremony) would feature performances from lightly-clothed women. Enjoy this walk down the aisle of memory lane.

在國內外發生重大災害的時候，總是會有一群人出現在災區，發放物資或為災民及救災人員準備餐點。臺灣人或許對他們並不陌生：臺灣佛教慈濟基金會，或是以前的慈濟功德會。雖然難免有若干爭議，但不可否認的，走出國際的慈濟已經成為臺灣歷史上非常重要的一個組織。這集 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast 就由兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊，慈濟基金會的一些故事。

She loved opium, handsome pirates, and spoke English... plus she allegedly (it's almost certainly not true) sometimes went into battle topless! He was a pirate warlord who, at one point, had hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men under his control.  Meet the Tsais (Cais): 蔡牽 and 蔡牽媽 a crazy couple who deservedly became absolute legends.  This story's English information comes mostly from Maritime Taiwan: Historical Encounters with the East and the West (East Gate Books) by Prof. Henry Tsai.

中國東南沿海、臺灣海峽一帶自從明朝實施海禁政策以來，就成為了海盜橫行的海域，一直到清朝年間都還有海盜出沒，甚至還有許多名震四海的女性海盜。在1790年代，就誕生了一對海盜夫妻：蔡牽與蔡牽媽，堪稱是當時最強盛也最特別的海盜。這集 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast 就由兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊，大海盜蔡牽媽與蔡牽的故事。

Did you know? Joseph Stalin saved Chinese characters. (um… sort of) In Qing-era Taiwan, two men sometimes SHARED a wife! John has done 10 episodes of our other podcast, “Bookish Asia.” Plum Rain Press, the new publishing arm of Formosa Files, is about to release an epic historical novel by Dr. Chen Yao-chang 陳耀昌, the man behind the Netflix series Seqalu. This week John and Eryk wander around a bit, give you some info, tell a few cool stories, and have a laugh or two in one of Formosa Files’ every-now-and-then “Bits and Pieces” episodes.   A BIG THANK YOU to all who have left a 5-star review, subscribed, and followed us on social media!

自從國民政府遷臺後，政府急需資金填補預算的黑洞；此外，臺灣自1970、1980年代經濟起飛後，人民財富迅速累積，一些人就開始追求「一擲千金」的刺激感，或是追尋一夜致富的手段。再加上或許臺灣人有種「賭性堅強」的性格，造就了臺灣歷史長久的賭博文化。這集 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast 就由兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊，彩券與賭博在臺灣的故事。

What does AI have to do with footbinding in Taiwan? Well, it's a 13-min mini episode, so you're just gonna have to listen and find out. Check the show notes for more info.

說到臺灣的「國球」，雖然也有人自嘲是「贏球」，但大部分的人應該都會說是棒球。臺灣的棒球從日治時期開始發展至今，已是相對成熟的運動，從少棒開始為臺灣培養了許許多多的運動人才，也有選手去到國外發光發熱。然而臺灣棒球雖然有輝煌的一面，卻也有黑暗的一刻。這集 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast 就由兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊棒球在臺灣的故事。

Did you know that when the United Nations voted to admit “Red China” in 1971, then-California Governor Ronald Reagan called up President Richard Nixon and suggested that the United States quit the UN and become an “observer” in protest?  To some, Reagan was and is controversial, but when it comes to support for the Republic of China (Taiwan), there is no debate: Reagan thought Nixon and – especially Carter – were wrong to “throw a loyal friend overboard.”   Reagan came to Taiwan twice. The first time, in 1971, he was here as a reluctant envoy of Nixon on a mission to try and calm the fears of CKS over Nixon’s upcoming meeting with Mao in Beijing. During the second visit, as a private citizen in 1978, Reagan met with leader-in-waiting Chiang Ching-kuo and went back to the US full of praise for a modernizing Taiwan.  When President Carter switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, Reagan stated that the US didn’t get enough out of it. He pointed out that China was th…

This forgotten father of Taiwan democracy sacrificed his comfortable life (he came from a rich family and had a PhD from the US in Chemical Engineering) to fight for Taiwanese independence in the post-WW2 decades. In 1956 he was elected president of the Japan-based Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government. In some ways, he also sacrificed his Chinese-American wife and children. So, when his American granddaughter Kim Liao was growing up, Thomas Liao was almost never mentioned. In this episode, John talks to Kim about uncovering her mysterious family history, the subject of her recent outstanding book: Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence. (Note: John also recorded another episode with Kim focusing on her book – see Episode 6 of Bookish Asia with Plum Rain Press)

臺灣的珍珠奶茶國際知名，但臺灣的手搖飲文化其實起源意外的早。自日治時期、美援時期為臺灣引入調酒用的雪克杯之後，泡沫紅茶店開始興起，逐漸發展成專門外帶的茶飲店，如今臺灣的手搖茶飲店家數甚至比便利商店還多。臺灣的手搖飲文化以及茶飲文化，又有些什麼故事在裡面呢？就讓 Formosa Files 中文版的兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊。

網路上討論最熱烈的臺灣夜市特色食物，大概莫過於「臭豆腐」。雖然贊否兩論，但外國人來臺灣時，只要問臺灣人「推薦吃什麼」，大概都會被推薦去夜市吃臭豆腐。這集Formosa Files 的中文版 podcast，就由兩位主持人來聊聊臭豆腐、夜市與一些特色食物。

臺灣雖然只是個小島，但是機車密度卻是世界第一，幾乎到了平均每個成年人都擁有一部機車的程度。對很多人來說，機車也似乎就像是從青少年「登大人」的象徵，有了第一部機車，就像是可以開始脫離家裡的掌控一樣。這個與臺灣人有許多因緣的交通工具，究竟有些什麼歷史故事呢？這集的 Formosa Files 中文版 podcast 中，就讓兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊。

提到臺灣的野生動物園，大家都會想到六福村。一部分聽眾朋友可能還會有記憶，以前甚至可以直接開車入園，直接在車上看動物。雖然六福村在1990年代起就逐漸不再允許開車入園，但2024年又重新少量開放，蔚為一波話題。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版 Podcast，就讓兩位主持人來跟大家聊聊印象中的六福村與其它臺灣的動物園。