Social Issues In Taiwan Episodes

In 1963, a 32-year-old American grad student in Taipei wrote a newspaper editorial complaining that Taiwanese people were great at treating friends kindly, but kind of awful in public. Within days, he had unintentionally launched a nationwide student movement for civility, morality, and self-awareness. But this student-led push for better manners would also lead to arrests, prison time, and even psychiatric detention. In this episode, we tell the strange true story of the “Self-Awareness Movement,” how it exploded from one opinion piece, and explain how it contributed (or didn’t) to Taiwan’s public behavior transformation. Listen as we go from the sharp-elbowed chaos at bank counters and bus stops of the 1960s to today’s orderly lines and the quiet pride of the MRT.

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.

From a couple of morons who dismember themselves in a bid to scam insurance companies, to the infamous “Demon of Chiayi” serial killer Chen Jui-chin 陳瑞欽 (plus the story of the only woman on death row in Taiwan), this week Formosa Files brings you an assortment of true crime stories. WARNING: Don't play this episode aloud where children might hear.