TAIWAN HISTORY - Formosa Files Episodes

Next week we’ll kick off Season Five of Formosa Files! A huge thank you to the Frank C. Chen Foundation for its continued support of the program; without it, this podcast would not exist. In S4 we talked a lot about the 1624-2024 anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch, the new historical novel “A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa,” and other Dutch-in-Taiwan-related things, and today we're staying on the topic with a short, informal chat about Koxinga’s father. We’ll cover his incredible story in future episodes, but this is his basic bio, a simple telling of his epic win at the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, and a few hints about his unhappy end. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! And thanks for following us on social media, for the wonderful reviews and emails filled with high praise… all very much appreciated. In Season Five we’re going to turn it up with big names like CKS (maybe Mao as well!), plus historic milestones such as the 2000 Presidential Election (and maybe the 2004 Chen Shui-bian…

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.

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.

As you likely know, Chinese writing comes in two main forms: traditional (fántǐzì) and simplified (jiǎntǐzì). Taiwan uses traditional characters and China uses simplified characters. Taiwan is a peace-loving democracy and China is an authoritarian state; ergo – traditional characters are better! But no, logic doesn’t care about politics and as John and Eryk debate this sometimes-controversial topic, you may come to agree with us that there are pluses and minuses for both systems. Eryk likes writing his wife’s surname as 刘, not 劉… but John has a point about beauty – did they really need to do this 东 to “east”? Was the original, 東, really oh, sooo hard? Enjoy a friendly argument or two, and learn a bit of the history of characters and the people who simplified them. PS: if you want to know more about Hanyu Pinyin, listen to our Bookish Asia podcast episode where John chats with an author of a book on Zhou Youguang (周有光).

After serving eight months behind bars for libel, Chen Shui-bian is released in February 1987, and enters the fray of a newly-liberalized political landscape. In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party became Taiwan’s first real opposition party, and Chen’s wife is elected to Parliament. Mr. Chen bides his time, and then pounces – first becoming a lawmaker, beating Frank Hsieh to become DPP caucus chief, and then setting his sights on the nation’s capital city. In 1994, direct elections for Taipei mayor are held for the first time, and Chen overcomes Frank Hsieh again to become the DPP nominee.  But Chen has a few issues: he isn’t a great speaker and he doesn’t like smiling. Will this plucky lad from a dirt-poor home in Tainan overcome the odds? Find out in this week’s exciting Formosa Files Taiwan history story.

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.

With a new intro and ending, this is a rerelease of one of our more popular episodes: the story of the decision by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) to follow through with previous administration commitments to recognize the People’s Republic of China. The switch from the ROC to the PRC was a massive change that would slowly lead to the complicated de facto status the Republic of China has today: not technically recognized as a country, not thought to represent “China” anymore, but – at least for a huge number of nations – in reality, now a thriving, democratic, independent island nation known best by the name “Taiwan.”

This was a breakout year for Formosa Files, for which we thank our highly intelligent, "people of quality" listeners and supporters. John and Eryk wrap up the year with a "bits & pieces/Xmas hotpot" episode that includes everything from a non-canonical version of the goddess Mazu's birth to the fact that early Tintin comics move into the public domain on 1 January 2025. Oh, and we've decided on a divine mission: a search for the "Holy Bamboo" of Pingtung (or any bamboo in Pingtung Eryk can pass off as being connected to the grove that bloomed in joy when then-Crown Prince Hirohito visited in 1923.) This year also featured the launch of Plum Rain Press and the release of Dr. Chen Yao-Chang's major historical fiction epic, "A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa."  MERRY CHRISTMAS (or seasonal greeting of your choice) and HAPPY NEW YEAR! See you in 2025!

Harold and Alice Focht. He was an educator, she came along to keep him away from the geishas (well, some said). Hear how two middle-aged Americans saw Taiwan at, arguably, the peak of the Japanese colonial era.  Lots of civilizing was on display – Asia’s longest bridge and the aboriginal show village of Kappanzan (beautiful modern-day Jiaobanshan). But happily, some local charms were also seen, including the unhealthy but persistent habit of chewing betel nuts, some minor disregarding of cleanliness, and local throngs gawking at big-footed Americans. As a bonus, Eryk and John give away two brilliant ideas for modern-day tourism related to rail pushcarts.

He’s a rockstar in Taiwan; swarmed by the media as he grabs a snack at a local night market while wearing his trademark leather jacket – there’s almost no chance you’ve never heard of him: Jensen Huang 黃仁勳, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia is now probably the most famous person of Taiwanese heritage in the world. His company is creating wonderfully terrifying chips that power AI concepts which will either help solve the world’s major problems or fulfil “The Terminator” movies prophecies. But how did this kind-looking 61-year-old Taiwanese American rise from his reasonably humble background in Tainan City into the ranks of IT megatitans? Formosa Files brings you the story of his early years in this week’s episode... well, as much as of it as we could find, at least. PLEASE DO US A FAVOR and sub, follow, or 'like' us on social media - it really helps! Thanks!

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.

Today, the small island roughly 13 kilometers off the coast of Pingtung County is called Xiaoliuqiu 琉球嶼. Some 400 years ago, however, many called it Lamay Island. Shipwrecks in the seas around Formosa were common, and survivors who made it ashore often found the native peoples tolerated no incursions. After a few such incidents involving the killing of people from Dutch ships by Lamay Islanders, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) HQ in Batavia (Jakarta) gave the Dutch colonists in Taiwan an order: Completely depopulate Lamay Island. The Dutch in Taiwan - not without reservations - followed this order, and committed the worst atrocity against the indigenous people during the Dutch colonial period in Formosa.  Note: This episode was originally published on 22 March, 2022

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.

400 Years: Dutch Formosa - part two: Roughly 80% of Dutch (or other European) men settling in Taiwan as part of the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) presence on Taiwan married Indigenous Taiwanese women! Learn more about Dutch-era Taiwan through the eyes of women as a remarkable woman, National Taiwan Normal University Professor Ann Heylen, gives us a glimpse into the severely Calvinist, yet practical, VOC - the world's first multinational corporation.

400 Years: Dutch Formosa - part one: Of course, Chen Di was not actually the first person from China to visit Taiwan. What makes him special is that he wrote an account of what he saw here in 1603, and that account is the earliest surviving manuscript discovered thus far. Chen Di's short travel commentary focuses mostly on the Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan; their customs, diet, etc., a rare and valuable documentation by a man who was both a scholar and a warrior. Chen Di's account of his 1603 trip was only rediscovered in 1955!  Interestingly, the same year Chen Di came to Taiwan was when the Dutch East India Company (the VOC) set up a permanent trading post in what's now Indonesia. The Dutch are determined to break into the China trade market - but they'll need another base. Somewhere a bit closer.

Need a break from typhoons (Taiwan)? Need to escape the non-stop election-related noise (USA)? Or maybe you simply would like to hear John and Eryk babble about a couple of strange out-of-print books with a Taiwan connection (everyone)?  This week we meander, go off on tangents, tell virtually unknown stories (including mysterious deaths), and discuss two books we bet you’ve never heard of, let alone read.  Also: Happy Halloween (and of course, it's Chiang Kai-shek's birthday).

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.

Taiwan in 1946. How will post-war Formosa turn out? Will the KMT be successful in managing the local economy? Will there be strife between the new Chinese rulers and – until very recently – Japanized Taiwanese people?  Who knows? Well, we do... now.  The Formosa Files team is pleased to bring you a rare gem: clips of a radio program by NBC, recorded in late 1946, just a little more than a year after the end of World War II.  John and Eryk will play segments of this radio docu-drama and then comment on the facts, add info, explain context, and more. Enjoy this experience, which really feels like a kind of time travel!

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!

To celebrate Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (李安) being named the winner for theater/film of the 2024 Praemium Imperiale, a global arts prize awarded annually by the Japan Art Association, we thought we'd reprise our Ang Lee bio episode from Formosa Files Season 2. Enjoy!

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.

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)