The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

People do indeed marry ghosts in Taiwan! Formosa Files does not mean to mock or in any way be disrespectful to local traditions. Instead, we hope this episode’s two main ghost stories – one (probably) a tall tale – and the other a true story of a man taking a ghost bride, will offer listeners important insights into Taiwanese culture, belief systems, folk religion, and ideas about family, and filial piety. More common in yesteryears, but ghost marriages remain part of local traditions into the 21st century.  More info at formosafiles.com

Former CNN China correspondent, Mike Chinoy, discusses his experiences reporting on Tiananmen Square. He talks about his first trip to Taiwan in 1974, the CCP crackdown in Hong Kong, and Taiwan's transformation into the freest nation in Asia.

Gyalo Thondup རྒྱལ་ལོ་དོན་འགྲུབ has had a very interesting life. Born in 1927, he’s the second-eldest brother of the current (and 14th) Dalai Lama. Brother Thondup has long been an unofficial envoy for the Tibetan leader-in-exile, and in May 1950, Gyalo Thondup became the first “officially acknowledged” Tibetan to visit Taiwan since 1949. What was he doing here? Why Taiwan? What were then-president CKS's feelings about Tibet? Find out in this week’s Formosa Files episode.  See pics and more at formosafiles.com

The podcast explores the 1973 Qijin Ferry Tragedy where 25 young women drowned, leading to improved public safety. It delves into the challenges faced during the evacuation, the shortcomings in safety measures, and the establishment of a burial site. The episode also discusses the success of the Gao-Shong Export Processing Zone in Taiwan and reflects on the tragic loss while highlighting safety improvements in ferry transportation.

The podcast explores the surprising shared histories between Taiwan and Israel, from ROC founder Sun Yat-sen's support for Israel to Taiwan seeking help with atomic-related matters. It features a conversation with 91-year-old professor Meron Medzini, offering loads of fascinating stories and historical insights. The episode delves into early recognitions, military cooperations, and strategic decisions made during the Cold War era, highlighting the intertwined pasts of Taiwan and Israel.

Welcome in the Year of the Dragon with this encore of a classic episode from Season Two. Eryk claims all Taiwanese/Chinese holidays are based on sad stories filled with misery, terror, and death. John disagrees. And so the two go over the major holidays celebrated here, and, well, you be the judge of who wins this argument. Also, we cover holidays that used to be part of our calendar, until we had to give them up in exchange for two-day weekends.  AND, a very Happy New Year from Formosa Files and the Frank C. Chen Foundation. Check out formosafiles.com for more. 

In the left corner, mega-multinational corporation DuPont. In the right corner, farmers from central Taiwan’s Lugang 鹿港. Ready? Fight!! To open Season Four, we have a David vs. Goliath story, made more complicated by the fact that the Davids in this tale weren't sure what weapons they could get away with using. Taiwan was changing fast in 1986, but it was still under martial law, and protests were often dealt with harshly. DuPont, a huge American company, wanted to build a chemical plant in Lugang (usually spelled as “Lukang”). Taiwan's government said “sure!” The people of Lugang, however, weren’t so cool with it... and for the first time in modern Taiwanese history they launched a “rebellion” against a major corporation, and the ROC authorities.   Check out formosafiles.com for links, pics, and more.

1958. Just 66 years ago, yet Taiwan back then was like a completely different country. There was no television, but there were Russian-language radio broadcasts to Siberia. Eryk and John share nuggets from a 1959 ROC booklet, “101 Questions about Taiwan,” which proves to be both a humorous and fascinating time capsule of facts and stats. Enjoy this journey back to the year 1958, when sugar dominated exports, and Taiwan manufactured 93 jeeps!  Visit formosafiles.com for links, pics, and more.

Linda Arrigo has been in Taiwan for many years, working as a human rights activist, as an important member of the early team of fighters who risked life and limb for a democratic Taiwan, and more recently, worked with the Taiwan Green Party on environmental issues such as stopping NPP4. She's also taught in local universities as a professor. Her Ph.D. thesis (1996) was on land  ownership inequality in pre-1949 China, a topic she started working on in 1975 during early graduate study -- but had to return to because her questionnaires on girl factory workers in Taiwan (field research 1975, 1977-79) were confiscated during a police raid on her home following the Kaohsiung Incident. She was married to the late Shih Ming-teh from 1978 to 1995. And while, like many, she has a great amount of respect for the former political prisoner-turned statesman, Linda notes that history will unfortunately remember the errors he made in his latter decades that sullied his once-glowing reputation.   formosafiles.com has links, pics, and more.

Shih Ming-teh 施明德 died on the morning of his 83rd birthday, January 15th, 2024. This Taiwan democracy champion spent a combined 25.5 years in Taiwanese prisons for “sedition;” what the one-party state called his activism. Shih would live to see Taiwan blossom into a free society, and received recognition for his role in the long, hard fight. But in the last decades of his life, Shih's reputation took a beating - leaving a stain on his legacy. Despite this, “Nori,” as he was called by friends and family, will always have a place in the pantheon of Taiwan democracy freedom fighters. Here’s his story:  Visit https://www.formosafiles.com/ for pics, links, and more.