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S5 Bonus: Taiwan and Xu Fu (with Chris Stowers)
Season 5
Ancient Chinese records tell us that in 210 BC a Taoist priest and alchemist named Xu Fu (徐福) sailed east to find the elixir of immortality for the d…
3 months, 1 week ago
Altars and Outlaws: Ben Sando on Taiwan’s Underworld – Gangs, Temples, and Political Influence – S5-E35
Season 5 Episode 35
We’ll let Benjamin Sando, research fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute, and our guest for this week’s episode, describe the topic:
“From the early …
3 months, 3 weeks ago
“The Eleventh Commandment” – the First Western Movie Shot in Taiwan – S5-E34
Season 5 Episode 34
This wonderfully weird story is part of our “almost-no-one’s-ever-hear-of-Taiwan-trivia” collection, and man… it’s wild. Plot synopsis: A Cold War wa…
3 months, 4 weeks ago
Bits & Pieces: “Women of the Orient” and Around the World in a “Half-Safe” Amphibious Jeep (1956) – S5-E33
Season 5 Episode 33
In this Bits & Pieces episode, John makes Eryk read some cringe-inducing lines from a guide to “the women of the Orient.” Then, they set off on one o…
4 months ago
From Ashes to Innovation: Japan, Taiwan, and the Spirit of the Osaka Expo of 1970 – S5-E32
Season 5 Episode 32
In 1968, just 23 years after the end of WWII, Japan became the world’s second-largest economy (and would remain so until 2011, when it was overtaken …
4 months, 1 week ago
Swearing with Chickens, and other Taiwan Bird Adventures – S5-E31
Season 5 Episode 31
Inspired by Taichung’s recent hosting of the World Bird Fair, Eryk and John explore Taiwan’s rich avian diversity and look at bird omens, bird gambli…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
The U.S. Breaks Relations with a Loyal Ally for the First Time in History: Former AmCham Taipei President Robert Parker Tells the Story of “Derecognition” – S5-E30
Season 5 Episode 30
Everyone knew it was coming, but when U.S. President Carter announced on Dec. 15, 1978 that Washington D.C. was switching diplomatic recognition from…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
Golden Taiwan Travels (1967) – S5-E29
Season 5 Episode 29
Travel with Eryk and John as they explore Taiwan using the 1967 edition of a long-forgotten guidebook: The Golden Guide to South & East Asia. Taiwan …
5 months ago
The San Cha Mountain 三叉山 Incident of 1945 – Taiwan Marks 80 Years Since Double Tragedy [S5 Reedited Encore]
Season 5
Imagine you’re an Allied soldier in the Pacific during WWII. You’re captured by the Japanese, survive brutal conditions as a POW, and the dangerous v…
5 months, 1 week ago
Made in Taiwan: A Naïve American’s Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times – Formosa Files chats with Vietnam vet and author TC Brown – S5-E28
Season 5 Episode 28
Bargirls, bar fights, beer, and bong hits – yes, those topics are covered, but this interview features much more than salacious tales. TC Brown, who …
5 months, 2 weeks ago