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Why Are Tankies So Upset About Taiwan Travelogue?

·June 8, 2026·2 min read

Online Chinese nationalists, a number of whom see themselves as on the left, are having a moment about Taiwan Travelogue. Taiwan Travelogue recently made history as the first Mandarin language novel, as well as the first Taiwanese novel, to win the International Booker Prize Read More

Book Review: The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism

Books English Life

·February 9, 2021·5 min read

In 2016, Trump shocked liberal Democrats. They should not have been shocked. It takes a certain level of ignorance and magic thinking to believe in their candidate at the time. Hilary Clinton, after all, is the spouse of a president whose trade policies were largely responsible for the closing of factories and deindustrialization of the nation Read More

When Gangster Politics Collides with Political Realignment

English Life

·August 17, 2023·3 min read

Political streamer and Internet celebrity Holger Chen raised eyebrows earlier this week by accusing the DPP of being behind a shooting incident in August 2020 in which he was shot by a gunman Read More

Calls to Auction Off the Sun Yat-Sen Portrait in Legislature?

English Life

·June 28, 2022·1 min read

At a time in which calls to remove authoritarian symbols have more often led to proposals for the removal of the Chiang Kai-shek statue in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, pan-Green legislators have recently called for the removal of the Sun Yat-sen portrait in the legislature Read More

“Life of a Mountain Road Monkey” Phenomenon Reflects Social Inequality

English Film Life

·August 19, 2023·3 min read

A YouTube animation, “Life of a Mountain Road Monkey”, has become a sudden overnight hit in Taiwan. At time of writing, the animation has to close four million views–a figure suggesting that one in six Taiwanese has seen the video Read More

Please, No More Sneakers from Enes Kanter

English Life

·November 12, 2021·7 min read

Enes Kanter, the center for the Boston Celtics, made viral tweets earlier this week with photos of sneakers in support of Taiwan, having tweeted photos of custom sneakers that read “Free Tibet” and “Free Uyghur” in the past Read More

What Does A Former Murderer Running for Office (Yet Again) Reveal About Taiwanese Politics?

English Life

·October 18, 2023·3 min read

Although it is not actually the first time that he has run for president, the presidential run of former convicted murderer Lan Hsin-qi has drawn attention in recent days Read More

Development Plans at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Spark Controversy

English Life

·May 5, 2024·3 min read

Over 4,000 have signed a petition against development plans by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University for the campus of its College of Hakka Studies, which is located in Zhubei Read More

Reading Havel in Hong Kong—And Arendt in Bangkok

Books English Life

·February 2, 2021·2 min read

What follows, written at a time when news is coming out of both Hong Kong and Thailand of young activists facing prison time for speaking out for things they believe, is the English language original of the preface of Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink Read More

“Beitou Witch Magic Festival” Criticized Over Depiction of Indigenous

English Events Life

·September 8, 2022·4 min read

A cultural event in Beitou has been criticized regarding Indigenous representation. Namely, the event, the “Beitou Witch Magic Festival”, draws on the history of female Indigenous mediums in Beitou Read More

Chinese Indie Band Stokes Outrage After Social Media Post Referring to Taiwan as Part of China

English Life Music

·April 3, 2024·3 min read

Chinese indie band YOUNG DAN stoked outrage after an Instagram post on Monday that referred to Taiwan as part of China. The offending text in the post read, “From Guangxi to Taiwan, China" Read More

Incidents Reveal China’s Sensitivity About Taiwanese Musicians

English Life

·December 3, 2023·2 min read

Several incidents in August involved Taiwanese musicians who faced restrictions or otherwise came under scrutiny while touring in China. Read More