Taiwan Insight

Concerning the Origin Myths of Austronesian Taiwan

13 November 2025 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Valdis Gauss. This article introduces a published book which traces shared motifs, cross-cultural resonances, and divergent ancestral origin theories, providing an authoritative, researched contribution to understanding Taiwan’s deep-time aboriginal histories and cosmologies.

Eighty Years After the Battle of Okinawa, Thousands of Taiwan’s World War II Dead are Still Missing

12 November 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Bryn Thomas. This article interviews one of the thousands of Taiwanese who fought for Japan in the Battle of Okinawa. With at least 1000 Taiwanese troops took part and suffered a casualty rate of over 90% during the battle, the Okinawa Peace Memorial only listed 34 names of Taiwan’s war dead. The postwar political situation in Taiwan made it complex to honour these fallen soldiers.

Taiwan’s Forgotten War: WWII Survivors Remember US Bombing Raid On Taipei

11 November 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Bryn Thomas. This article remembers the survivors of the US bombing of Taipei in May 1945. Although the day was one of the deadliest in Taipei’s history, there are no public memorials to the Taipei Air Raid. In the 80 years since the war, a combination of political realities and dominant narratives has left it largely forgotten, except by those who lived through it.

“From Empire to Republic”: Taiwan, WWII, and Making a History Docuseries

10 November 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Bryn Thomas. This article takes us behind the scenes in the creation of the From Empire to Republic docuseries of TaiwanPlus News and this special issue. Taiwan’s World War II history made it to the headlines time and again in 2025, including President Lai Ching-te marking the 80th VE day in May to Lai drawing parallels between current Taiwan and the 1930s’ democracies when commemorating the VJ day.

When Secrets Collapse: Implications of the China Spy Scandal on UK-Taiwan Relations

7 November 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Alexandra Whitehead. This article asks what the China spy scandal in the UK means for Taiwan and analyses both its opportunities and risks, including the need to reassess its relations with Beijing and to clarify its legal framework to match its political rhetoric. Putting them together, the case is unlikely to drastically change the course of UK-Taiwan relations.

Water Nexus: Can Semiconductors and Sustainability Coexist in Taiwan?

5 November 2025 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Alexis Huang. This article examines Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s water–energy nexus, tracing its ecological costs, sustainability efforts, and infrastructural challenges. Despite advances in wastewater recycling and renewable integration, TSMC’s growth remains constrained by environmental limits, showing that long-term leadership depends on systemic reform, not technological fixes.

Redefining Super Aged: Taiwan’s Path in an Ageing Era

3 November 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Gita T. This article examines Taiwan’s demographic transition and explores community-based strategies that could delay dementia onset and strengthen resilience, drawing on cultural practices as a preventive policy. It suggests three policy shifts that could build on Taiwan’s cultural strengths without requiring new billion-dollar infrastructure.

Inside the Story of Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Volunteering in Hualien

31 October 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Vanny El Rahman. This article describes the volunteer work of Indonesian migrant workers in Hualien in the aftermath of Typhoon Ragasa. It illustrates the collaboration and organisation of these workers from all over Taiwan, inspired and mobilised by social media. They showed that they can become a reliable partner for the government and local communities.

The Rise and Exclusion within Multicultural Discourses of Immigrant Integration in Taiwan

29 October 2025 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Chien-Ping Liu. This article examines how transnational marriage migration has reshaped Taiwan’s demographic and civic landscape since the 1990s. It traces the shift from stigmatisation to multicultural recognition through grassroots advocacy and state developmental agendas. While bottom-up movements advanced inclusion, state-led multiculturalism often instrumentalised difference, reproducing class, gender, and geopolitical hierarchies within Taiwan’s immigrant integration discourse.

Vietnam Kinmen Association (Fuji Temple): A Symbol of Taiwan’s Soft Diplomacy in Saigon before 1975

28 October 2025 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Meiyuan Kou. This article traces the history of the Kinmen Association (Fuji Temple) in Saigon-Cholon, established in the early 1970s as both a religious hub for Kinmen migrants and a channel of Taiwan’s soft diplomacy in South Vietnam. It examines how this small community institution fostered transnational ties, cultural continuity, and identity preservation across shifting political landscapes before and after 1975.

Of Swallows and Nests: The Migration Trajectories of Kinmen’s Wartime Generation and Their Return Home

27 October 2025 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Junbin Tan. This article traces the Lin family’s multigenerational migration from wartime Kinmen Island to Southeast Asia and beyond. Anchored in an ethnographic encounter with Grandma Lin and her family, the author follows the Lins’ migratory trajectories of departure, separation and eventual return, revealing how Kinmenese mobility was shaped by political restriction, economic necessity, and the moral economies of kinship.

Taiwan’s Food Culture as a Cure for Overtourism

24 October 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Gita T. This article argues that Taiwan has a chance to avoid overtourism and achieve ESG goals by leveraging its food culture. Taiwan’s snack-based dining offers a natural way to spread visitors beyond overcrowded sites. This could include gamified snack trails, an authentic cultural experience, and curated insider routes for continuity travellers.

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