Written by Sheng-mei Ma. Part II of the article perceives Detention as a haunting of Taiwan’s White Terror, where Fang’s guilt, forbidden love, and suppressed memory recur through ghosts, banned texts, and images of facelessness and decapitation. Its hybrid cultural references reveal Taiwanese identity as historically layered, while headlessness symbolises political violence, erasure, and unresolved collective trauma.
Written by Sheng-mei Ma. In Part I of the article, the author examines how the film Detention (2019), through a return to Taiwan’s White Terror, exposes unresolved tensions among Chineseness, Taiwaneseness, and Japanese colonial legacies. Through Fang’s mixed family, religious practices, and betrayal of the banned Study Group, the film links political repression with intimate conflicts of love, resentment, identity, and betrayal.
Written by Vasja Hafner. This article argues that the Wild Lily Movement not only created repertoires that have been repeatedly reused in subsequent movements, using occupation of public space as the primary way to articulate democratic legitimacy, but also helped create a structural gap in the constitutional architecture. The same protest repertoire is now being used to contest the institutional order.
Written by Jordan Laramore. This article explores how Taiwan Beer reflects the island’s turbulent political and economic history. Originating under Japanese colonial rule in 1919 and later shaped by ROC government agricultural policies, most notably incorporating local Ponlai rice, the brand evolved into a cultural icon. Today, Taiwan Beer faces market liberalisation, foreign competition, and cross-strait trade tensions, transforming from a state-managed monopoly into a powerful symbol of Taiwanese identity and resilience against economic coercion.
Written by Amelia Antolini. This article argues that Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine questions ‘authenticity’ as the universal standard for heritage conservation. Its successive layers of political and social meaning, accumulated through history, are themselves part of its heritage. Fieldwork further shows that visitors engage with the site in diverse ways, challenging rigid, material-based approaches to authenticity.
Written by Eric Setzekorn. This article introduces a new book that explores Taiwan’s military history since 1949 and examines today’s security challenges. It argues that Taiwan’s armed forces have evolved from a conservative “party army” into a more adaptable and balanced institution. It highlights lessons and challenges of the Taiwan-US military relationship and the foundations for Taiwan’s defence resilience.
