ALMOST HERE - The English Translation of: A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa by Dr. Chen Yao-chang 陳耀昌

TAIWAN HISTORY - Formosa Files Episodes

July 11, 2024

S4 - Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Summer 2024 Musings and Announcements

In this short segment, John and Eryk first make the stunning observation that summer in subtropical Taiwan is hot. They then reflect on the "Pacific Story," an NBC radio docu-drama from 1944, an episode that was a hit with listeners. …

Episode page
June 13, 2024

BONUS Episode: Martial Arts Legend Hong Yixiang 洪懿祥

John talks with Chris Bates about one of Taiwan’s greatest ever martial artists, Hong Yixiang 洪懿祥 (1925–1993). He was Taiwan’s foremost master of the Chinese internal martial arts (which consist of baguazhang 八卦掌, xingyiquan 形意拳 and taijiquan 太極拳.) The Hong …

Episode page
May 30, 2024

[ENCORE] S4 - The Inn of the EIGHT Happinesses 八福客栈 vs. The Inn of th…

Gladys Aylward and Ingrid Bergman: The former, a British-born Christian missionary to China and Taiwan, the latter a three-time Academy Award winner. However despite very different lives, the two will forever be connected after a book about Aylward was turned …

Episode page
May 23, 2024

S4-E12 - The Dalai Lama Visits Taiwan (1997)

John chats with Michael Aldrich, author of “Old Lhasa: A Biography,” about relations between Taiwan and Tibet (specifically the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala, India). Despite Taipei and Dharamshala sharing a common foe, this relationship was for decades a difficult one. …

Episode page
March 28, 2024

S4-E6 – Taipei’s Architectural Trilogy Part Two: Witnessing History a…

In the previous episode, we told you how these three rather stunning neo-classical Chinese buildings came to exist. This week, we’re looking at them through a “culture and society” lens. The massive statue of Chiang Kai-shek remains on its pedestal …

Episode page
March 21, 2024

S4-E6 – Taipei’s Architectural Trilogy: The CKS Memorial Hall, the Na…

China-born architect Yang Cho-cheng 楊卓成 (1914-2006) left his magnificent mark on Taiwan with the CKS Memorial Hall, and the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH) among his greatest masterpieces. This week, we’ve got part one of the story of how …

Episode page
March 14, 2024

S4-E5 - Ghost Brides

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 …

Episode page
Feb. 8, 2024

S4 - [ENCORE] Happy Holidays? (And: 新年快樂!)

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 …

Episode page
Jan. 11, 2024

S3-E40 - Sold to a Bargirl at the Age of Five (1955) – The Nancy Chen…

Nancy Chen Baldwin's early life – when she was sold by her parents to a bargirl for US$100 – might sound like something out of a novel set in the Middle Ages. But the old practices of selling, “lending,” giving, …

Episode page
Dec. 21, 2023

S3-E38 - Merry Constitution Day! (and a Happy New Year)

December 25th. A special day celebrating the birth of... the Constitution of the Republic of China. Once a holiday that rather conveniently overlapped with Christmas, today you don't get the day off in Taiwan. So, to relieve the pain of …

Episode page
Oct. 12, 2023

[Bonus] Photographing Taiwan – Interview with Chris Stowers

John chats with photographer Chris Stowers. In 1988, Chris sailed a traditional Indonesian boat on an epic sea voyage (a trip described alongside the three-part series on the Free China junk, S3-Ep23-25). This led to his first story and photos …

Episode page
June 30, 2023

S3-E16 – Kaohsiung and Taiwan Celebrate Five Years of Weiwuying 衛武營國家…

John and Eryk have been commissioned to tell the tale of Weiwuying as this new Kaohsiung landmark turns five: in part two, we've got challenges galore to overcome, disputes to settle, and finally, a glorious ending as, more than arguably, …

Episode page
June 29, 2023

S3-E15 – Kaohsiung and Taiwan Celebrate Five Years of Weiwuying 衛武營國家…

As this already-iconic structure and performance center turns five, John and Eryk have been commissioned to tell its tale: it's a 40-year saga of a century-old military base becoming a park and home to, more than arguably, one of the …

Episode page
May 25, 2023

Bonus Episode: Way of the Warrior - Martial Arts Master Chris Bates

Ever daydreamed about traveling to East Asia and studying under the great martial arts masters? American Chris Bates did just this, first coming to Taiwan in 1976 to study Mandarin and train in martial arts. Follow Chris’ journey, from meeting …

Episode page
May 4, 2023

S3-E11 - Steve McQueen and "The Sand Pebbles" (1966)

"The Sand Pebbles," which tells the story of the USS San Pablo, a US Navy gunboat operating in China in the 1920s, was shot in northern Taiwan over the winter of '65-'66. The movie was directed by Robert Wise, of …

Episode page