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Did you know we once went to the Olympics under the name “Formosa”?
At the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Taiwan will once again compete under the ridiculous name of “Chinese Taipei.” It’s a silly name that makes little sense... even if you are the PRC. Is there another Taipei that isn’t Chinese? And, actually, we train our athletes in Kaohsiung, plus a good number of them are Indigenous people – so literally, they are NOT Chinese. But most here feel participation is more important than names, and many also feel the world sees through these dumb attempts by Beijing to cover up the reality of Taiwan’s existence as a country.
This week: the story of Taiwan’s participation in the Olympics and Asian Games, and the name changes along the way.
Good luck to the “Formosan Kaohsiung” team in Paris this year!!
Cover: The Republic of China Olympic team marches under the name "FORMOSA" – under protest. (Rome, 1960) Via Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee/CommonWealth Magazine
WATCH DOCUMENTARY: The story behind Taiwan's 'Chinese Taipei' Olympic name
Read news story HERE.
Below: The unloved Chinese Taipei Olympic flag.
More info on "Chinese Taipei."
Below: Two shocking facts -
1. Taiwan does compete in the Winter Olympics.
2. Taiwan allowed China to use simplified Chinese for our name at the 2022 Games held in Beijing!!! (games the US boycotted)
Below: We weren't kidding. This is the F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo Taiwanese made fighter jet.
NEW INFO: We have a new podcast on books about Taiwan and East Asia: Bookish Asia by Plum Rain Press.
Do us a favor and rate/review the show! It really helps. Do it on Apple Podcasts or here on our website.
Write us with questions or ideas at formosafiles@gmail.com
AND THE BIGGEST REQUEST: tell others about this free, not-for-profit resource about Taiwan.
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
