FORMOSA FILES PODCAST S4-E7: Travel and Tremors – the 1906 Meishan Earthquake 梅山地震
Drawing on an account never before told in English, we visit Taiwan in the company of French war correspondent Reginald Kann. Upon his arrival in Taihoku (Taipei), he hurries down to the city of Chiayi to investigate the aftermath of the massive 7.1 magnitude Meishan Earthquake of March 17, 1906. Kann reports on the damage and the relief efforts being carried out by Taiwan's relatively new Japanese masters. He gives us a fascinating look at the disaster (which took 1,258 lives) and also Japanese colonial rule as it was moving from military subjugation to development. The Frenchman’s “Report on Formosa” was published in French and Dutch. Now, thanks to AI and the talents of a Formosa Files fan, we can bring you the tale in English.
Cover image shows damage from the 1906 Meishan earthquake, via Wikimedia Commons.
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The Formosa Files podcast is sponsored by the FRANK CHEN FOUNDATION (陳啟川先生文教基金會)
Website: https://www.frank-chen.org.tw/
This top-rated history podcast tells stories from the history of Formosa (Taiwan) from circa 1600 C.E. - 2000 C.E., via interesting, lesser-known short stories presented in a non-chronological order.
HOSTS: John Ross is an author and co-founder of publisher Camphor Press, which specializes in books on Taiwan and China in English, while Eryk Michael Smith has worked as a writer and journalist for multiple media outlets in Taiwan, including the island's only English-language radio station ICRT (FM 100.7). Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for well over 20 years and call the island home.
