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PODCAST

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith

Formosa Files is the world"s biggest and highest-rated Taiwan history podcast. We use an engaging storytelling format and are non-chronological, meaning every week is a new adventure - and, you can just find a topic that interests you and check out that episode...skip stuff that isn"t your thing. The hosts are John Ross, an author and publisher of works on Taiwan and China, and Eryk Michael Smith, a journalist for local and global media outlets. Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for over two

history

All Episodes

00:26:04

S3-E33 - Tales of Tokyo and Taiwan

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/11/09

This week we're looking at Tokyo, and telling a few tales that connect events in that major world city to people, places, and things in Taiwan. ポッドキャストをお楽しみください Visit Formosafiles.com for pictures, links and more.

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00:25:12

S3-E32 - Hakka Author Wu Zhuoliu (吳濁流), Part 2 -...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/11/02

Writer Wu Zhuoliu 吳濁流 (1900-1976), sadly, never saw Taiwan blossom into a democracy. But he left us with some of the most important works ever written about 20th-century Taiwan. Among these is the autobiography “The Fig Tree”, whose early chapters mirror the events in his acclaimed novel “Orphan of Asia.” In S2-E29, we covered Wu’s younger years as in Japanese colonial Taiwan, his grandfather’s tales of a cultured, ancient China and the influence these ideas had on Wu. We told the story of Wu’s time

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00:24:49

WELCOME TO THE PODCAST! - The "White Formosan" - S1-E1

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/31

Formosa Files has gained a lot of new listeners of late, and many seem to begin listening from where they first encounter the program. But there are lots of great episodes from seasons 1-2 and, as this one is the one that started it all, we're rereleasing a new edit of Season One, Episode One: “The White Formosan.” Our sound quality and editing skills have improved greatly (um... we hope you agree) since the launch of the podcast in late 2021, but we hope our enthusiasm and love for telling

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00:21:06

A Formosa Files INTERVIEW: Manga Artist Mark Crilley...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/26

Mark Crilley is one of the top 10 American manga artists, and he has a new graphic novel out called LOST IN TAIWAN (2023). Formosa Files caught up with Mark, who spilled the beans on why he was here in the late 1980s and early 1990s, what he loved (and what he loved a bit less) about Taiwan. After listening to this fun interview with Eryk and Mark Crilley, you’ll want to get a copy of LOST IN TAIWAN; it'll make you laugh, could be used as ESL material, and, like for Eryk, might just reignite

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00:24:44

[ENCORE] Golf in Taiwan: A Surprisingly Long History

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/23

Hear the tale of Japanese colonial officials discovering golf as the "new cool thing for elites" -- and ordering a course built in just a few hours. Plus, the story of Lu Liang-huan (呂良煥), a man from a poor family who worked his way up from being a caddy to an impressive 2nd place win at the 1971 British Open. NOTE: We are re-releasing this episode in celebration of the 62nd anniversary of the Kaohsiung Golf and Country Club 高雄高爾夫俱樂部, a public course and oasis of nature, trees, and birds

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00:24:54

S3-E31 - The “Tea Thief” - Robert Fortune's Very...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/19

Tea was domesticated in China, and the knowledge of how to grow it, harvest it, and process it was a closely guarded secret. After basically becoming addicted to the beverage, the British needed to find a way to grow their own tea, as buying it from China was eating up their silver reserves. So, missions of “tea espionage” were conducted, most notably by a Mr. Robert Fortune, who had the good fortune to be able to visit Taiwan on a whirlwind trip. He only spent a day on the island, but he wrote

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00:25:45

[ENCORE] The 4,300-Kilometer Chase of an Illegal...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/12

Taiwan loves seafood, and boats from this island trawl for yummy ocean offerings thousands of kilometers away from our shores. Taiwanese fishing vessels are very good at what they do, but they weren't always so good in how they did it. The use of drift nets, so-called "walls of death" that entangle species like sea turtles and dolphins, drew international ire. Taiwan boats also did a lot of fishing in waters they weren't supposed to be in. By 1989, the US Coast Guard had had enough

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00:28:17

[Bonus] Photographing Taiwan – Interview with Chris...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/12

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 being published, and the beginning of his career in photography. He came to Taiwan on a political photo shoot in 1991 and made it his home base for covering Asia later that decade. Work and wanderlust have taken Chris to over 70 countries, and his pictures

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00:26:51

S3-E30 - When the Russians Bombed Taipei (and other...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/10/06

Here's something we bet you didn't know: in 1938, Soviet pilots in Soviet planes (disguised to look like ROC Air Force planes) bombed the main airfield in Taihoku (now the Songshan Airport 臺北松山機場 in Taipei City). We've got that story and more as this week John and Eryk get a bit geeky and delve into some of the stories behind the planes we saw during recent visits to the Gangshan Aviation Education Exhibition Hall (航空教育展示館). Visit formosafiles.com for lots of great pics, links and

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00:24:57

S3-E29 - Taiwan's Great Pork Apocalypse (1997)

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/09/28

Not gonna lie folks: this episode gets dark; the story of a super swine slaughter. But, there's also some tasty morsels of info on Taiwan's favorite meat, and the pig’s place in the island’s history and culture. Plus, a final happy ending involving little cute piggies, but you'll have to have to visit formosafiles.com to see the pics.

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00:25:35

S3-E28 - More Bits and Pieces: Ox Ditches and an...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/09/21

Remember those two Polish cargo ships and one oil tanker from the USSR seized by the ROC Navy in the 1950s? Well, the story has one highly interesting extra element we didn't have time to get to in the last episode. Plus, John wants to write a book about an "ox ditch." Visit formosafiles.com for all the extras: links, maps, pics, images, book reviews, etc.

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00:28:59

S3-E27 - When Taiwan (ROC) Blockaded China (PRC)

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/09/14

After retreating to Taiwan, the ROC ordered a naval blockade of China, which lasted officially until 1979. There were interceptions and attacks by the ROC Navy, CIA-backed Nationalist forces, and some pirate-like actions by unofficial ROC guerrillas. Even ships from the UK and the US were targeted. But, with several high-profile cases, including a Soviet tanker called the Tuapse, the world grew weary and demanded that Chiang Kai-shek stop the blockade. Meanwhile, the detained crews became political

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00:29:09

S3-E26 - Taiwan as part of the Philippines? Or a...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/09/07

Taiwanese history would have been very different except for a few pivotal moments. “Sure,” you might be thinking, “that's true everywhere.” However, the “what ifs” Michael Turton and Eryk Michael Smith talk about today are especially fascinating because of Taiwan’s strategic location. The Spanish and Dutch had short-lived settlements here in the 17th century, but either could easily have lasted for centuries. Later would-be colonizers included the UK (they considered using the east coast as a

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00:27:15

S3-E25 - The Free China Junk Story - Part 3: Victory!

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/09/01

Today John Ross and Chris Stowers (a man who has first-hand knowledge of what it's like to sail on an old-fashioned sailing boat) end our three-part series on the amazing voyage of the Chinese junk (built possibly in the 1890s) that made it -- not without overcoming considerable difficulties -- from Keelung to San Francisco in 1955. We discover the fates of the two chickens brought along for the long sea trip (Mildred 1 and Mildred 2), and, of course, learn what happened to our adventurous crew

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00:27:06

S3-E24 - Crossing the Pacific in a Junk - Trials and...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/08/31

We continue the amazing tale of six men who set sail from Keelung in 1955 aboard the Free China junk to join a trans-Atlantic yacht race. They were attempting to show that an old-fashioned Chinese vessel could compete against some of the world's best boats. But first they need to cross the Pacific Ocean. It’s an inauspicious start, and we find Paul Chou and his shipmates in need of rescue and ordered to return home. But will they? Guest Chris Stowers draws on his experience sailing on a

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00:26:18

S2-E23 - Across the Pacific in the Free China Junk...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/08/24

In 1954, a man living in Keelung 基隆 asked himself, “Could an old-fashioned Chinese junk beat modern yachts in a race on the high seas?” The answer? -- An almost unbelievable tale involving a boat that would become world-famous: the “Free China” junk (自由中國號). This week, John Ross and Chris Stowers (Stowers was part of a crew that also sailed on a wind-powered junk-like ship), tell the first part of this incredible story of bravery, perseverance, and a more than a little luck. Don't forget to

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00:27:03

S3-E22 - Barbie: Made in Taiwan

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/08/17

Seen the Barbie movie? No worries... Eryk saw it for you, and he noticed one thing they didn't mention in the film: from 1967-1987, most of the world's Barbie dolls were made in Taiwan. Factories in the tiny town of Taishan 泰山 (now a district of New Taipei City) churned out millions of these well-made toys before Mattel moved operations to cheaper manufacturing locations. Plus, we've got info on traditional Taiwanese toys and John ends this week's episode with a strange tale of

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00:28:18

S3-E21 - Blockading Taiwan

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/08/11

China's People's Liberation Army/Navy has been practicing for a possible blockade of Taiwan with ships, planes, and drones. This week, Formosa Files looks at the history of blockades connected to Taiwan. Plus, hear about the nastiest "ocean blockade" in history -- when the new Qing authorities ordered the evacuation of the Chinese coast for over 20 years! Maps, links, pics, and more can be found at formosafiles.com

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00:20:58

Bonus Episode: 2-28: A Bad Beginning

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/08/03

In this special episode, we hear Eryk reading from chapter five of John’s “Taiwan in 100 Books.” The topic is 2-28, an event named after a date: February 28, 1947. It’s usually referred to as the February 28 incident, but sometimes called the 2-28 Massacre. American vice-consul at the time George Kerr used the term “the March massacres,” which gives a more accurate impression of what happened; the brutal suppression of uprisings and protests throughout the country, which left perhaps 20,000 dead

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00:27:16

[ENCORE] The Empire's Last Solider (29 Years, 3...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2023/07/27

The last Japanese "holdout" of World War II was an Indigenous Amis Taiwanese named Attun Palalin, but in Japanese Formosa, he was Nakamura Teruo (中村輝夫). Palalin was one of a group of Indigenous Taiwanese who served in the Japanese military as part of the Takasago Volunteer Unit 高砂義勇隊. The Takasago Unit was built on the idea that Indigenous Taiwanese were best suited for guerilla-style fighting in Southeast Asian jungles as they could live off the land and were accustomed to tropical

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307 results

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