The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

00:35:18

Andō Momofuku: Was the Inventor of Instant Noodles...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/10/08

Andō Momofuku is a household name in Japan, celebrated as the inventor of instant noodles. But his story actually begins in Puzi, a small town in southern Taiwan, where he was born Wu Baifu in 1910. John is joined by Tom Gibb, a Japan-based translator and author of the cycling travelogue Charinko. Together they unravel the complicated history of the man and his noodles. Going behind the familiar mythology, they explore his Taiwanese childhood, early business career, wartime troubles, an interesting

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00:21:16

Taiwan at the Asian Games – and the World Games...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/10/03

NOTE: People not using Spotify can watch this video on YouTube. As the 2026 Asian Games in Japan come to a close, Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s sporting struggles and successes in Asia. Who knew that the country has long been a powerhouse in soft tennis and women’s tug-of-war? After multiple unsuccessful bids to host the Asian Games, Taiwan finally had its chance to put on a show: the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. We revisit this breakthrough event, which featured some fascinating sports

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00:32:05

Cheng Feng-hsi: A Boat in the Vast Ocean –S6-E29

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/10/01

Born into a poor farming family in coastal Yunlin County in 1944, Cheng Feng-hsi 鄭豐喜 (Zhèng Fēngxǐ) was severely disabled and spent much of his childhood crawling rather than walking. His early years included travelling with an elderly medicine seller and a performing monkey, and living rough in the countryside. When he finally attended school, he excelled and eventually made his way to university in Taipei, where he studied law and met his future wife, Wu Chi-chao 吳繼釗 (Wú Jìzhāo). The couple

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00:26:32

Tyrel Eskelson’s Taiwan 22: Travels in Paradox – S6-E28

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/24

What happens when curiosity about Taiwan turns into something of an obsession? Canadian academic Tyrel Eskelson, who lives in Japan, set out to understand an island nation that kept appearing in the international news. The result was months of travel, hundreds of conversations and his book Taiwan 22, published by Formosa Files’ very own Plum Rain Press.John chats with Tyrel about his travels and his impressions of Taiwan. Along the way, they attend an unusual Indigenous festival in the mountains,

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00:36:33

Ballots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First Presidential...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/17

Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s first direct presidential election: the protests and constitutional reforms that made it possible, Lee Teng-hui’s controversial visit to Cornell University, and the Chinese missile tests that turned an election campaign into the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.On March 23, 1996, with two US carrier groups sent to the region and ROC soldiers on alert, more than ten million Taiwanese went to the polls. The leading candidates were incumbent KMT president Lee Teng-hui and

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00:37:43

VIDEO - Ballots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/17

NOTE: We know non-Spotify users may not be able to view this from here, but the program is also available on YouTube. Thanks.Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s first direct presidential election: the protests and constitutional reforms that made it possible, Lee Teng-hui’s controversial visit to Cornell University, and the Chinese missile tests that turned an election campaign into the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.On March 23, 1996, with two US carrier groups sent to the region and ROC soldiers on

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00:30:04

The History of Comic Books in Taiwan – S6-E26

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/10

John is joined by writer, artist and comics enthusiast Ray Hecht for a journey through Taiwan’s manga history. This story is sometimes reduced to Japanese comics and their Taiwanese spinoffs. Ray and John, however, get into the forgotten influence of Shanghai liánhuán túhuà – “linked-picture” storybooks – in the post-WWII years. Also, central to today’s episode is the humble neighborhood rental bookstore, which put cheap popular reading into the hands of generations of Taiwanese. These books and

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00:24:17

Drones: From Toys to Weapons, with Bryce Barros – S6-E25

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/08

Defense analyst Bryce C. Barros tells Formosa Files about M.I.T. drones and their surprising connection to Taiwan's remote-controlled toy industry.Before China became the "world's factory," Taiwanese companies emerged as major manufacturers of inexpensive toys and electronics during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, producing them for customers globally. The skills in the production of small motors, electronics, and plastics, as well as precision manufacturing, for remote-controlled toy

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00:26:41

VIDEO - Drones: From Toys to Weapons, with Bryce...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/08

Apple Podcast users will need to visit YouTube to view this.Defense analyst Bryce C. Barros tells Formosa Files about M.I.T. drones and their surprising connection to Taiwan's remote-controlled toy industry.Before China became the "world's factory," Taiwanese companies emerged as major manufacturers of inexpensive toys and electronics during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, producing them for customers globally. The skills in the production of small motors, electronics, and plastics,

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00:02:08

TAIWAN IN TIME VIDEO - The Keelung Ghost Festival

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/05

We understand that APPLE Podcasts is not showing these videos. We will try to fix this issue, but in the meantime, they can be seen on YouTube. Here is the link for this one. Created with Han Cheung from TAIWAN IN TIME.

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00:28:15

The 1652 Revolt: The Guo Huaiyi Rebellion – S6-E24

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/03

John is joined by writer and historian Scott Crawford to recount the bloodiest episode in the history of Dutch Formosa. A revolt, led by Guo Huaiyi, resulted in the deaths of several thousand Chinese. We look at what drove farmers to rebellion and the tragic events of September 1652. This episode grew out of John and Scott’s special ten-part read-along of Dr. Chen Yao-Chang’s novel A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa, which follows Dutch, Chinese and Siraya characters in the mid-seventeenth

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00:03:34

VIDEO - WHO WAS TAIWAN'S FIRST OLYMPIAN? feat. Taiwan...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/09/02

This is a test video to see how it works on Spotify and Apple. These shorts can also be found on YouTube. Created with Han Cheung from TAIWAN IN TIME.

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00:03:29

VIDEO EXTRA - Taiwan’s Motorcycle Daredevil: Lu...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/29

We covered this story in a previous episode. But we recently made a video about it for the Chinese podcast, so we added an English voiceover and are offering it as a video extra. Enjoy. Full story podcast episode link: Taiwan’s Motorcycle Daredevil: Lu Ch’ing-an (呂慶安)

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00:24:18

Bits and Pieces: Patriots, Traitors and New Plum Rain...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/27

The 1683 Battle of Penghu is over, but there’s plenty more to say after our last episode. Eryk reads some victory poetry by the Kangxi Emperor. John is not a fan. We then turn to changing ideas of patriotism. Why have some Han Chinese nationalists objected to a new film celebrating Shi Lang’s conquest of Taiwan? And does Chiang Kai-shek look rather different if we view him principally as a Chinese nationalist – especially when compared with the Chinese Communist Party’s relationship with Stalin and

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00:17:06

VIDEO - The 1976 Double Ten-Day Bombings – S6 [Bonus]

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/23

In October 1976, three innocent-looking dictionaries were mailed to senior officials in Taiwan. Hidden inside each was a homemade bomb. Two exploded, and one of the targets, Taiwan Provincial Governor Hsieh Tung-min, was badly injured. Hsieh (1908–2001) was a Taichung native who had left Japanese-ruled Taiwan as a teenager to study in China. He joined the KMT in 1930 and was one of the Taiwanese returnees who became important intermediaries in Taiwan's postwar years.The bomber was Wang Sing-nan,

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00:16:03

The 1976 Double Ten-Day Bombings – S6 [Bonus]

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/23

In October 1976, three innocent-looking dictionaries were mailed to senior officials in Taiwan. Hidden inside each was a homemade bomb. Two exploded, and one of the targets, Taiwan Provincial Governor Hsieh Tung-min, was badly injured. Hsieh (1908–2001) was a Taichung native who had left Japanese-ruled Taiwan as a teenager to study in China. He joined the KMT in 1930 and was one of the Taiwanese returnees who became important intermediaries in Taiwan's postwar years.The bomber was Wang Sing-nan,

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00:45:21

VIDEO - 1683: The Battle of Penghu – S6-E22

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/20

AI images used are illustrations and most are not historically accurate. In July 1683, more than 400 warships clashed around the Penghu Islands in one of the greatest naval battles in Chinese history. Qing admiral Shi Lang had come to destroy the last major stronghold of Ming loyalist resistance: the Zheng regime on Taiwan. The naval campaign would decide Taiwan’s fate.More than three centuries later, the Battle of Penghu is politically explosive once again. A Chinese blockbuster about Shi Lang’s

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00:41:34

1683: The Battle of Penghu – S6-E22

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/20

In July 1683, more than 400 warships clashed around the Penghu Islands in one of the greatest naval battles in Chinese history. Qing admiral Shi Lang had come to destroy the last major stronghold of Ming loyalist resistance: the Zheng regime on Taiwan. The naval campaign would decide Taiwan’s fate.More than three centuries later, the Battle of Penghu is politically explosive once again. A Chinese blockbuster about Shi Lang’s victory was due to open in late July 2026, complete with the message that

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00:35:57

Taro Ice, Turnips and Pig’s Feet: Eating with...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/13

Long before social media, Taiwan had an unlikely food influencer: Chiang Ching-kuo (CCK), son of President Chiang Kai-shek. During his frequent inspection tours around the island in the 1970s and 1980s (as premier and later president), CCK cultivated an everyman image by chatting with workers and farmers and stopping to sample ordinary local foods. Sometimes, a visit from CCK was enough to transform an obscure dish or shop into a national tourist attraction. Eryk and John hit the road to follow in

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00:46:17

Taro Ice, Turnips and Pig’s Feet: Eating with...

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files ·

2026/08/13

NOTE: Shorter, audio only version also available Long before social media, Taiwan had an unlikely food influencer: Chiang Ching-kuo (CCK), son of President Chiang Kai-shek. During his frequent inspection tours around the island in the 1970s and 1980s (as premier and later president), CCK cultivated an everyman image by chatting with workers and farmers and stopping to sample ordinary local foods. Sometimes, a visit from CCK was enough to transform an obscure dish or shop into a national tourist

en

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