STORM OVER THE YANGTZE RIVER: A Window into 1960s Propaganda
Okay, I know I’ve been writing too much about films recently, and I really intended to diversify a bit more, but I have another film-related event I want to talk about. For the past few weeks, the University of Oklahoma has been holding Sensing Taiwan, a Taiwanese film series and a roundtable discussion. Consisting of…
NETFLIX ROUNDUP: 5 Taiwanese Shows/Movies You Can Watch on Netflix
Last week, I was excited to read that Netflix has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA, 文化內容策進院)! TAICCA is an agency that acts as an intermediary between the Taiwanese government and the creative industry to help nurture, fund, and promote Taiwanese content. While Netflix and TAICCA have already…
WOMEN MAKE WAVES: Empowering Women Behind the Camera
Happy International Women’s Day! In honor of women, this week I’d like to tell everyone about Taiwan’s longest-running film festival promoting female talent. Films are an extremely powerful way of allowing someone else to see the world through your eyes, and the Women Make Waves Festival provides a platform to highlight these gendered perspectives. Established…
NIGHT BUS: Violence for Richness
After receiving Sundance’s 2022 Short Film Jury Award, Night Bus (夜車) has become the first Taiwanese film to win a Sundance award! Written and directed by Joe Hsieh (謝文明), the 20-minute animated film is about the journey of six passengers on the night bus. Inspired by the Northeastern coastal roads of Taiwan, Night Bus is…
THE TAIWAN-REYHANLI CENTRE FOR WORLD CITIZENS: Creating a World Without Walls
Since war has broken out in Syria in 2011, many Syrians have been forced to relocate to other parts of the world. Reyhanli—a Turkish city near the border of Syria—is a common destination for asylum seekers from the Syrian city of Aleppo, and its population has nearly doubled over the past 8 years. However, gaining…
MUSIC ROUNDUP: 5 Taiwanese Indie Groups
Taiwan has a thriving indie music industry, I love indie music, it’s basically a match made in heaven! The only downside is that my list of Taiwanese topics to cover has quickly been filling up with musical groups—so, here’s a quick roundup of some Taiwanese indie groups you may or may not know that have…
THE LEGEND OF TIANDING: The Robin Hood of Taiwan
If you’ve ever wanted to immerse yourself in Taiwanese history by doling out justice against corrupt officials via your fists, then I might have the game for you! Developed by CGCG and published by Neon Doctrine, The Legend of Tianding (廖添丁-稀代兇賊の最期) is a side-scrolling beat ’em up PC and Switch game, which allows the player…
KUMACHAN (熊仔): A Dream Within a Dream
My first encounter of Kumachan (熊仔)—also known as PoeTek—was thanks to a Taiwan Insight article about “academic rappers.” As a former National Taiwan University student, Kumachan was part of the same NTU Hip-Hop club that was strongly influenced by MC Hotdog and Dwagie, and he demonstrates the same deftness through his own clever use of…
YUN HAI (雲海): Terrain, Technique, History, and Humanity
Yun Hai (雲海), also known as Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry, was originally founded in 2018 by Lisa Cheng Smith and Ivan Wu, with their third member Lillian Lin joining in 2021. From her work as a wholesale director, Smith was already familiar with supply-chain distribution, and when she found herself importing Taiwanese sauces into the…
NO PARTY FOR CAO DONG: Our Voices Remain the Same
Although the media I tend to gravitate to is often whimsical or fantastical, the charm of the subject of this week’s post is their unapologetic honesty. As an outspoken supporter on a range of issues, including Taiwanese independence, No Party for Cao Dong (草東沒有派對) is a group that resonates with many Taiwanese youth due to…
WHALE ISLAND: Two Men and the Sea
The first opening shots of Whale Island (男人與他的海) look like a National Geographic documentary, showcasing the beauty of our environment through stunning shots of whales and waves. During my first watch I even wondered if there was going to have any dialogue at all, or if it would just be two hours of long shots…
BITE-SIZE TAIWANESE: Lí kám ē-hiáu kóng Tâi-gí?
As a Taiwanese-American who never learned Chinese or Taiwanese while growing up, the Taiwanese language has been a great source of mystery to me. The mere thought of tackling a language with seven tones makes me quake in fear, and the fact that my father never knows what I’m trying to say (even when I’m…
MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL(中秋節): Mooncakes, Pomelo, and Barbecue
It’s the week before the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節), which means that it’s time to stock up on all your moon festival treats! The Mid-Autumn Festival—also known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival—takes place on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. As a huge lover of mooncakes, especially the lotus paste mooncakes with…
UTJUNG (舞炯恩): Let’s Sing and Dance Together
Particularly in light of Beijing’s decision to restrict gender expression in the Chinese entertainment industry, I wanted to celebrate the LBGTQ+ community in this week’s post and my mind immediately went to Indigenous Taiwanese singer/songwriter Utjung Tjakivalid (舞炯恩). I first heard of Utjung from my sister and nephew. Adu(阿嘟), one of Utjung’s songs, is a…
DETENTION: The Horrors in Our History
With its many adaptations, it might be that Detention (返校)—released as a horror game and later made into both a film and a TV series—doesn’t need any introduction! Since its release as a game in 2017, Detention was quickly converted into a film in 2019 and then a Netflix series in 2020. But, what is…
WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP: Love and Limbo
Just like my previous entry on inBlooom, the media that I would like to introduce today has long been one of my favorites. After watching this movie for the first time in university, I’ve rewatched it many times when I’m in the mood for something touching yet lighthearted, and each time I find more things…
inBlooom: Flourishing with Colors
As you may have noticed from my art, I’m a big fan of bright colors and bold patterns. While Elephant Gym paints a vibrant image through their music, inBlooom (印花樂) does the same through their creative textile design. inBlooom’s first store was founded in Taipei by three female high school friends following their graduation from…
ELEPHANT GYM: A Fantastical Reality
I might not be a huge metal fan (sorry Chthonic and Metalhead Politics!) but I do enjoy music, and one Taiwanese band which has really caught my attention in the past year is Elephant Gym. Elephant Gym is a math-rock bass-driven indie trio that was formed in Kaohsiung in 2012. It consists of three members:…
METALHEAD POLITICS: Learn Taiwan’s History, Then You Will Understand Where Our Anger Comes From
On a Friday afternoon, while I was listening to Metalhead Politics and drawing, there was one line that instantly caught my attention. Talking about how the inspiration behind his music, Freddy Lim—the vocalist of the metal band Chthonic— was reflecting on a question he often gets from Western metalheads asking why there are metal bands in Asia.…
About Taiwan Culture Corner
This is a space to learn about Taiwanese culture and history. Through these blogs, I’ll highlight movies, games, music, and more so we can all learn about Taiwan!
Written for introspectives.uk.
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