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The History of Taiwan - Formosa Files

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

Taiwan's Top-Rated History Podcast
Stories from the History of Formosa (Taiwan)


The Formosa Files Taiwan History Podcast is sponsored by
The FRANK CHEN FOUNDATION
(陳啟川先生文教基金會)
www.frank-chen.org.tw

HOSTS:
John Ross (author, co-founder of publisher Camphor Press)

Eryk Michael Smith (writer, broadcaster, journalist)

Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for well over 20 years and call the island home.

Formosa Files - Weekly Tales from the Wonderful History of Taiwan 

Recent Episodes

May 7, 2024

FORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH04-芭比娃娃 M.I.T.—臺灣製造的世界傳奇

芭比娃娃是陪伴許多人童年的娃娃,2023年甚至還有一部以芭比娃娃為題材的電影發行,也再一次讓這個世界級的娃娃成為熱門話題。然而有許多人不知道,從1960年代起一直到1980年代,全世界有超過一半以上的芭比娃娃都是在臺灣生產製造。當時芭比娃娃的美泰兒公司(Mattel, Inc.)與臺灣的華夏塑膠策略聯盟,在臺灣臺北縣泰山鄉(現在的新北市泰山區)設立「美寧工廠」,生產芭比娃娃並外銷到世界各地。如果是年紀稍大一點的聽眾朋友,搞不好您以前的芭比娃娃就…
May 2, 2024

S4-E9 – Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁: The Middle Years – From Law School to First Prison Term

When Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 began his university studies in 1969, gifted student though he was, few could have imagined he would become Taiwan’s first non-KMT president. The young Chen had no political plans – he wanted to study…
April 30, 2024

FORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH03-臺灣街頭巷口的洗腦名曲—臺灣垃圾車音樂文化

LISTEN TO THE STORY OF ⁠TAIWAN'S MUSICAL GARBAGE TRUCKS ⁠⁠⁠IN CHINESE! 說到臺灣日常中最特別的聲音,莫過於幾乎每天都在大街小巷裡響起的〈少女的祈禱〉與〈給愛麗絲〉。臺灣垃圾車播放音樂,其實遠自1968年(民國57年)就已經開始。一路發展到現在,垃圾車的「曲目」也有許多變化,但臺灣人聽得最久、最習慣的還是這兩首曲子,也成為臺灣日常最特別的文化。這集就讓我們來聊聊臺灣垃圾車…
April 25, 2024

S4-E8 - The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA): talking to a member of a former “terrorist” pro-Taiwan-independence group

Not so long ago, talking about Taiwan independence could earn you a lengthy prison term. That changed in the late 1990s as Taiwan embraced democracy. Taiwan independence advocates in the United States have always enjoyed mor…
April 23, 2024

FORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH02-臺灣養豬業的最慘一「疫」—1997年豬口蹄疫

LISTEN TO THE STORY OF TAIWAN'S GREAT PORK APOCALYPSE (1997) ⁠IN CHINESE! 你知道嗎?臺灣曾經是全球第二大的豬肉出口國,更是日本最重要的豬肉來源地。然而在1997年,豬口蹄疫情在新竹被發現,爆發性地席捲全臺,使得臺灣養豬產業蒙受極為重大的打擊。一直到二十幾年後的今天,臺灣才真正擺脫當年口蹄疫帶來的影響,重新要把臺灣豬肉推向國際。
April 18, 2024

S4-E8 - The U.S. Breaks Up With Taipei for Beijing (Dec. 1978)

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter only served one term, but those four years were rough: oil embargos, inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, and the decision to recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It was an unpopu…