Pioneering researcher, physician and historical novelist Dr Chen Yao-chang passed away at the age of 76 on November 17. He will be deeply missed by family and friends.

John and Eryk had the pleasure of getting to know this kind and talented man through our publishing wing, Plum Rain Press. Our first book in fact was the English-language edition of his breakout novel, A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa. (wonderfully translated by He Wen-ching.)

In this special episode, you'll hear a recording from the highly-recommended podcast Books on Asia – With Amy Chavez, (the Formosa Files team recorded a ⁠BOA episode on “Three Tribes”⁠ in October '25), and snippets from a chat Eryk and Dr. Chen had back in June 2024.

Rest in peace, Dr. Chen... and thank you.

Ever taken Kaohsiung’s cable car across the harbor, had fun at Chiayi’s Universal Studios theme park, marveled at Taiwan’s Statue-of-Liberty-style gift to the US (a giant Moon Goddess monument)? Well, no, you couldn’t have because these projects were never realized. These are just a few of the many bleached bones we explore from the graveyard of broken dreams.

AND – there will be an extra episode coming this Saturday with a wild premise. Is it possible the ancient Chinese settled in Taiwan during the time of China’s first emperor, or in Japan, or crossed the Pacific and made contact with Central American civilizations such as the Maya?

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Ancient Chinese records tell us that in 210 BC a Taoist priest and alchemist named Xu Fu (徐福) sailed east to find the elixir of immortality for the despotic Qin Shi Huang. China’s first emperor was obsessed with cheating death (as revealed by his huge tomb complex in Xi’an, with its thousands of terracotta warriors); he outfitted Xu Fu’s expedition with everything needed to establish a settlement – equipment, supplies, and several thousand young men and women. Xu Fu and his companions never returned to China. Where did they go? John and Chris Stowers, an English photographer and writer based in Taipei, discuss this story, especially as it relates to Taiwan. Did Xu Fu settle in Formosa? Or Japan? Or, as is the premise for Tim McGirk’s The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers, did he reach Central America?

NOTE: A technical problem affected the audio quality of this episode, but the conversation is solid and worth sticking with. Thanks for your patience.