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.

We’ll let Benjamin Sando, research fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute, and our guest for this week’s episode, describe the topic:

“From the early days of Han Taiwanese society, through the period of Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) martial law and on to the era of democratization, the influence of Taiwan’s gangs has evolved. The activity of some gangs (but not all) has spread beyond extracting profit from local territory – through extortion, prostitution, and gambling – to international transactions involving drug, arms, and human trafficking. This has sowed connections between certain Taiwanese gangs and foreign actors, such as Chinese triads and government officials engaging in united front work for the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As elections become more competitive in Taiwan, gangs have leveraged their control of prominent Taiwanese temples to influence politicians seeking support from religious communities. Such deep-rooted connections between gangs and local communities obstruct democratic development based on transparency and open debate, especially in Taiwan’s rural areas.”

NOTE: This episode has been significantly edited to attempt to adhere to the mostly non-political official stance of the Formosa Files podcast. To hear/watch the full one-hour, almost unedited version, visit Kaohsiung Times → “Long-Form” → “Formosa Files.”

This wonderfully weird story is part of our “almost-no-one’s-ever-hear-of-Taiwan-trivia” collection, and man… it’s wild. Plot synopsis: A Cold War warrior movie director makes the first Western film in Taiwan in the winter of 1959/1960. In the film, the characters come to Taiwan from Iowa to learn about the evils of communism (?). Next week, we’ll get back to some “real” history, but today, enjoy 30 minutes of almost pure insanity from Formosa Files.

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In this Bits & Pieces episode, John makes Eryk read some cringe-inducing lines from a guide to “the women of the Orient.” Then, they set off on one of history’s strangest adventures: the world-spanning voyage of “Half-Safe,” an amphibious jeep that drove and floated its way to Kaohsiung in 1958.

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In 1968, just 23 years after the end of WWII, Japan became the world’s second-largest economy (and would remain so until 2011, when it was overtaken by China).

In 1970, Japan highlighted its rise from the ashes by holding the Osaka Expo, a showcase of technology, culture, and confidence — from a monorail to moving walkways to videophones. It was the first World’s Fair held in Japan, and also in Asia. For the Republic of China (Taiwan), however, it would turn out to be something of a swan song on the international stage; in 1971, Taiwan lost its seat at the United Nations, and in the following years numerous countries switched diplomatic recognition to the PRC.

But join Formosa Files as we visit Osaka in those happy days of 1970, when the future looked bright; astronauts had just landed on the Moon, Japan’s miracle was in full swing, and the world gathered to imagine tomorrow. Take a tour around the ROC’s futuristic pavilion, designed by I.M. Pei, which was a break from the classic Chinese palace architecture favored by the government. And learn about a remarkable forgotten Taiwanese travelogue-thriller film, Tracing to EXPO ’70.

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Inspired by Taichung’s recent hosting of the World Bird Fair, Eryk and John explore Taiwan’s rich avian diversity and look at bird omens, bird gambling, and bird superstitions. Star species make cameo appearances, but it’s the humble chicken that gets the spotlight in this episode… and the chopping board! (Apologies for Eryk’s fondness for certain sound effects). The beheading of chickens at temples was once a common folk judicial ritual – yes, oaths of legal innocence were sworn before temple gods with the aid of feathered sacrifices. Sounds a bit gruesome, but trust us; it’s a fun episode. We swear it before the City God (whack!).

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