Shows / The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Formosa Files is the world's biggest and highest-rated Taiwan history podcast. We use an engaging storytelling format and are non-chronological, meaning every week is a new adventure - and, you can just find a topic that interests you and check out that episode...skip stuff that isn't your thing. The hosts are John Ross, an author and publisher of works on Taiwan and China, and Eryk Michael Smith, a journalist for local and global media outlets. Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for over…
Episodes
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesChen Cheng: The Governor, Premier, and VP Who Helped Remake Taiwan – S6-E33
Chen Cheng (陳誠) was one of the most powerful figures in postwar Taiwan, serving as provincial governor, premier, and vice president under Chiang Kai-shek. A…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesSongshan Airport: Ninety Years in the Heart of Taipei – S6-E32
Opened by the Japanese in 1936, Taipei's Songshan Airport has witnessed wartime bombing raids (by aircraft piloted by both Soviet and American pilots), Cold…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesLin Yutang: The Importance of Living – and Coming Home to Taiwan – S6-E31
Writer, philosopher, linguist, inventor – Lin Yutang (林語堂) was one of the most famous Chinese intellectuals of the twentieth century, and for decades one of…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesAbacus: A Grandfather’s Journey from China to Taiwan – S6-Bonus
When his grandfather died during the COVID pandemic, Hudson Wei realized how little he knew about the man who had raised him. Determined to uncover his story…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesAndō Momofuku: Was the Inventor of Instant Noodles Taiwanese? – S6-E30
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTaiwan at the Asian Games – and the World Games Triumph of 2009 Asian Games – Snack 10
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesCheng Feng-hsi: A Boat in the Vast Ocean –S6-E29
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTyrel Eskelson’s Taiwan 22: Travels in Paradox – S6-E28
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesBallots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First Presidential Election (1996) – S6-E27
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
VIDEO - Ballots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First Presidential Election (1996) – S6-E27
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe History of Comic Books in Taiwan – S6-E26
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesREMASTERED AUDIO: Colonial Tourism - Japanese Visit their Model Colony, While Tokyo Brings Indigenous Taiwanese to “The Motherland” to Show Off “Civilization” - S2-E35
We travel back to 1920s Taiwan, first in the company of Terry’s Guide to the Japanese Empire and then follow a Tokyo travel bureau itinerary for Japanese…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesDrones: From Toys to Weapons, with Bryce Barros – S6-E25
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO - Drones: From Toys to Weapons, with Bryce Barros – S6-E25
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTAIWAN IN TIME VIDEO - The Keelung Ghost Festival
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe 1652 Revolt: The Guo Huaiyi Rebellion – S6-E24
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO - WHO WAS TAIWAN'S FIRST OLYMPIAN? feat. Taiwan in Time
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.
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO EXTRA - Taiwan’s Motorcycle Daredevil: Lu Ch’ing-an (呂慶安)
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesBits and Pieces: Patriots, Traitors and New Plum Rain Press Books – S6-E23
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe 1976 Double Ten-Day Bombings – S6 [Bonus]
CORRECTION: This episode originally said Wang Sing-nan was currently serving as a legislator. This was an error. Wang retired in 2012. We regret the mistake…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO - The 1976 Double Ten-Day Bombings – S6 [Bonus]
CORRECTION: This episode originally said Wang Sing-nan was currently serving as a legislator. This was an error. Wang retired in 2012. We regret the mistake…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files1683: The Battle of Penghu – S6-E22
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO - 1683: The Battle of Penghu – S6-E22
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…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTaro Ice, Turnips and Pig’s Feet: Eating with President CCK – S6-E20
Long before social media, Taiwan had an unlikely food influencer: Chiang Ching-kuo (CCK), son of President Chiang Kai-shek. During his frequent inspection…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesVIDEO - Taro Ice, Turnips and Pig’s Feet: Eating with President CCK – S6-E21
NOTE: Shorter, audio only version also available Long before social media, Taiwan had an unlikely food influencer: Chiang Ching-kuo (CCK), son of President…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesChen Chu, Part 2: Tragedy, Triumphs, and the Transformation of Kaohsiung – S6-E20
In 1986, after more than six years behind bars, Chen Chu was released on parole. She immediately doubled down on Taiwan’s democratic struggle. In Part Two, we…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTaiwan’s Volunteer Bridge Builders: The Chiayi Ant Army – Snack 09
In 1960s rural Taiwan, crossing a river could be deadly. After children drowned on their way to school, a small group of charity workers in Chiayi decided to…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files[Encore] Searching for Black Gold in Taiwan – S6
We’ve got a new “snack” for you on Sunday, but today we’re revisiting an episode from 2022. Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s two expeditions of 1852–1854 pried…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesChen Chu, Part 1: The Prisoner Who Would Lead Kaohsiung – S6-E19
Long before becoming a three-time mayor of Kaohsiung, Chen Chu (陳菊) spent decades in Taiwan’s democracy movement. Born into a farming family in Yilan in 1950…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe Princess and the Policeman – S6-E18
In 1911, Baike Daole, the daughter of a powerful Atayal chief in the mountains of central Taiwan, was pressured to marry the Japanese policeman Shimoyama…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTaiwan’s First Sex Change (1953-1955) – S6-E17 (Not suitable for minors)
NOTE: This is our first episode to be labeled “explicit,” not due to bad language, but because it includes reasonably direct anatomical references. It may be…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesSky Cop TC Brown Returns – S6-E16
TC Brown returns to Formosa Files – and to Taiwan – after 53 years away. A former U.S. Air Force security policeman stationed at CCK Air Base in Taichung for…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe Fake Fishmonger – Snack 08
In the early hours of morning, Eryk and John head to a market in Taichung. Actually, they let Lin Kai-lun do that and all the other hard work. Lin is a…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesSnakes of Taiwan (with Gerrut Norval) – S6-E16
Does a “triangular head” mean danger? Did the wartime Japanese release experimental snakes on Yangmingshan? Do you really collapse after a hundred steps if a…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesKeelung to Ishigaki Ferry: Taiwan’s Forgotten Yaeyama Stories – Snack 07
To celebrate the new Yaima Maru ferry service connecting Keelung with the Yaeyama Islands, Taiwan’s nearest neighbors, we uncover stories of Taiwanese migrants…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe Dragon Boat Festival Story: Qu Yuan, Myth, and History – S6-E15
Looking for the true story behind the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie)? There’s much more to it than dragon boat races and sticky rice dumplings (zongzi)…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFootball in Taiwan: From Missionaries to Mulan – S6-E14
As we head into the 2026 World Cup, we take a look at Taiwan’s surprisingly rich football heritage. Although a minor sport today, there have been periods of…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe Great Formosa Tsunami Mystery – Snack 06
The disaster was so terrible, so deadly that shocking reports of it reached as far away as Europe; they claimed that in 1782, Taiwan had been devastated by a…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
VIDEO: Should Taiwan Change its Time Zone? A Chat with Sasha B. Chhabra – S6-E13
Who owns Taiwan’s time? Taipei-based political commentator and author of Formosa Review substack Sasha B. Chhabra helps us wind back the history of Taiwan’s…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Should Taiwan Change its Time Zone? A Chat With Sasha B. Chhabra – S6-E13
Who owns Taiwan’s time? Taipei-based political commentator and author of Formosa Review substack Sasha B. Chhabra helps us wind back the history of Taiwan’s…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesA German in Dutch Formosa: Caspar Schmalkalden – S6-E12
In the mid-1600s, Caspar Schmalkalden left war-ravaged Europe to work as a soldier and surveyor for the Dutch. After spending time in Brazil, he sailed to…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taekwondo in Taiwan: From the Marines to Olympic Gold – Snack 05
Taekwondo may be Korean, but few places have embraced it as enthusiastically as Taiwan. Introduced in the 1960s for the military, the fast-kicking martial art…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The Tanaka Memorial: A Secret Blueprint for World Conquest – S6-E11
In the 1930s, a mysterious document known as the Tanaka Memorial shocked the world. Supposedly written by Japanese Prime Minister Baron Tanaka, it outlined a…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesBridges of Taiwan – S6-E10
John Ross and special guest John Groot celebrate the opening of the remarkable Danjiang Bridge in Tamsui (Danshui). They explore the bridges that transformed…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Chen Shu-chu: Taiwan’s Vegetable Vendor Philanthropist – Snack 04
In this Mother’s Day edition, we celebrate the extraordinary life of Chen Shu-chu (陳樹菊), a humble vegetable seller from Taitung who quietly donated millions of…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan Ghosts: Haunted Hotels, Trickster Spirits, and Vengeful Widows – S6-E9
Ghosts of all kinds – wandering spirits, water ghosts looking for substitutes, mountain demons, and many more; welcome to the strange supernatural world of…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesGuns in the Mountains: Taiwan’s Indigenous Firepower – S6-E8
We head into the mountains to tell the story of the deep relationship between Taiwan’s Indigenous communities and firearms. The warriors’ incredible skill and…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesPing-Pong with Mao in Taiwan: The Chairman (1969) – S6-E7
Join us as we step into the strange Cold War world of The Chairman, a forgotten 1969 spy thriller starring Hollywood great Gregory Peck. The movie, which was…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The Celebrity Forensics Expert: Henry Lee – Part 2 – S6-E6
It’s 1965, and Henry (27) and Margaret (26) Lee have moved to the USA. She’s working as a schoolteacher, and he’s trying to make ends meet however he can…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Shoes, Graves, and Fingerprints: Henry Lee in Taiwan – Part 1 – S6-E5
To mark the recent passing of Henry C. Lee (李昌鈺), one of the world’s most famous forensic scientists, we examine his extraordinary life. In Part 1, we’re in…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bonus episode: Taiwan’s Sugar Railways (with Prof. Dafydd Fell) -S6
John talks with Professor Dafydd Fell of SOAS University about "The Twilight Years of Taiwan’s Sugar Railways", his new book co-written with Wang Xiang, a…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwanese Tea in America, American Spies in Formosa – S6-E4
In 1904, colonial Taiwan tried to impress America with oolong tea at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Just five years later, two American spies disguised as South…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Wasabi – Green Fire from the Mountains – Snack 03
That little green blob of spicy paste beside your sushi and sashimi has an amazing backstory. The notoriously fussy plant is grown in the mountains of Taiwan…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The Extraordinary Life of Huang Chin-tao (Part 2) – S6-E3
Huang Chin-tao (黃金島) was never a household name, but his life story is the story of modern Taiwan. In this concluding episode, we follow Huang from the 2.28…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Huang Chin-tao: a History of Taiwan Through One Man’s Life (Part 1) – S6-E2
This is part one of the extraordinary life story of Huang Chin-tao (黃金島 Huáng Jīndǎo). In fact, he seemed to live not one life but many; he was a Japanese…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Chopsticks – The “Quick Little Boys” of East Asia – Snack 02
What do Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam have in common? Chopsticks. In the second Formosa Files Snack, Eryk and John explore the cultural story behind…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan’s Forgotten Horse History: Cowboys, Cavalry, and the Racing Craze – S6-E1
Horses have never played a big role in Taiwan’s history – or have they? Eryk and John start Season Six of Formosa Files and celebrate the Year of the Fire…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesThe Taiwan "Tugou," or Mountain Dog – Snack 01
Their lineage is ancient. They are loyal, smart, and great hunting companions. But Taiwan’s native dog almost went extinct, and today it’s hard to say how many…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Rambling Review of Season Five, and Introducing the Formosa Files "Snack"
Looking back over S5, the adjective "fascinating" is repeatedly used by both John and Eryk, who struggle for words a bit to describe their gratitude to…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
George Kerr and Formosa Betrayed (with Prof. Jonathan Benda) – S5-E52
American George H. Kerr was the most important Western eyewitness and chronicler of the February 28 Incident of 1947, the violent uprising and brutal crackdown…