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 Files
Unfinished Projects – unbuilt buildings, unfilmed films, unrealized dreams – S5-E36
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S5 Bonus: Taiwan and Xu Fu (with Chris Stowers)
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Altars and Outlaws: Ben Sando on Taiwan’s Underworld – Gangs, Temples, and Political Influence – S5-E35
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
“The Eleventh Commandment” – the First Western Movie Shot in Taiwan – S5-E34
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bits & Pieces: “Women of the Orient” and Around the World in a “Half-Safe” Amphibious Jeep (1956) – S5-E33
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
From Ashes to Innovation: Japan, Taiwan, and the Spirit of the Osaka Expo of 1970 – S5-E32
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)…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Swearing with Chickens, and other Taiwan Bird Adventures – S5-E31
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…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The U.S. Breaks Relations with a Loyal Ally for the First Time in History: Former AmCham Taipei President Robert Parker Tells the Story of “Derecognition” – S5-E30
Everyone knew it was coming, but when U.S. President Carter announced on Dec. 15, 1978 that Washington D.C. was switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Golden Taiwan Travels (1967) – S5-E29
Travel with Eryk and John as they explore Taiwan using the 1967 edition of a long-forgotten guidebook: The Golden Guide to South & East Asia. Taiwan was then a…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The San Cha Mountain 三叉山 Incident of 1945 – Taiwan Marks 80 Years Since Double Tragedy [S5 Reedited Encore]
Imagine you’re an Allied soldier in the Pacific during WWII. You’re captured by the Japanese, survive brutal conditions as a POW, and the dangerous voyage in a…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Made in Taiwan: A Naïve American’s Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times – Formosa Files chats with Vietnam vet and author TC Brown – S5-E28
Bargirls, bar fights, beer, and bong hits – yes, those topics are covered, but this interview features much more than salacious tales. TC Brown, who first came…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
CCK: The Largest U.S. Military Base in Taiwan During the Vietnam War – S5-E27
With sprawling 1,750-acre grounds and a record-setting 12,000-foot runway, CCK stood as America’s most significant Taiwan base during the Vietnam War. At times…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Miss Universe 1988 – Live from Taipei: Taiwan’s Record That Will (Probably) Never Be Broken – S5-E26
Long before 1988, Taiwan’s beauty pageants had been mired in rumors — winners accused of marrying into political dynasties, whispers of contests doubling as…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Nuclear Power in Taiwan: The Story Behind Saturday’s Radioactive Referendum – S5-E25
From Chiang Kai-shek’s nuclear ambitions to the fallout from Chernobyl and Fukushima, Taiwan’s nuclear story has always been controversial. The ROC once came…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Operation Ichi-Go: Japan’s Mostly Forgotten Last Big, Born-in-Taiwan War Offensive – S5-E24
This episode was released on August 15th, 2025, exactly 80 years after the Empire of Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies following the atomic…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Chiang Kai-shek’s Secret Coma, and the Cigar-Smoking, Cross-Dressing, Confucian Descendant Ms. Kung — S5-E23
In the summer of 1972, Chiang Kai-shek vanished. He missed Double Ten parades. However, Madame Chiang (Soong Mei-ling), and the step-son she loathed (future…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
“Lip-Sticked” Taxi Drivers and the Founder of the China Post: A Look at Taiwan’s Women in 1963 — S5-E22
Supreme Court judges, bus conductors, chemists, even radio stars — in this episode, we look at how women were making their mark in 1960s Taiwan. Our source is…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bits & Pieces - July 2025 - Taiwan’s First Belgian Student, Madame Chiang’s Midlife Canvas, and the Immovable Last Emperor’s Cousin – S5-E21
This Bits and Pieces episode blows from here to there—just like Typhoon Danas, which recently battered John’s beloved Chiayi. It’s a little chaotic, a little…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Honey Buckets and Whole-Wheat Faith in Free China – S5-E20
In this episode, a young American missionary family boards a cargo ship for Taiwan in 1955. What could go wrong? Four weeks, a typhoon, and a customs nightmare…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Seedless Watermelons and a Secret War in the Desert: the Taiwan–Saudi Arabia Story – S5-E19
Taiwanese pilots flew combat jets in Saudi uniforms over Arabian skies? Yes. This week, learn about what may seem like an unusual friendship: the close ties…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan’s 1930s Pop Boom, and Its First Pop Queen – S5-E18
Han Cheung, the man behind Taiwan in Time, the long-running history column in the Taipei Times, returns to tell the story of Taiwan’s first pop star. Liu…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Popeye, Prison, Soy Sauce and Satire: Bo Yang 柏楊 – S5-E17
Bo Yang 柏楊 (1920-2008) was a Chinese historian, author, dissident, provocateur, and one of Taiwan’s most controversial commentators. After arriving in Taiwan…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan vs. South Korea - A Conversation with Author Chris Tharp
Fellow “Asian tigers” South Korea and Taiwan share strikingly similar modern histories: Chinese influence, Japanese colonization, Cold War struggles, rule by…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Teresa Teng 鄧麗君 – “Asia’s Eternal Queen of Pop” (2025 Remastered Re-release)
It has now been 30 years since the passing of Teresa Teng 鄧麗君, the legendary Taiwanese singer who transformed Asian pop music, and even influenced regional…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Calculating Fate: Taiwan’s Fortune-Telling Fever of the ’90s – S5-E16
Some people bought Tamagotchis in the '90s. Others? They paid birds to predict their future. In this week’s episode, we take a glimpse into Taiwan’s wild…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Shanghai–Taiwan Connections, Part 1: Mark Kitto on Helen Zia’s “Last Boat” — BONUS EPISODE
Some have called Taipei a “mini-Shanghai.” If true, the emphasis might need to be on the word “mini.” The population of the greater Shanghai area is nearly 30…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taipei Times “Taiwan in Time”– Han Cheung, the man behind the excellent weekly history newspaper column – A FORMOSA FILES INTERVIEW
You've read his work (or you should); this awesome guy has been pumping out informative weekly history columns (and now YouTube videos) for close to a decade…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bad Manners & Book Crimes: How an American Op-Ed Sparked Taiwan’s Self-Awareness Movement – S5-E15
In 1963, a 32-year-old American grad student in Taipei wrote a newspaper editorial complaining that Taiwanese people were great at treating friends kindly, but…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
EXTRA FOR HARDCORE LISTENERS! Hear the entire story of Japanese doctor Takagi Tamoe in this unedited, 27-minute version
For those of you who want more specific info, here is the entire conversation John Ross enjoyed with Dr. Jimmy Lee on the remarkable life of Dr. Takagi Tomoe…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Takagi Tomoe: The Japanese Doctor Who Devoted Himself to Taiwan – S5-E14
In 1902, Dr. Takagi Tomoe arrived in newly-colonized Japanese Formosa as a seasoned Japanese medical expert sent here to battle bubonic plague – one of the…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
1962: Taiwan’s Bloody Year You’ve Never Heard Of -S5-E13
PLEASE NOTE: Formosa Files 中文版 has a new, separate feed. Hear it HERE, or on our website. Thanks! This week, Formosa Files digs into two wild and almost…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Chinese and Taiwanese Names… Too Many Names! – S5-E12
Your name carries history, identity, and sometimes in Taiwan, salmon? In this episode, we explore Taiwanese/Chinese naming traditions: family names…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! 重要公告
The Chinese podcast hasn’t disappeared; it’s now got its own feed.FORMOSA FILES中文版的節目沒有消失！我們成立了新的頻道（SPOTIFY、APPLE），並將所有的中文版 podcast 章節移動過去。之後FORMOSA…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
“China’s Titanic” (1949) & The Cruise That Ended in Cremation (1994) - S5-E11
Often called “China’s Titanic,” the 1949 sinking of the Taiping claimed over 1,000 lives as desperate refugees fled Shanghai for Taiwan. Forty-five years…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan in the “Teens” (1911-1919) – S5-E10
This early part of the twentieth century was filled with revolutions and wars (including the First World War). Formosa, however, was a relatively stable…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH54-永和勵行中學殺人事件—臺灣1962年兩大連續殺人案（2）
1962年，在當時的臺北縣永和鎮發生了一件轟動全臺的連續殺人案。一位（被）退休的老師持槍進入勵行中學，造成七死三傷的慘案。然而這件案件最引人注目的，卻反而是兇手的身分以及他在案發後的詭異行徑。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taoyuan Magistrate Mass Murder and Gangsters in the Taiwan Government - S5-E9
After the “execution-style” murder of Taoyuan Magistrate Liu Pang-yu and half a dozen others at Liu’s official residence in November 1996 by assassins deemed…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH53-更寮腳營區殺人事件—臺灣1962年兩大連續殺人案（1）
過去的臺灣，似乎並不是一個非常平靜的地方。在1960年代，對外有持續發生小規模衝突的共產中國，對內則有軍隊紀律、匪諜滲透、省籍情節等問題。雖然實施了戒嚴，但社會的治安依然不甚穩定。而在1962年，民國51年，就發生了兩件駭人聽聞的連續殺人案。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan’s Stock Market Bubble – And the Crash of 1990 - S5-E8
Shortly after the Lunar New Year of 1990, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (the Taiex) hit a peak of almost 12,500. Eight months later it had fallen to a low of about…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH52-臺灣戰後至今的人口問題—節育與「催生」政策
臺灣在戰後很快的成為「復興基地」，接收了百萬播遷來臺的中國軍民，但仍需儲備「反攻大陸」所需的兵力；再加上農業社會需要大量人力，政府於是鼓勵生育，臺灣人口也隨之快速增加。然而在八十年後的今日，臺灣的生育率卻是世界倒數，人口也開始節節下降。這集的 Formosa Files 中文版…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Communist Parties in Taiwan (and the gruesome tale of Tomb Sweeping Festival 清明節) – S5 - Mini Episode
Taiwan is enjoying a four-day break for Qing Ming Jie, usually called Tomb Sweeping Festival (or Day) in English. Formosa Files is taking a bit of a break as…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH51-不名譽的「榮譽白人」—SA295號空難與臺斐關係
臺灣自從1971年退出聯合國以來，在國際上逐漸面臨被孤立的困境。無獨有偶的，此時在非洲也有另一個被國際孤立的國家：南非。雖然非常具有爭議性，但兩個國家確實攜手合作了很長的一段時間，臺灣人當時在南非甚至還被授與「榮譽白人」，直到曼德拉上台後轉與中國建交為止。而就在兩國關係還相當密切的1987年，在印度洋上發生了一起空難，…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S5-E7- First “Bits and Pieces” Episode of Season 5 - Throwing Teeth on a Roof, and Russia
If we left in all the material we discover when researching topics, our episodes would be many hours long, so we try to force ourselves not to go down too many…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH50-原漢族群的界線「土牛溝」—不斷後退的臺灣「番界」
臺灣從荷蘭、明鄭時期以來，不斷的有漢人來此開墾。然而在開墾的過程中，難免會與原住民發生爭端與衝突。而在漢人開始大舉來臺的清代，雖然政府透過各種方式想要避免漢人與原住民發生爭執，但似乎總是成效不佳。甚至在清代中後期以至於日治時期，為了開發臺灣的樟腦資源與擴張帝國治理的邊界，臺灣原漢族群的界線也隨之快速後退。這集的…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
A 22-year-old Russian (spy?) Visits Taiwan in 1875 - S5-E6
Pavel Ivanovich Ibis, or Paul Ibis, a 22-year-old Russian naval officer (he was born in today’s Estonia) embarked alone on a dangerous and adventurous journey…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH49-臺灣最知名的黑人牙膏—人手一管的種族歧視（？）
如果要說到臺灣人過去最熟悉的牙膏品牌，「黑人牙膏」絕對是名列前茅。即使後來因為可能有種族歧視的意味而全面改名為「好來牙膏」，商標的顏色也幾度調整，但依然還是臺灣各大賣場架上最常見的牙膏品牌。這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
The Sad Story of South African Airways Flight 295 & “Honorary White” Taiwanese - S5-E5
November 28, 1987: South African Airways Flight 295 departs from Taipei bound for Johannesburg. Somewhere near Mauritius, a mysterious fire breaks out. The…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH48-臺灣獨立的精神導師—彭明敏（part 2）
臺灣在追尋民主自由獨立的道路上，彭明敏教授是無法忽略的一位重量級人物。在日本留學時經歷了戰爭、原子彈，回到臺灣後又遇上二二八事件。而1964年的《台灣自救運動宣言》，讓他不得不在傳教士友人的協助下逃離臺灣，顛沛流離三十年，最終由於與李登輝的因緣而回到臺灣。這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Whitemen Toothpaste Vs. Hei Ren Ya Gao - S5-E4
Two common brands of toothpaste sold in Taiwan: one of them is strangely/poorly named, but the other has a very long history of flirting with racism. In this…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH47-臺灣獨立的精神導師—彭明敏（part 1）
臺灣在追尋民主自由獨立的道路上，彭明敏教授是無法忽略的一位重量級人物。戰爭在他的身上刻下傷痕，又讓他在長崎見證原子彈；而在臺灣，二二八事件也讓他的家人飽受威脅；隨之而來的白色恐怖，更讓他不得不逃離臺灣。這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
228, White Terror, the Formosa Incident, and Nylon Deng: Part Two - S5-E3
NOTE: This episode is not suitable for young children. The story of Nylon Deng is too often painted in terms of good/bad, black/white…but almost nothing is…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
228, White Terror, The Formosa Incident, and Nylon Deng: Part One - S5-E2
NOTE: This episode is not suitable for young children.In part one, we begin in Saigon in 1963 before returning to Taiwan in the days before the nation became a…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH46-日本最後一位帝國士兵—在叢林存活30年的臺籍日本兵
在第二次世界大戰期間，日本曾經從臺灣募集原住民，編成「高砂義勇隊」開赴南洋作戰。然而在戰場上，卻有一位來自臺東的阿美族族人與軍隊離散，獨自一個人在印尼小島的叢林裡存活了30年才被發現。這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Taiwan’s Shrinking Population (2025) – S5-E1
Did you know that former Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 is the youngest of eleven siblings? Her personal story is a dramatic example of how quickly we’ve…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH45-陽明山上的車禍疑雲—讓蔣介石折壽20年的事故
上陽明山的仰德大道，由於彎道視線不良，過去時常發生重大車禍。但絕大多數的人也許不知道，蔣介石自己也曾經在陽明山發生過非常嚴重的車禍，嚴重損害了他的健康，甚至讓他自認因此「折壽二十年」。到底是怎麼一回事呢？這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
“Daddy Zheng” 鄭芝龍 Beats the Dutch Fleet (1633) - Formosa Files Season Four Finale
Next week we’ll kick off Season Five of Formosa Files! A huge thank you to the Frank C. Chen Foundation for its continued support of the program; without it…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH44-風靡亞洲的「女主角」—徐熙媛（大S）
2001年，有一部臺灣改編自日本漫畫的電視劇席捲全臺，開啟了臺灣「偶像劇」的年代，甚至還輸出到中國及亞洲各地，成為當時重要的社會、文化現象。而演出這部《流星花園》女主角的徐熙媛（大S），則是無論劇裡劇外，都是對臺灣社會風氣、性別印象帶來強烈衝擊的新時代女性。這集的 Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
World War II Aviation Stories: An American “Ghost Pilot,” and the Japanese Fighter Pilot who Became a God in Tainan - S4 [ENCORE]
Formosa Files presents two incredible stories aboutWWII airmen in this week’s remastered, re-edited encore episode (first released in Sept. 2022). First, a…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesFORMOSA FILES IN CHINESE! CH43-神明駕前的威武家將—被汙名化的臺灣家將文化
在一些神明出巡的時候，總會有一團「家將」在駕前護衛，協助神明執行任務。這個「家將」的文化由於時代與人心變遷，大多已經失去過去的宗教意涵，還時常由於廟會的各種失序行為與黑道滲透，在現代社會中遭受非議。但也有許多家將團，在現代的各種誤解與非難中，持續努力維持正派與傳統，讓世界看見臺灣文化。這集的Formosa Files…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Happy Year of the Wood Snake! – S4-E41
Sing: Gongxi, Gongxi, Gongxi Ni, hey, (repeat ad nauseum). Sin Nien Kwai Le (as they might write it in Kaohsiung). We hope everyone is enjoying the long…