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
S2-E24 - Cats Big and Small
Virtually everyone on this island knows the famous feline folktale: "The Tiger Aunt." In this episode, we tell that tale -- relying for source material on…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E23 - Separated Sisters
Imagine this: It's 1949. You and your family live in Fujian, China. A friend invites you to the island of Kinmen for a short vacation. You hop on a ferry and…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
A Formosa Files INTERVIEW: Manuel Tsao Talks to Eryk About the 100+ Year Old Jhuzimen Hydro Power Plant - 竹仔門發電廠
The Jhuzimen Hydro Power Plant (竹仔門發電廠) was built by the colonial Japanese authorities in 1908 -- in what's now Meinung District (美濃區), Kaohsiung City. Manuel…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bonus Episode: "Taiwan in 100 Books" -- A Priest on Orchid Island Meets Sanmao (三毛)
In this special episode, we thank listeners and talk briefly about season two (We are now being listened to in 90 countries/regions!!), and share an excerpt…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E22 - USS Tang: The Most Successful US Submarine of WWII
War is not glorious, and shouldn’t be glorified. But war does provide the chance to be brave, and bravery can be glorious. Such was the case of Commander…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Special CURRENT EVENTS Episode: Why hasn’t the PRC invaded Taiwan?
We've gotten so many questions from Formosa Files listeners about the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan that we thought we'd do a round-up of previous…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E21 - Taiwan's Global Shipping Empire - EVERGREEN
Go virtually anywhere in the world and you'll see them: green shipping containers with large white letters reading "EVERGREEN." The company is one of the…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bonus Episode: "Taiwan in 100 Books" - A Martial Arts Hoax
In this special episode, we talk about where the inspiration for the Formosa Files podcast came from, and share an excerpt from the podcast's origin source…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E20 - Mr. and Mrs. Giles - *Wade-Giles Chinese Romanization
Why is "Kaohsiung" spelled so strangely? Shouldn't it be closer to "Gao-Shung"? (Or we could just use Hanyu Pinyin, "Gāoxióng"). Well, many names in Taiwan are…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E19 - Golf in Taiwan: A Surprisingly Long History
Some might think golf came with U.S. troops after WWII, but the origins of this sport in Taiwan actually go much further back. Listen to this episode for…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesTeresa Teng 鄧麗君 - "Asia's Eternal Queen of Pop" - S2-E18
Teresa Teng (Deng Lijun 鄧麗君) was arguably Asia's first pop superstar, a singer from Taiwan who won hearts across the continent and the world. Teng got so…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E17 - The Brief and Often Forgotten Kingdom of Dongning 東寧王國
Koxinga's eldest son, Zheng Jing, -- the ruler of the short-lived Kingdom of Dongning (1661-1683) -- almost lost his head in his late teens. Daddy Zheng…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E16 - Ang Lee in the Spotlight: His Story from Pingtung to Hollywood
Two-time Academy Award winning director Ang Lee (李安) is probably the most globally famous person from Taiwan. But this Pingtung-born movie master actually…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E-15 - "123 Freedom Day" Taiwan's Shadowy Involvement in the Korean War - Part Two
The Korean War would almost certainly have ended much earlier but for the tricky question of what to do with Chinese POWs. The 21,000 Red Chinese soldiers…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E14 - Taiwan's Shadowy Involvement in the Korean War - Part One
It's 1950 and a war-weary world is at it again. Communist China pours fuel on the conflict in Korea by sending in a quarter of a million soldiers. ROC…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E13 - A Cruise on an Opium Clipper to Takao (Kaohsiung)
Kaohsiung Harbor was, in the late twentieth century, one of the world's busiest ports, but back during the time of the Opium Wars, it was still a rather…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E12 - "The National Game" -- Taiwan Falls in and out of Love with Baseball
After the Americans introduced baseball to Japan in the late 19th century, Japan took the game John Ross might call "a corruption of cricket" to their new…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
A Formosa Files INTERVIEW: ICRT General Manager Tim Berge
Taiwan's only English radio station, International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) has been a part of millions of Taiwanese -- and many an expat in Taiwan's --…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E11 - Taiwan's Nearest Neighbors - the 1,000+ Kilometer-Long Ryukyu Island Chain
Taiwan lies at the heart of what's called the "first island chain," a boring name for a long line of amazing islands that stretches from Borneo to Russia’s…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E10 - Christian Samurai – Japan’s Katana Diplomacy in Taiwan
After unifying Japan’s warring states, supreme feudal lord Hideyoshi launched a massive invasion of Korea. In 1593, a year into this Imjin War of 1592-1598, he…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E9 - The Murder of Pai Hsiao-yen and the Alexander Family Hostage Crisis
April 1997. Taiwan’s crime story of the century starts with the kidnapping and murder of a celebrity’s 12-year-old daughter by a trio of hardened criminals. In…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E8 - Makalu Gao: The Taiwanese Climber Who Survived a Night on Mt. Everest
The high number of deaths during the 1996 Mt. Everest climbing season supplied a tragic plotline for books, movies, and documentaries. Taiwanese climbers did…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E7 - Dr. Peng Ming-min (1923-2022) - Part 2: Escaping Taiwan and a Hero's Return
How do you get a famous, one-armed democracy activist -- who is under house arrest and being watched 24/7 by the authorities -- off of a well-guarded…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E6 - Dr. Peng Ming-min (1923-2022) - Part 1 - The Incredible Life of a Democracy Fighter
Dr. Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) was a Taiwanese pro-independence/pro-democracy activist who lived an exceptional life - losing an arm in a WWII US air raid, witnessing…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E5 - Tragedy on Taiwan's Majestic Mountains
Two-thirds of this island is mountainous, and climbing the mountains -- or even just driving across them -- is an awesome experience. But, woe be to those that…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E4 - Searching for the "Motherland"
Western-style adoption (as in a couple taking a baby home from an orphanage) has not been and is still not very common in Taiwan. But there are plenty of local…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E3 - The Lamey Island Massacre
In 1622 and then again in 1631, crew members (including foraging parties and shipwreck survivors) from Dutch ships were killed by the aboriginal people on…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E2 - Thomas Barclay: The Man Who Helped Save a City
It's 1895 and Formosa has officially become part of the Japanese Empire. Not everyone on the island is super happy about this, and bursts of violent resistance…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S2-E1 - The CIA vs. Made in Taiwan Nukes
After the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, nations around the world began thinking about acquiring nuclear weapons of their own. Among them…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bonus Mini-Episode: Eryk Calls John for a Chat About Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples
When did people first get to Taiwan? Was there a land bridge? Plus... a few interesting legends. A short phone call that's a fun intro to Taiwan’s prehistory.
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
Bonus Episode 01 - What Were the Dutch Doing in Formosa Anyway?
The Dutch were expelled from southwestern Taiwan by pirate warlord and Ming loyalist Koxinga in 1662. Their relatively brief stay of 38 years was marked by…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E25 - From Russia With Love: ROC First Lady Faina Chiang
In 1933, on a winter’s night in the Russian town of Yekaterinburg, Faina Vakhreva -- then 17 years old -- was walking home and became the unwanted subject of…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E24 - Taiwan's Awesome National Health Insurance System
In the mid-1990s Taiwanese politicians got together, and, after much wrangling, settled on a national health insurance system that today is the envy of many…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E23 - Walls of Death
In the 1980s, Japan's, South Korea's, and Taiwan’s massive fishing fleets gained notoriety for their destructive driftnet fishing. The use of giant driftnets…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E22 - The Cruel Sea
Despite the failed attempt to create a myth of a Pacific Ocean "Bermuda Triangle" near Taiwan, the seas around this island are indeed cruel... ships sometimes…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E21 - The "Best" Hijacking in History?
The word "stalemate" defined relations between Taiwan and China in the 1970s and early 1980s. Neither side wanted to legitimize the other with "official" talks…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E20 - The "Iron Man of Asia"
Maysang Kalimud, better known by his Chinese name C.K. Yang (楊傳廣), is arguably the greatest Taiwanese athlete of all time. In 1960, this native Taiwanese from…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E19 - The End of the Qing
War in northern Vietnam spills over into Taiwan, with French troops occupying several ports. This wake-up call for the Qing prompts an upgrading of their…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E18 - Shipwreck Savagery and Clandestine Colonization
After native people in the far south of Formosa kill survivors from the wrecked US merchant vessel The Rover in 1867, the Americans send a punitive expedition…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E17 - Missionaries Pull Teeth in Treaty Ports
The Second Opium War (1856-1860) lead to the opening of Danshui, near Taipei, and Anping (Tainan) as treaty ports. Soon after, the Qing authorities opened…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E16 - Japanese Formosa Catches Spy Fever
As the Empire secretly prepared for a coming war with the aim of dominating Asia, visitors to and foreign residents on Japanese Formosa fell under suspicion…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E15 - Japan Puts on a Show
Determined to prove that they were just as fit to be imperialists as the great Western powers, the Japanese were keen to show off the "model colony" of Taiwan…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E14 - Buddhism "In Action" – Taiwan's Remarkable Tzu Chi Charity Group
Tzu Chi is unique in relying on mostly laypersons instead of clergy, focusing on real-world problems instead of only the spiritual, and having an extremely…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E13 - The Orangutan Craze
As one of the four "Asian Tigers," Taiwan's economy roared in the 1980s, but free-flowing money came with downsides such as the exploitation of wild animals…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E12 - The "Made in Taiwan" Miracle
U.S. economic aid to Taiwan ceased in 1965. Mostly agrarian Taiwan needed to come up with new ways to make money... and it did! From manufacturing Barbie dolls…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E11 - All Hail the Duck King!
Uprisings were exceptionally common over the 212 years of Qing Dynasty rule on Taiwan... but only one rebellion actually took the capital (Tainan) and led to…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E10 - The Qing Empire Doesn't Really Want Taiwan
After the heirs of Koxinga surrender to the Qing, the imperial court isn't sure what to do with the island -- but a wily admiral convinces Emperor Kangxi to…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesS1-E9 - The Empire's Last Soldier
He was the last Pacific WWII holdout and a native Taiwanese from the Amis tribe... here's the remarkable story of a Japanese colonial soldier who didn't get…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E8 - POWs, Bombing Raids, and Kamikazes
Initially relatively spared, as WWII in the Pacific reaches a climax, Taiwan is hit hard by advancing Allied forces. POWs in camps across the island await…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesS1-E7 - Luzon or Formosa? - Taiwan Dodges WWII Invasion
World War II in the Pacific is coming to a close... American military top brass meet with the President to pick the island from which to launch the final…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E6 - Big Crises on Tiny Islands
The Korean War is over, and Mao turns again to the mission of invading Taiwan. To do that, his forces will need to first take some tiny islands just off the…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesS1-E5 - Rioters Ransack the Taipei U.S. Embassy (1957)
A U.S. officer shoots dead a 'Peeping Tom' allegedly spying on the officer's wife as she took a shower. The subsequent trial and verdict lead to the incredible…
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E4 - Mao Really Wants Taiwan - and a Taiwanese Spy Almost Gave it to Him!
Only one Taiwanese person is known to have survived the famed Long March of Chinese communists led by "Chairman" Mao. Hear the story of Cai Xiaoqian (蔡孝乾) from…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesS1-E3 - The Fall of Fort Zeelandia
The Dutch put up a good fight... but a traitor seals their fate. Here's the end of the story of how the Dutch lost Taiwan.
- The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
S1-E2 - Koxinga VS. The Dutch - Round One
Pirate Warlord Koxinga's successful invasion of Taiwan changed everything. Here's part one of the tale of an epic, nine-month struggle with the Dutch in…
The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa FilesS1-E1 - The White Formosan
How could a 'very white' European man get away with showing up in London in 1703 and claiming to be from Formosa? In this first episode of FORMOSA FILES, we…