The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

Latest Episodes:

Taiwan's Great Pork Apocalypse (1997) - S3-E29 Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Not gonna lie folks: this episode gets dark; the story of a super swine slaughter.

But, there's also some tasty morsels of info on Taiwan's favorite meat, and the pig’s place in the island’s history and culture.

Plus, a final happy ending involving little cute piggies, but you'll have to have to visit formosafiles.com to see the pics.

Ox Ditches and an Unsinkable Warship - S3-E28 Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Remember those two Polish cargo ships and one oil tanker from the USSR seized by the ROC Navy in the 1950s? Well, the story has one highly interesting extra element we didn't have time to get to in the last episode. Plus, John wants to write a book about an "ox ditch."

Visit formosafiles.com for all the extras: links, maps, pics, images, book reviews, etc.

When Taiwan (ROC) Blockaded China (PRC) - S3-E27 Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

After retreating to Taiwan, the ROC ordered a naval blockade of China, which lasted officially until 1979. There were interceptions and attacks by the ROC Navy, CIA-backed Nationalist forces, and some pirate-like actions by unofficial ROC guerrillas. Even ships from the UK and the US were targeted. But, with several high-profile cases, including a Soviet tanker called the Tuapse, the world grew weary and demanded that Chiang Kai-shek stop the blockade. Meanwhile, the detained crews became political footballs. Some were stuck here for over 30 years!

Visit our website www.formosafiles.com for photos, links, and more.

Taiwan as part of the Philippines? Or a British or German colony? “What Ifs” of Formosan History - With Michael Turton S3-E26 Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Taiwanese history would have been very different except for a few pivotal moments. “Sure,” you might be thinking, “that's true everywhere.” However, the “what ifs” Michael Turton and Eryk Michael Smith talk about today are especially fascinating because of Taiwan’s strategic location. The Spanish and Dutch had short-lived settlements here in the 17th century, but either could easily have lasted for centuries. Later would-be colonizers included the UK (they considered using the east coast as a penal colony à la Australia), the US, and Germany. Turton lays out an interesting list of “what ifs” to support his argument that Taiwan being in the sphere of “Chinese” influence is an anomaly of history -- and was never inevitable.

Check out formosafiles.com for links to articles by Michael Turton, pics, images, and more.

The Free China Junk Story - Part 3: Victory! - S3-E25 Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Today John Ross and Chris Stowers (a man who has first-hand knowledge of what it's like to sail on an old-fashioned sailing boat) end our three-part series on the amazing voyage of the Chinese junk (built possibly in the 1890s) that made it -- not without overcoming considerable difficulties -- from Keelung to San Francisco in 1955. We discover the fates of the two chickens brought along for the long sea trip (Mildred 1 and Mildred 2), and, of course, learn what happened to our adventurous crew. We won't give away any spoilers, but let's just say there's also a nice twist on what eventually happened to the Free China junk itself.

Visit www.formosafiles.com for pics, links, and more.

Crossing the Pacific in a Junk - Trials and Tribulations (Part 2-3) - S3-E24 Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

We continue the amazing tale of six men who set sail from Keelung in 1955 aboard the Free China junk to join a trans-Atlantic yacht race. They were attempting to show that an old-fashioned Chinese vessel could compete against some of the world's best boats.

But first they need to cross the Pacific Ocean. It’s an inauspicious start, and we find Paul Chou and his shipmates in need of rescue and ordered to return home. But will they?

Guest Chris Stowers draws on his experience sailing on a traditional Bugis craft in Indonesian waters to help us navigate this heartwarming story. This is part two of a three-part story, and part three drops tomorrow.

You really should visit www.formosafiles.com as we post links to videos, pictures, maps, extras and more.

Across the Pacific in the Free China Junk (1955) - Part One - S2-E23 Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

In 1954, a man living in Keelung 基隆 asked himself, “Could an old-fashioned Chinese junk beat modern yachts in a race on the high seas?” The answer? -- An almost unbelievable tale involving a boat that would become world-famous: the “Free China” junk (自由中國號). This week, John Ross and Chris Stowers (Stowers was part of a crew that also sailed on a wind-powered junk-like ship), tell the first part of this incredible story of bravery, perseverance, and a more than a little luck.

Don't forget to visit formosafiles.com for videos, links, maps, pics and info.

Barbie: Made in Taiwan - S3-E22 Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Seen the Barbie movie? No worries... Eryk saw it for you, and he noticed one thing they didn't mention in the film: from 1967-1987, most of the world's Barbie dolls were made in Taiwan. Factories in the tiny town of Taishan 泰山 (now a district of New Taipei City) churned out millions of these well-made toys before Mattel moved operations to cheaper manufacturing locations. Plus, we've got info on traditional Taiwanese toys and John ends this week's episode with a strange tale of "possessed" paper dolls.

Go to our website formosafiles.com for pics, links, and other extras.

Military Blockades of Taiwan - S3-E21 Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

China's People's Liberation Army/Navy has been practicing for a possible blockade of Taiwan with ships, planes, and drones. This week, Formosa Files looks at the history of blockades connected to Taiwan. Plus, hear about the nastiest "ocean blockade" in history -- when the new Qing authorities ordered the evacuation of the Chinese coast for over 20 years!

Maps, links, pics, and more can be found at formosafiles.com

Bonus Episode: 2-28: A Bad Beginning Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

In this special episode, we hear Eryk reading from chapter five of John’s “Taiwan in 100 Books.” The topic is 2-28, an event named after a date: February 28, 1947. It’s usually referred to as the February 28 incident, but sometimes called the 2-28 Massacre. American vice-consul at the time George Kerr used the term “the March massacres,” which gives a more accurate impression of what happened; the brutal suppression of uprisings and protests throughout the country, which left perhaps 20,000 dead. It was a bad beginning to ROC rule on Formosa, a dark stain that was a taboo topic until the early 1990s. Listen and learn about George Kerr’s “Formosa Betrayed”(1965), probably the most important English-language non-fiction work on Taiwan. We also cover the first English-language White Terror novel, “A Pail of Oysters” (1953), by Vern Sneider, and Allan James Shackleton’s “Formosa Calling” (1998), an account of 2-28 which took four decades to get published.

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