Explore Taiwan's Night market 台灣夜市文化

Night markets in Taiwan, are not just places to buy things to eat and drink and wear. They are also an essential part of nightlife for many Taiwanese people. Vendors selling popular snacks gather in the streets and jam into the alleys of the night markets, selling delicious food at good prices as part of the unforgettable experience of the night market.


Click here to watch all series of videos / 點此收看全系列影片>>>

Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳

The Dragon Boat Festival 端午節慶

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major Chinese traditional holidays, falling every year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. An alternate version of the origin of the festival is that it commemorates the death of Qu Yuan. Npw this practice eventually evolved into the festival traditions of holding dragon boat races and eating zongzi, an angular rice ravioli which is wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. From an ethnological perspective the boat races can be seen as a form of cultural tradition, but they also express the competitive spirit of modern-day sports.


Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳
Production Assistants/VIC LIANG and CHRISTAL HSU

Life in the Wonder City of Gold(Jiufen) 黃金山城歲月-九份篇

Decades ago, Jiufen was a magnificent city abounds in gold ores and bathed in glory. During its peak, goldminers were liberal with their easily gained money, and the town was the symbol of luxury and extravagance, replicating the bustle and boom of Shanghai, hence the name, the mini-Shanghai. Yet with the depletion of gold in the mid-1960’s, the population started to shrink, and the gold-mining business also faded into history. As a result, many wandering artists looking for creative ideas came to Jiufen to explore new artistic possibilities. They frequented the retro-Chinese style teahouses to enjoy a cup of warm tea and reflect upon the old days, and Jiufen, a long-forgotten mountain town, began to move forward in the river of time.



Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳
Production Assistants/VIC LIANG and CHRISTAL HSU

The Ritual of Religious Worship 拜拜習俗與儀式

Introducing the ritual of religious worship, step by step, to let the audience understand some of the dos and don'ts, and to show how the many gods are worshipped in various ways. Like churches in the west, the temple serves as a 'home away from home' for many people in Eastern cultures. This is where they come to seek comfort and assistance from the gods. Churches and cathedrals are common in Europe, but they are nowhere as ubiquitous as in Taiwan, where supposedly you run into a small temple every three steps and a large temple every five steps. Don't confuse the 'bai-bai' with the English farewell, 'bye-bye'. The bai-bai ritual is a very special part of life in Taiwan, and this is the first time I have ever stood with incense like this. It's an intrinsic part of the faith in Taiwan, and any time you feel troubled or confused, just go to a nearby temple - it's bound to bring you a measure of comfort and relief.


Click here to watch all series of videos / 點此收看全系列影片>>>

Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳
Production Assistants/YIPING PENG 彭怡萍

Religious Worship 台灣拜拜的故事

The story of religious worship, and the many different gods worshipped in Taiwan. The 'bai-bai' is the most common form of religious worship in Taiwan, one of the key elements in the religious culture of the island. Over the centuries the many temples and shrines across Taiwan have gradually spread their influence to protect virtually every citizen in the land. The 'bai-bai' is not strictly limited to burning incense in a temple. It covers worship of the spirits, of one's ancestors and of the gods, and it occupies a major part of the daily routine for many people. The Taiwanese pantheon includes a wide range of gods and spirits, each of whom has its own followers. Some may pray for health, others need help in upcoming exams, some are angling for a promotion at work, and a few want to know about a prospective mate. Let's see which god we should approach here.


Click here to watch all series of videos / 點此收看全系列影片>>>

Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳

Life in the Wonder City of Gold(Jinguashi) 黃金山城歲月-金瓜石篇

Jinguashi, originally a gold mining town; copper mines were also discovered here. In contrast to Jiufen, a place that has recovered its old-time appeal, Jinguashi kept to its element. (www.culture.tw)




Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳
Production Assistants/VIC LIANG and CHRISTAL HSU

Culture。Taiwan 文化台灣

Taiwan Culture Channel (www.culture.tw)-- to explore the real Taiwan
文建會文化台灣英文入口網"老外eye台灣"影音節目系列


Published by Council of Culture Affair/行政院文建會
Produced by Taiwan News TV/台灣英文新聞網路電視事業群
Producer/ IYEN WANG 王怡雁
Camera and Editor/ TOM YEH 葉濤 and CHIHCHIA TU 杜致佳
Production Assistants/VIC LIANG and CHRISTAL HSU