Claim OwnershipThe Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
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© John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith
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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 two decades and call the island home.
Email: formosafiles@gmail.com
Email: formosafiles@gmail.com
304 Episodes
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When Japan took control of Taiwan in 1895, it inherited a financial mess: a chaotic mix of chopped silver, copper cash, and foreign coins. The new colony also cost far more to subdue and administer than it brought in. Yet during that demanding first decade, able administrators such as Gotō Shinpei turned things around, bringing monetary order and eventual profitability. The United States took notice. In its own new colony, the Philippines, American officials followed Taiwan’s monetary reforms and even came to study its opium monopoly, a system designed to reduce addiction while also funding the colonial government (opium was initially the single largest source of revenue). Eryk and John, channeling their inner opium fiend and colonial ruler, demonstrate how this system worked on the ground.Please leave a comment or review.
THIS IS AUDIO-ONLY. A LONGER VIDEO VERISON IS AVAILABLE. This episode may not be suitable for minors. Yes, funeral strippers are real, and their story is far more complicated than the headlines. With anthropologist Marc L. Moskowitz as our guide, we climb aboard Taiwan’s infamous Electric Flower Cars, neon-lit mobile stages where dancers perform during funerals and temple processions.In this dual episode (video/audio only), Eryk chats with Professor Moskowitz about his documentary, Dancing for the Dead. The discussion explores how this controversial tradition took root, why it exploded into public debate in the 1980s, and what it reveals about Taiwan’s rural-urban cultural divide.Critics call it immoral. Performers call it a livelihood. Fans say it keeps the spirits and the crowds entertained; enjoy this provocative, colorful, and surprisingly heartfelt look at one of Taiwan’s most misunderstood cultural practices.Watch a 47-min interview video HERE.
Note: This episode may not be suitable for minors. Yes, funeral strippers are real, and their story is far more complicated than the headlines. With anthropologist Marc L. Moskowitz as our guide, we climb aboard Taiwan’s infamous Electric Flower Cars, neon-lit mobile stages where dancers perform during funerals and temple processions.In this dual episode (video/audio only), Eryk chats with Professor Moskowitz about his documentary, Dancing for the Dead. The discussion explores how this controversial tradition took root, why it exploded into public debate in the 1980s, and what it reveals about Taiwan’s rural-urban cultural divide. Critics call it immoral. Performers call it a livelihood. Fans say it keeps the spirits and the crowds entertained; enjoy this provocative, colorful, and surprisingly heartfelt look at one of Taiwan’s most misunderstood cultural practices.Audio only version also available. Follow us on social media and leave a comment/review!
We end our Shulinkou trilogy by tying together the surprisingly interconnected Taiwan–U.S.–Vietnam story. It’s July 1964, and two U.S. Navy destroyers are in Taiwan preparing for an intelligence-gathering mission off the coast of North Vietnam. Shulinkou Air Station provided intel, specialized equipment, and trained personnel for the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy – ships about to play starring roles in the controversial incident that helped draw the United States fully into the Vietnam War.Amid this geopolitical drama, we follow the story of a young Navy intelligence specialist, Joe Miller. A forbidden romance costs him his posting at Shulinkou. But his reassignment to the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga will give him a front-row seat to the Tonkin crisis, and change the course of his life.Follow us on social media and check out our website.
We continue the story of the Shulinkou Air Station and the American military in the early 1960s. We tackle Taiwan’s infamous gravel-truck killers (urban legend or fact?), get slapped by Typhoon Gloria, and have our duck-hunting excursion interrupted by the Generalissimo’s latest China invasion plans. And we follow the trail of controversial crimes and court verdicts which led to the ROC and U.S. finally signing a Status of Forces Agreement. On a lighter note, we also take time out for some catered Mongolian barbecue.Do us a favor and rate/review/comment...thanks!
It was one of Taiwan’s most secretive Cold War outposts: Shulinkou Air Station (樹林口空軍情報站), a joint-service U.S. intelligence base perched on a misty plateau west of Taipei. Built in 1955, it was a hub for the interception, decryption, and analysis of enemy radio and electronic communications.In Part 1 of this three-part series, we focus on the early 1960s and the everyday world of the young servicemen and officers stationed there. Join them as they resist the character-destroying temptations of Taipei’s back alleys, face vengeful thieves, ride the rails in a stolen locomotive (probably a tall tale but you be the judge), and encounter ghostly road vehicles. This is Part 1. Parts 2 and 3 will take us deeper -- into the looming Vietnam War.For this episode, we relied heavily on the excellent Shulinkou Air Station Taiwan website, which is run by men who served there between 1955 and 1977.
Pioneering researcher, physician and historical novelist Dr Chen Yao-chang passed away at the age of 76 on November 17. He will be deeply missed by family and friends. John and Eryk had the pleasure of getting to know this kind and talented man through our publishing wing, Plum Rain Press. Our first book in fact was the English-language edition of his breakout novel, A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa. (wonderfully translated by He Wen-ching.)In this special episode, you'll hear a recording from the highly-recommended podcast Books on Asia – With Amy Chavez, (the Formosa Files team recorded a BOA episode on “Three Tribes” in October '25), and snippets from a chat Eryk and Dr. Chen had back in June 2024. Rest in peace, Dr. Chen... and thank you.
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 US (a giant Moon Goddess monument)? Well, no, you couldn’t have because these projects were never realized. These are just a few of the many bleached bones we explore from the graveyard of broken dreams.AND – there will be an extra episode coming this Saturday with a wild premise. Is it possible the ancient Chinese settled in Taiwan during the time of China’s first emperor, or in Japan, or crossed the Pacific and made contact with Central American civilizations such as the Maya?Please follow, share, review, like, etc.
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 Qin Shi Huang. China’s first emperor was obsessed with cheating death (as revealed by his huge tomb complex in Xi’an, with its thousands of terracotta warriors); he outfitted Xu Fu’s expedition with everything needed to establish a settlement – equipment, supplies, and several thousand young men and women. Xu Fu and his companions never returned to China. Where did they go? John and Chris Stowers, an English photographer and writer based in Taipei, discuss this story, especially as it relates to Taiwan. Did Xu Fu settle in Formosa? Or Japan? Or, as is the premise for Tim McGirk’s The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers, did he reach Central America?NOTE: A technical problem affected the audio quality of this episode, but the conversation is solid and worth sticking with. Thanks for your patience.
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 Han Taiwanese society, through the period of Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) martial law and on to the era of democratization, the influence of Taiwan’s gangs has evolved. The activity of some gangs (but not all) has spread beyond extracting profit from local territory – through extortion, prostitution, and gambling – to international transactions involving drug, arms, and human trafficking. This has sowed connections between certain Taiwanese gangs and foreign actors, such as Chinese triads and government officials engaging in united front work for the People’s Republic of China (PRC). As elections become more competitive in Taiwan, gangs have leveraged their control of prominent Taiwanese temples to influence politicians seeking support from religious communities. Such deep-rooted connections between gangs and local communities obstruct democratic development based on transparency and open debate, especially in Taiwan’s rural areas.”NOTE: This episode has been significantly edited to attempt to adhere to the mostly non-political official stance of the Formosa Files podcast. To hear/watch the full one-hour, almost unedited version, visit Kaohsiung Times → “Long-Form” → “Formosa Files.”
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 movie director makes the first Western film in Taiwan in the winter of 1959/1960. In the film, the characters come to Taiwan from Iowa to learn about the evils of communism (?). Next week, we’ll get back to some “real” history, but today, enjoy 30 minutes of almost pure insanity from Formosa Files.Help us out! Follow, like, subscribe, share and leave a review on our website or Apple podcasts.
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 history’s strangest adventures: the world-spanning voyage of “Half-Safe,” an amphibious jeep that drove and floated its way to Kaohsiung in 1958.Do us a favor: rate the show, leave a review on our website or Apple podcasts, and/or follow us on social media. Thanks.
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). In 1970, Japan highlighted its rise from the ashes by holding the Osaka Expo, a showcase of technology, culture, and confidence — from a monorail to moving walkways to videophones. It was the first World’s Fair held in Japan, and also in Asia. For the Republic of China (Taiwan), however, it would turn out to be something of a swan song on the international stage; in 1971, Taiwan lost its seat at the United Nations, and in the following years numerous countries switched diplomatic recognition to the PRC. But join Formosa Files as we visit Osaka in those happy days of 1970, when the future looked bright; astronauts had just landed on the Moon, Japan’s miracle was in full swing, and the world gathered to imagine tomorrow. Take a tour around the ROC’s futuristic pavilion, designed by I.M. Pei, which was a break from the classic Chinese palace architecture favored by the government. And learn about a remarkable forgotten Taiwanese travelogue-thriller film, Tracing to EXPO ’70.Follow, like, comment and share. Thank you!
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 bird superstitions. Star species make cameo appearances, but it’s the humble chicken that gets the spotlight in this episode… and the chopping board! (Apologies for Eryk’s fondness for certain sound effects). The beheading of chickens at temples was once a common folk judicial ritual – yes, oaths of legal innocence were sworn before temple gods with the aid of feathered sacrifices. Sounds a bit gruesome, but trust us; it’s a fun episode. We swear it before the City God (whack!). Follow, comment, like, share - let others know about the program. Thanks!
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 Beijing in two weeks, both the Taiwanese people and the foreign community (then mostly Americans) were shocked. On that historic day of Jan. 1, 1979, Robert Parker began his term as the President of the American Chamber of Commerce. He soon found himself forced to act as a kind of de facto U.S. ambassador. Part of the bombshell announcement was the deadline for decoupling: everything and everyone officially connected to the United States would vanish by April 1979. For Parker, this resulted in near-surreal experiences that included helping cobble together a civilian radio station in 90 days (ICRT FM100.7), walking a political tightrope to determine the legality of the Taipei American School, and testifying before the U.S. Congress as American officials reacted to Carter’s recognition of the PRC by passing the Taiwan Relations Act… a large part of which was based on his testimony. These tumultuous times are described in his 2025 book (written with Don Shapiro), “Derecognition: How Americans in Taiwan surmounted multiple crises and helped shape the Taiwan Relations Act when the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with a loyal ally” – and this week, we’re happy to have Mr. Parker on Formosa Files for a fascinating chat.Please share, like, comment, review - we need your help so that others can discover this podcast. Music : "Love Rain" By Thomas Gresen is licensed under a Creative Commons License. GRSN Music. 24 July 2022
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 new travel destination full of rewards for the tourist willing to get off the beaten path. Listen and learn what you can take into the country (half a pound of pipe tobacco) and what you can’t (roulette wheel). Find out where to visit, shop, eat and stay. Feast on Mongolian barbecue, visit a “hideous” giant statue, find the girlie bars unknown to the GIs, and go fishing without leaving your hotel.
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 “hell ship” to Japan, where you endure more years of captivity. Finally, in August 1945, the war ends. You’re freed, ready to go home. But there will be no happy ending. Some transport planes and ships never make their destination, including a B-24 carrying 20 former POWs, which crashes into a 3,496-meter peak in Taiwan’s southern Central Mountain Range during a typhoon. Compounding the sadness, 26 members of a team made up of Japanese, Taiwanese, and Indigenous people die in a rescue/retrieval attempt.This once little-known story was featured in Season Two of Formosa Files. In 2025, however – the 80th anniversary – many news organizations featured stories marking the event. Taiwan President Lai offered a moving tribute in a Facebook post, which in part read, “Eighty years ago, a group of people, without regard to nationality, blood, or side in the war, risked their lives to save others.”Help others find us by rating/reviewing the show.
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 here at the age of 18, served in the U.S. Air Force as a police officer – or “Sky Cop” – at the famous CCK Air Base in Taichung during the Vietnam War era. Brown’s recent book, Made in Taiwan, is a wonderfully honest memoir; an important first-hand account of his five-year deployment and a glimpse into a radically different Taiwan, and he’s a great storyteller… as you will hear. Please rate or review the program! It helps people find the show.
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 hosting as many as 8,000 U.S. troops, CCK was a vital airpower logistics hub. From its prime spot near Taichung, CCK orchestrated major Southeast Asian airlift missions, including iconic long-range C‑130 flights. In this week’s episode, we focus on two “inside story” books, the best of which is Made in Taiwan: A Naïve American’s Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times – by TC Brown, a former U.S. Air Force police officer. Brown’s book is full of stories about the gritty realities connected to Taiwan’s forgotten Vietnam War-era American stronghold: from falling in love with bargirls to racial tensions and marijuana smuggling. And, we’re happy to say the author will be chatting with us next week. Follow, review, comment, share... it makes a difference! Thanks.
Long before 1988, Taiwan’s beauty pageants had been mired in rumors — winners accused of marrying into political dynasties, whispers of contests doubling as “wife buffets” for the elite, and government crackdowns on such events being too frivolous in austere times. Even beauty standards themselves were contested as Western pageants favored tall frames and bold features, while traditional Chinese ideals prized delicacy, modesty, and the “melon-seed face.” By the time Miss Universe came to Taipei, the stage was set for both spectacle and controversy.Yet for Taiwan’s government, the payoff was irresistible. Hosting Miss Universe meant sixteen minutes of global airtime to present the Republic of China’s culture, heritage, and landmarks from Taroko Gorge to Yehliu’s Queen’s Head. For a country fighting for recognition, this beauty show was also showtime for “Free China.”Do us a favor: Rate, review, follow, sub, etc... it really helps!
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Excellent podacst! Finally, Taiwan's colorful history has been put into podcast form. The topics each week are well researched, with personal anecdotes from the hosts; whose love and knowledge of Taiwan is very evident. Great for people living here in Taiwan, but also educational and entertaining for those who've never been.