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.

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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.

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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.

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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!).

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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