The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

Explore the stories behind the planes at Gangshan Aviation Education Exhibition Hall. Learn about defectors who brought Soviet planes to Taiwan and the mystery of a Hungarian MiG-21. Discover historical aerial engagements and notable planes in the museum, including the C-47 Skytrain and Boeing 720. Discuss the replacement of the Hawk 3 fighter planes with the Mitsubishi A5M fighter. Dive into the surprising event of Soviet planes bombing Taipei City in 1938, with insights from an American witness.

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.

Explore the roots of the 'Sino-French war' and the mysterious Battle of Dan Shui. Learn about the French objective in Taiwan and the boundaries of the Great Wall and Tunyo. Discover the intriguing history of famous Pacific warships and the one-way suicide mission of the Yamato battleship. Analyze the strategic importance of Taiwan and its potential impact on Japan.

Explore the ROC's naval blockade of China, involving intercepting and attacking ships, including those from the UK and US. Discover the involvement of CIA-backed Nationalist forces and unofficial ROC guerrillas. Learn about high-profile cases like the Soviet tanker Tuapse and the political footballs made of detained crews.

Michael Turton, Taiwanese history expert, discusses the 'what ifs' of Taiwanese history, including alternative scenarios of Spanish or Dutch colonization. The podcast explores the impact on indigenous Austronesian people, interracial marriage, and the potential of Taiwan becoming a British or German colony. Turton argues that Taiwan's connection to China is an anomaly of history and was never inevitable.

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. 

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. 

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.  

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. 

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