From Religious Beliefs to Cultural Exchange

In Taiwan’s religious culture, divination by drawing fortune sticks is widely practiced among the faithful. One can get guidance from the gods on anything from marriage and medications to personal and national luck. In this month’s Cover Story, we explore several aspects of religion in Taiwanese society, including local shrines to youyinggong (spirits of the unclaimed dead), divination culture, temple service personnel, and street temples. As focal points for kindness and empathy, such phenomena have promoted harmony and prosperity in Taiwanese society.

International broadcasting comes in many forms, and this issue we report on how short­wave radio is used to introduce Taiwan to more than 150 countries worldwide. Meanwhile our Readers’ Photos feature highlights tourist attractions in Taoyuan, introducing various scenic spots and activities including Daxi Bridge, Mt. Lala, Xinwu’s Conch Plaza, and harvesting lotus seeds in Guanyin. We also interview Matthieu Branders, director of the Belgian Office, Taipei, who tells us he is pleased to have been posted to Taiwan, which he named as his first preference because of the value he places on good education, good health, and safety for his family. To discover more good things about Taiwan, you need to make in-depth visits across the island.

We also take a look at the many buildings that still survive in Taiwan from the era of Japanese rule, which lend a distinctive flavor to our island’s streetscapes. These edifices, built according to structural design principles and building methods introduced from Japan, also show signs of Japanese borrowings from Western architecture in the Meiji Restoration era. Looking at them from the perspective of Japanese architecture, architect Yoshitaka Watanabe has discovered adaptations their builders made to fit Taiwan’s environment and climate. He has high praise for Taiwan’s efforts to preserve this cultural heritage: “Taiwanese are committed to discovering the value of these old buildings, and then preserving and renovating them, giving them new life. Young people, seniors with memories of the colonial era, and intellectuals who want to preserve Taiwan’s history… there’s an energy here that Japan can’t match.”

Finally we bring you an article on artist Chen Cheng-po (1895–1947), who painted many scenes from nature, portraying the diverse lifestyles of this land. Free, democratic, pluralistic Taiwan is a model for many people pursuing peace and prosperity. The nation’s spirit of tolerance and mutual assistance makes it an ideal place for cultural blending and interplay of thoughts and ideas, where every individual can pursue their own dreams and build their own future.