Facing strong competition from Japanese manga and Korean manhwa, in recent years Taiwan’s manhua (comic-book) sector has developed a robust brand image, winning numerous international awards and gaining widespread attention. “No matter your nationality, manhua provide a common language,” says Chang Min-hui, manager of the bookstore at Taiwan Comic Base. In this month’s Cover Story we look at the development and current state of manhua in Taiwan from a variety of angles, including the resurgence of Taiwanese manhua, well-known Taiwanese comic books, bastions of manhua in Taiwan, character IP, and Taiwan stories depicted by foreign comic-book artists.
Coastal tree planting and the nutrients that forest debris introduces into the ocean can provide food for marine life and restore coral growth. Chen Kao-liang, director-general of the Penghu County Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau, told us: “The most important goal in coral reef restoration is creating habitat that will revive marine ecologies and fisheries.” In this issue we take readers on a journey into coral reefs, the “tropical rainforests of the ocean.” We look at coral restoration efforts in Penghu County and the role of public–private partnerships in realizing the ideal of “fish breeding forests” and enabling this eco-friendly restoration work to continue into the future.
The two nearly century-old buildings that house Taiwan’s earliest department stores—Kikumoto (1932) in Taipei and Shinshūya/Or House (1934) in Hsinchu—have been renovated, transforming these old spaces into popular new destinations. Our report also covers Tainan’s Hayashi Department Store, opened in 1934, giving this month’s issue a distinctly nostalgic vibe. These locations, filled with so many memories, are today new landmarks that are inseparable from the shopping, relaxation, and daily lives of many.
The rapid development of GPS, precision medicine, sensors, and AI in recent years is changing the face of athletes’ training regimes. This month we explore this topic in depth, looking at the technologies being used by national sports authorities to support their athletes at the Paris Olympics and boost their teams’ competitiveness.
The theme of this month’s Readers’ Photos feature is “Ocean and Harbor Scenery.” It includes images of many scenic locations including Kaohsiung’s Great Harbor Bridge, Waimushan in Keelung, the coast near Shuinandong in New Taipei’s Ruifang, the “tofu rocks” of Keelung’s Heping Island, and sunrise at Sanxiantai in Taitung. I would like to once again thank readers from all over Taiwan for their submissions. Their beautiful photographs tell the stories of our island.
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