Chopsticks aren’t just essential to Taiwanese dining, numerous stories and folklore are associated with these versatile eating utensils!
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Is “Underfoot” a Nice Thing To Call Your Friend?
“Underfoot”—a bizarre ancient Chinese endearing form of address between friends. As with most odd folk expressions, there’s a story behind it.
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Taiwan’s Orchid Island: Ponso no Tao
Taiwan is actually comprised of nearly 200 islands. One of these, Orchid Island, is home to the unique indigenous culture of the Tao people.
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Moon Rabbit and Rice Cake
The moon rabbit is a folkloric character linked to Chinese Moon Festivals. In Taiwan, Korea and Japan, it’s also associated with rice cakes!
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How It All “Bi Gan”: A Surname Origin Story
Two extremely common Taiwanese family names share an origin story that dates back over 3,000 years to a sage named Bi Gan.
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Tiger Aunt: Beware of Strangers
This classic Taiwanese folktale—with the infamous “hóo-koo-pô” or “tiger aunt”—teaches children to stay alert and beware of strangers.
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Red Leaves: Taiwan’s Baseball Fever
How the Red Leaves, an indigenous Taiwanese Little League team, emerged “out of left field” to ignite Taiwan’s baseball fever!
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The Dutch East India Company and Its Taiwanese Legacy
This is the story of how the Dutch East India Company arrived in Taiwan, named it, yanked it from its slumber and pushed it upon the world stage!
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Taiwanese Bigfoot: The Tale of a Giant
This is the unfortunate story of a Taiwanese Bigfoot who terrorized his neighbours and the real-life giant footprint he left behind.
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What Happened to Taipei’s Grand Shinto Shrine?
The Taiwan Jingū (Grand Shrine of Taiwan) was chief among Taiwan’s 66 official Shinto shrines. What happened to it? Find out here!
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The Dumpling Sage: How Taiwan’s Mount Banping Got Its Shape
Visitors to Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City will notice an oddly shaped mountain called Mount Banping. This folktale reveals how it got its distinctive shape!
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The Formosan Tiger: Taiwan’s Big-Cat Folklore and History
The Formosan Tiger features prominently in Taiwanese culture. Here are four examples!
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