Category：Features

Gov’t struggles to recruit and retain public service vets

Taiwan’s 2.5 million registered pet cat and dogs has outnumbered kids aged 14 and under. Increasing pet ownership has made private vet practices increasingly attractive for graduating vet students. So much so, that the government is now struggling to hire and retain public service vets that oversee the health of livestock animals, which is crucial for food safety and public health. Of the 6,000+ practicing vets, only a little more than 10% work in public service. The rest specialize in companion animals. Even though the government has introduced bonuses for public service vets that do not also practice privately, that is still not enough to solve the problem. But is it just about money? Let’s find out in our special report.

The vet gives Black Bean the dog a thigh massage, going deeper gradually.

Liu Han-chien
Veterinarian
I’m now pressing into the gluteal muscles, the buttocks, because the gluteal muscles promote hi joint extension. This muscle has to relax for this function to be fully utilized.

Black Bean survived flooding in Hualien’s Guangfu Township, but got its hind leg ran over by a construction vehicle, putting its life at risk at one point. Its owner couldn’t bear to give it up, so Black Bean was entrusted to a volunteer to get treated in Taipei. Now, it’s gradually regaining its ability to walk.

Pet cats and dogs are now considered members of the family by many owners, who therefore willingly devote to them attention and resources. This trend is reflected in the career path of vet school graduates: around 70% go into pet care.

Other than pet care, there is a smaller group of vets who contribute their expertise in other fields.

Wearing a lab coat, holding a dropper in hand and monitoring data on the screen, these public service vets are conducting antibody serology tests.

Public service vets are practitioners who have passed the national exam to become civil servants. Their duties include animal inspection and quarantine, and animal protection services such as treatment and sheltering.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
Many of our disease prevention, quarantine, and food safety measures rely on these public service vets. They have to visit pig farms, chicken farms, and cattle farms in various places to see if there are any outbreaks or other issues. They have to conduct epidemiological investigations and teach farmers how to use disinfectants. These are all things that public service vets are responsible for.

Most of their world involves animal transmittable disease prevention. They’re also responsible for culling should there be unusual animal deaths, as well as identify the pathogen within 24 hours to prevent the spread of diseases.

Deng Ming-chung
Director General, Veterinary Research Institute
Testing may look easy, but the single word “testing” encompasses several tens—even up to 100—steps, and each step involves more than just one item.

Veterinary Research Institute Director General Deng Ming-chung remembers the African swine fever outbreak in 2025. At the time when spontaneous mass deaths on a Taichung farm was first reported, officials initially ruled out African swine fever as the cause, since Taiwan had ASF-free status. Instead, tests were conducted for classical swine fever and other respiratory diseases, but all turned out negative. It was then that officials believed it was African swine fever.

Deng Ming-chung
Director General, Veterinary Research Institute
Oftentimes, we do not see the specimens on the frontline. But we can observe them through other means. For example, we look at the extent of lesions, the characteristics of the lesions, and the mortality rate of the specimens they send in. We consider all these factors comprehensively, and at that time we suggested that they should test for both classical swine fever and African swine fever. And the African swine fever test did come back positive.

Thanks to the public service vets, the outbreak was successfully contained before it could escalate. The vets also completed the culling, identified the virus and devised epidemic control measures—all under a tight schedule, even sacrificing rest and sleep.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
They’re not considered as conventional workers, so their overtime is deemed as voluntary. Last year, during the ASF outbreak, I witnessed epidemic prevention officers of the central government and vets of the local government work into the wee hours, until 2 or 3 a.m., only to clock in again between 7 and 8 a.m. to continue with epidemic prevention and quarantine work. These people have it really tough, and they’re not afforded the same protection as usual workers.

What’s more, even during such an emergency, their animal protection work—dealing with the public’s reported cases—didn’t stop.

At 7 a.m., the Taipei Animal Protection Office’s rescue team has already arrived at the National Chengchi University campus to catch stray dogs, because members of the public reported that they bite. Catching stray dogs is not an easy task—you could get injured. Sometimes, people oppose having strays captured, leaving animal protection officers sandwiched between their duties and public expectations.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
Even if they were to make the tiniest mistake—no, not even that— if people aren’t satisfied with what they do by the very slightest, especially if those people are animal rights activists, the officers could become targets of attack by city councilors or the media.

Increasing animal rights awareness makes it so that animal protection offices must swiftly respond to reports of animal abuse and issue statements to the public.

Chen Ying-hao
Taipei Animal Protection Office director
Animal protection cases, which we deal with, are widely watched by society. For example, there was a video posted online recently, in which the owner beat his pet corgi. Something like this would quickly go viral on the same night it’s posted, and the animal protection office must respond just as quickly.

Rescue doesn’t end once the animals are captured. They need to be taken care of, and updates must be posted online so the animals can be successfully adopted.

If not, their longer care falls on the shoulder of public service vets.

Huang Chi-ting
Vet and Zhonghe Animal Shelter director
We really do need to spend a lot more time on animals that have deteriorated, or are older, or with reduced mobility. They also require more frequent medical interventions. For example, you’ll have to give them painkillers or joint supplements. They really do require more frequent treatment and intervention. It becomes a greater burden for frontline staff, whether physically or psychologically.

Before 2017, sheltered animals can be euthanized 12 days after being posted up for adoption. Putting down animals so frequently was a huge burden for Chien Chih-cheng, a former public service vet in Taoyuan. She had euthanized 700 dogs in just two years on the job.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
Animal euthanization is done by local government agencies. There wasn’t a no-culling policy before, so many animals that weren’t doing well, after an evaluation by the vet, would be put down. She withstood a lot of pressure by animal rights activists. They characterized her as an assassin with a lust for animals’ blood. But she was actually an animal lover.

As a civil servant, she was only carrying out orders, even if reluctantly. In May 2016, Chien took her own life by giving herself a lethal injection.

Stepping across a pile of cow dung, vet students at National Chung Hsing University are here at the livestock research center on campus for practical training. Today, they’re practicing collecting blood samples from cattle for tests and administering vaccines.

- Isn’t it dangerous to collect a sample like this?
- Yes.
- Some cattle will kick. We have clamps to prevent that. The method must also be correct. We should be drawing blood from a vein.

Fu Shih-ting
Vet student, National Chung Hsing University
They can pull off a spin hook kick towards the back. Once when I was drawing blood from a more skittish cow, it kicked me on the thigh. It was painful. I got bruises all over the area.

It’s not just hard work. There’s also risk of infection. However, most farm vets seem uninterested in public service, despite greater job stability. Their responses reveal why there’s a shortage for public service vets.

Duan Yun-chieh
Veterinarian
Public service jobs are more administration-related and public facing. You do a lot of administrative work. But most vets are motivated by the prospects of clinical work involving animals.

Dr. Duan Yun-chieh is a large animal vet. He often conducts intrarectal palpation on the job, which is really not so different from public service vets, who also conduct regular tests on animals. Duan did want to enter the public sector at one point, specifically at the zoo. He changed his mind after finding out that he won’t be doing as much clinical work there.

Chen Ying-hao
Taipei Animal Protection Office director
We have a quota for 26 vets, and we’re now 9 short, meaning the vacancies are only 65% filled. If I were to hire 4 people this year, that would encourage 4 vets to resign, and so the shortage continues.

The shortage can also be attributed to a booming private market for pet care. A pet vet can expect to earn NT$100,000 with five years of experience.

Jacky Peng-wen Chan
Associate Dean, NCHU Vet School
As companion animals become more common, many of our students who’ve completed training and graduated, about 60% to 75%, would enter the market for companion animal care.

As an incentive to attract and retain public service vets, the government now offers them a bonus of NT$10,000 to NT$30,000 a month, depending on seniority, for not practicing privately. This scheme aims to close the gap in remuneration between the public and private sectors. However, that doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Their jobs should be streamlined instead.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
You must separate animal protection and treatment. For example, the Pingtung County Animal Disease Control Center designates animal protection to the agricultural department, instead of giving the job to inspection and quarantine. Inspection and quarantine can only be done by qualified professionals. That’s the most important thing. Animal protection, that is, taking care of strays can be given to graduates of animal science or other degrees that involves empathy, such as psychology, or even others. These graduates can take care of stray dogs, so that vet manpower isn’t wasted.

Although the work of public service vets isn’t highly visible, it’s crucial for the country’s disease prevention. A shortage in manpower would have serious ramifications.

Tan Da-lun
Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association
That will have great ramifications for the country’s disease prevention, quarantine and inspection, animal protection and food safety. Speaking of the African swine flu outbreak: the local government has honestly done their best to contain it. I don’t think they would have succeeded with a greater shortage in manpower. That would be devastating for the economy and food safety.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#vets #publichealth #pets #vetjobs #publicservice

2026-09-03

Long-term care of pets becomes central as ownership increases

In Taiwan, the number of pet cats and dogs have surpassed the number of children aged 14 and under. Instead of having children, more and more people are keeping pets, treating them like their own furbabies. But even though pets are dependent on their owners their whole life, they won’t stay as “babies” forever. Like humans, they could get chronic diseases in old age and require frequent medical treatment. Of course, there are owners that choose to give up their aging pets, but what should responsible owners be prepared for? Let’s find out more in our special report.

This is the long-term care center at New Taipei Zhonghe Animal Shelter. All the dogs here are over the age of 12, also known as geriatric dogs. Even though it’s an open space with plenty of room for them to move freely, many of them look unsteady on their feet, and some can only lie down.

Humans age, and so do other animals, at a faster pace. Dogs have a higher metabolic rate than humans, and they also age five to seven times faster. At 7, they’re considered senior already. Age 14 for a dog is around 88 for humans.

Furball the Pomeranian here is already 18 years old, 90 in human years. It’s given medication for heart disease. Pets are living longer than ever thanks to advancements in animal healthcare. But on the other hand, living longer also means they could develop joint problems and other chronic diseases.

Chang Hsuan-yu
Veterinarian
A common problem is chronic kidney disease. Most people are also aware that joints degenerate because of wear and tear with each use. It’s inevitable. There’s also nerve problems, as well as heart, intestinal and liver problems. In older dogs, they may eat less and less, and you may notice that their weight is constantly decreasing.

The fridge is stocked with more food for dogs than humans. Ho Tsung-hsun, secretary-general of Taiwan Animal Protection Monitor Network owns Chi-hsin the Husky with his flatmate. For the past nine years, he’s taken care of her like his own child, preparing three meals and snacks every single day.

Ho Tsung-hsun
Owner
I went through many trials and errors to get to this meal plan, which is also the healthiest. Many rescuers suggest having three staple vegetables: cabbage, broccoli and carrot. This prevents cancer and is the healthiest, including for humans.

Ho’s learned to make meals for his little one. But no matter how nutritious, Chi-hsin could get tired of the same meals over and over, so there’s also a range of seasonings.

Ho Tsung-hsun
Owner
You have to make the meals feel different, so I have all kinds of seasonings. Even humans can’t stand having tofu every day. Wouldn’t you also get tired of having biscuits every day? It’s the same with animals. There has to be variety. You can’t only have this. Of course, she may feel differently, and it may be human projection.

As a senior dog, Chi-hsin is starting to show signs of aging. She’s no longer as lively and also ambivalent about playing. She’s also diagnosed with cholecystitis, requiring regular follow-ups with the vet. However, pets aren’t covered by universal healthcare, making each visit very costly.

Ho Tsung-hsun
Owner
Even though it’s only been a little less than two months, I’ve already spent around NT$15,000, really a lot of money. For a human, three visits to the doctor is only NT$600, so I really didn’t expect to spend so much. After every visit, the vet asks if you’d like to follow-up, which would cost another 2,000 to 3,000. But do you really want to risk it worsening? So it’s an expense that you can’t cut.

Ho may spend a lot of money, but he’s also lucky enough to work from home and be with his dog. Most office workers can’t. On top of the expenses, they may also feel like they can’t spend enough time with aging pets.

Momo the Shiba Inu is 16 years old. After it developed heart disease, the owner no longer had the capacity to take care of it, so it’s put under long-term care at the animal hospital.

In 2024, the number of dogs and cats over the age of 7 accounted for 47% of the total. The market for older pets is estimated to worth at least NT$15 billion. Some animal hospitals in Taipei offer day-care. Owners can drop off their pets before the workday and fetch them after work. That costs NT$600 to NT$900 a day. There’s also long-term care, at NT$1,200 to 1,600 a day. Treatment and meals are billed separately.

Chang Hsuan-yu
Veterinarian
It’s the same with older adults admitted to nursing homes. Many older adults worry that their kids are abandoning them when they’re admitted. But that’s not necessarily the case. Adult children have their own lives and may also be busy with work. It’s the same with animals. You can’t possibly take care of them all day long. You need to help them change positions, feed them, clean up after them. But if we have neither the time nor capacity, the animals may actually be worse off if continued to be kept at home.

Some owners are willing to shell out for day care and long-term care. But not all older pets are so lucky. Many rescued dogs at the animal shelters are so old that they could no longer stand. They were most likely abandoned.

Huang Chi-ting
Vet and Zhonghe Animal Shelter director
It must’ve had an owner before considering how old it is. Strays don’t usually live to become so old. Most strays won’t survive past the age of 10, because they easily get into accidents. There could be cars or other injurious scenarios in the wild.

With limited staff, the shelter residents can’t really be taken care of one-on-one. And so members of the public are encouraged to adopt older pets.

Huang Chi-ting
Vet and Zhonghe Animal Shelter director
Every single one of them need to take painkillers and joint supplements, requiring frequent medical intervention. It really adds to the burden of frontline workers, whether physically or psychologically. An animal protection officer may have just put down pee pads and soon they’ll get soiled, and then there’s cleaning up to do. It really makes the job complicated for them.

Chu Chan-sheng has treats ready for geriatric dogs at the shelter. He can’t bear seeing them living their last days without their owners, so he tries to adopt as many as he can.

Chu Chan-sheng
Pet owner
We had older dogs at home before. After many years, they became old and ran into medical problems. This all became lived experience. We’d take the vet’s advice and learn how to take care of them and what their treatment requires.

As a real estate agent, Chu’s schedule is quite flexible. He had nine dogs at one point. But how did he plan for them financially?

Chu Chan-sheng
Pet owner
Vets charge based on their weight. We had a dog that weighed more than 30kg. The medical costs until it passed away was at least NT$400,000. My partner and I are frugal. We try to be as frugal as we can on our own expenses. It’s okay if we don’t get to have as many luxuries, but we can’t cut their medical expenses. We try to save with our own expenses.

Chu currently has adopted two geriatric dogs and one cat. One of the dogs has dementia and has to be tube fed.

Chu Chan-sheng
Pet owner
It doesn’t know where food is, or where water is, so we have to tube-feed it. It also keeps walking. If you don’t make it rest, it’ll just keep going and going. It wouldn’t know when to stop and rest.

Not all owners are so patient with aging and sick pets. Some may even take out anger on them.

Recently, a 15-year-old Corgi with dementia was filmed while beaten by its owner because it had releved itself where it shouldn’t. The owner posted the video online, hoping to gain sympathy. Instead, he was widely condemned.

Chu Chan-sheng
Pet owner
When pets have this kind of behavior, it’s really not out of their own will. It’s just a natural part of aging. The owner taking his anger out on the dog doesn’t solve the problems. I think it’d be better for him to seek advice from other owners of dogs with dementia. That way, I believe he’d have it easier.

Even though the animal shelter encourages adoption, few adopters ever show up. So the geriatric dogs have to make do with government funding until death. If not for incurable diseases or loss of mobility, and if they still have normal appetite and energy levels, the animal shelter won’t consider putting any of them down.

As for pet owners, they can consult a vet if they’re considering euthanasia.

Chang Hsuan-yu
Veterinarian
Let’s say that the future you foresee is just worse and worse by the day. If the quality of life is so low that it’s stopped eating and could only be tube fed, or if it’s lost all function, or if you’re noticing that the pet is unhappy or suffering every single day, then I’d suggest that the owner let them become an angel.

In the end, it’s still up to the owner. But there will be a point when the medical bills just get too overwhelming and you’ll have to make up your mind.

People may want pets for amusement or companionship. But no matter the reason for getting a pet, it’ll eventually become old and frail. Would you stand by it until the last moment, or leave it to an animal shelter? Do you know what to expect for a pet’s future?

Huang Chi-ting
Vet and Zhonghe Animal Shelter director
We hope that before getting a pet, every owner understands that animals need long-term care and plans accordingly, so that their pets would live happily until the end.

#pets #animals #dogs #cats #geriatricpets

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2026-08-24

Business encourages rural school kids to read with donations, volunteers

With digital devices commanding our attention these days, how many of us still read books? The habit of reading starts young, and a financial holdings company has dedicated itself to the cause for 20 years. Employees volunteer to read with kids in new libraries built by the company’s charity foundation. Let’s take a look at some of the results in our special report.

At the presidential inauguration in 2016, the choir of Pingtung County Timur Elementary School stole the show by layering Traditional Paiwan tunes with the national anthem in counterpoint.

The home of these voices is Timur, also known as Sandimen Township, 360km from the capital. The local, 120-year-old Timur Elementary School is the first primary school bearing the Traditional Place name. The majority of students are Paiwan, followed by Rukai.

- What is your school called?
- Timur Elementary School
- What does “Timur” mean?
- Timur is a school.
- I don’t know.

Tjanubak, Kao Chih-cheng
Principal, Timur Elementary School
Timur Elementary School was formerly known as Sandi Elementary School. Timur is the name of this community. The name was changed because we Indigenous Peoples name our living spaces as a connection to collective memory and lifetime memory.

This is Djemuljat, a sacred ritual of Maljeveq, also known as the Five-Year Festival. Clan representatives gather around in a circle, each holding a 10m-long bamboo pole to try to stab vine balls tossed into the air by the priest. Every ball represents a different blessing. The ritual is used to introduce levers to kids in science class.

Where is the fulcrum in Djemuljat? The shoulders. He’s holding a bamboo pole at least 10m long. That makes the spirit ball the resistance.

Instead of conventional textbooks compiled by the Han people, Timur Elementary School uses the country’s first Paiwan-centric class materials. For example, the traditional slate house illustrates thermal conductivity of different materials, while ceramic beads and silver buttons on traditional clothing are featured in math.

Lai Wei-en
Timur Elementary School
Paiwan culture informs texts for various subjects, including Mandarin, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. This not only helps kids acquire knowledge in these subjects, but also makes them understand that there’s academic know-how in our elders’ wisdom and heritage.

Chen Hsin-yu
Timur Elementary School
We’re less than ten minutes away from the plains, so most of the kids’ parents are quite comfortable financially and have good jobs, compared with other more remote villages. Parents here are also quite supportive of getting their kids to read.

On this bookish campus, today, every member has come out to welcome guests from afar, to inaugurate a new library.

- Can you tell me what your favorite thing is here?
- This is my favorite.
- This thing on the ceiling is our glass beads.
- Is the new library very different from the old one?
- Very different.
In the old library, the whole space at the back is shelves. There are shelves here, and there at the back, and also there.

Even though many kids here love reading, the old library wasn’t particularly attractive to young kids with its basic interior.

Chen Hsin-yu
Timur Elementary School
Our former library had a more somber color scheme. It’s reflective of the colors of the Paiwan and Rukai peoples, mainly browns, blacks and other deeper shades. I find that the yellow goes really well with muted colors. It feels really bright and attractive to kids. The space is also well-designed, with various reading corners. There’s a seating area, reading steps and other different reading spaces.

The new library was funded by a domestic financial holdings company. A percentage of credit card payment goes to the company’s charity and volunteer foundation, which is then used for improving the infrastructure of underserved schools. From 2007 to April, 2026, as many as 200 public schools have benefitted from this initiative.

Joseph N. C. Huang
Company volunteer foundation CEO
We hope that the Gold Seed initiative will plant a seed for the love of reading in the hearts of every school kid, and that the seed will slowly grow into a tall tree. We hope that they’ll develop a conviction to become somebody that can contribute to our society. We hope that when these kids grow up, they’ll be inspired to contribute to the betterment of the next generation.

The company’s employees also volunteer to read with these kids at their schools.

Yeh Yung-shih
Volunteer
I’d thought that the kids would be pretty shy, but all of them are so enthusiastic and eager to share their thoughts.

Lai Chen-ting
Volunteer
I used to know nothing about their culture, but I began to learn through illustrated books, about how slate houses are built and the history behind them. It’s not just about keeping kids company. I’m also learning.

Turning to Zhongpu Township in Chiayi, an agricultural town. Chen Yen-min is an alumna of Shekou Elemetary School. She remembers that in 2009, when she was in the higher grades, the library suddenly became pretty upscale.

Chen Yen-min
Shekou Elemetary School
After all, this is a rural township. It’s rare to have a library that’s so beautiful and air-conditioned, with such a delightful and whimsical interior, and such lovely colors. At the time when we saw the library, our first impression was that it was really so bougie.

But it’s not enough to have a pretty space. Kids have to become interested in reading, so that the library can truly come alive. After getting her credentials, Chen returned to her alma mater to become a substitute teacher. She’s also now encouraging kids to fall in love with reading.

Chen Yen-min
Shekou Elemetary School
I’ve always felt that I am indebted to my home room teacher in the higher grades. She inspired me to build a reading habit. Because of her, I started reading for pleasure, books and newspaper. She made me feel that texts really aren’t so intimidating. When I became a teacher myself, every week I dedicate one period to bring students to the library to read. In this period, they’re allowed to read alone, with classmates, or even with me. Anything as long as we’re reading.

Over the past two decades, school kids are becoming inspired to love reading. However, it seems that the world is changing too quickly now. Whether in cities or the countryside, people’s attention is being hogged by digital devices and fragmented online information. How does that affect kids’ interest in physical books?

Timur Elementary School had the sponsor install an interactive whiteboard in the new library. The teachers believe that instead of resisting digital devices, students should instead be guided to learn effectively through both digital and analog means.

Lai Wei-en
Timur Elementary School
Before, we did not have a learning device like this. But the interactive whiteboard boosts the government’s “a tablet for every student” effort. We also hope that the kids can learn how to effectively use digital tools to improve their learning outcomes.

Chen Hsin-yu
Timur Elementary School
The issue with digital devices is really widespread among educators, parents, and even the society at large. We’re all dealing with the same issue. Even we ourselves use digital devices. How we teach students to discern real from false information in reading classes is more important. We’re not telling kids that digital devices are all bad.

Joseph Huang, who is usually busy as chairperson of his company, still makes time to attend the inauguration of every new library. For him, each new library is a new seed of hope.

Joseph N. C. Huang
Company volunteer foundation CEO
This is a thank-you card I got from a kid at Datong Elementary School in Puzi, Chiayi, at the inauguration of the library. When he handed me the card, he whispered to me, “Chairman Huang, I’m really so grateful that your company has given us such a beautiful library. We love it so much. We will definitely read lots and lots in the library. We also hope that when we grow up, we’ll become better and more valuable people.” It’s really, really touching when a kid says these things to you. You realize that even little kids feel grateful, and second, they’re really motivated. The kids hope that they will make good use of the library and learn many things.

Tjanubak, Kao Chih-cheng
Principal, Timur Elementary School
I think these experiences allow kids to understand that it’s not just holding out your hands for a present. More importantly, maybe one day, they’ll start to think about how they can serve others with their profession, education and life experiences, even if just a little. They’ll want to pay it forward by serving others in various ways. That’s what we want to instill in kids the most.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#charity #reading #education #library #booktok

2026-08-17

A capella: pushing the boundaries of unaccompanied vocal music

Does music production have to be complicated to be successful? Not since 2024. That year, an a cappella group was named the “Best Vocal Group” at the Golden Melody Awards. Before, a cappella music was not considered to have much commercial potential, but after 20 years since modern a cappella emerged in Taiwan’s music scene, the style has now caught on with the mainstream, demonstrating the versatility of the human voice. Our special report.

A familiar song rendered entirely in vocals. Although popular music today is dominated by K-pop and idol singers, some vocalists still choose to go old school with a capella arrangements.

- Hello everyone, we’re Awkwapella.
- I’m the tenor and group leader, Stephen Rong.
- I’m the bass, Samuel Chen.
- I’m vocal percussion, or beatbox, Echo Lee.
- I’m the soprano, Charis Chua.
- I’m the mezzo-soprano, Angelica Wawa.

Yes, the group of five make music with just their voices.

- Bop, bop, bop, bop. I’m a mezzo-soprano, this is my vocal range. Do you like it?
- I’m a soprano, which is three steps higher. So I’ll go, “Bop, bop, bop, bop,” “Bop, bop, bop, bop.” Like musical instruments, we follow the main melody.

Coordination is key for a successful a cappella arrangement. The group can be divided into harmonies and rhythms.

- We’re the rhythms. So I’ll go like this, and he plays a bossa nova rhythm.

Samuel Chen (Tenor)
Awkwapella
If my beat or tune is off, they’ll all be affected, because I’m singing part of a chord. If I’m off tune, that makes the first note off, which will make the whole chord go off.

A capella originated from Western choral music. The popular form has caught on in Taiwan for a while now.

Starlay Lee
NTNU School of Continuing Education
it originated from choral music. Back then, European society was centered on religion. Politics, arts, the economy were all centered on Christianity. Therefore, in the beginning, a capella wasn’t necessarily unaccompanied vocal music, but vocal music sung “in the chapel” or “in the style of the chapel.”

By the 20th century, a capella music gradually shifted from religious music to popular music. Modern a cappella groups combine jazz, pop, and microphone technology, using human voices to imitate percussion instruments and form vocal ensembles.

Charis Chua (Soprano)
Awkwapella
This section would be a vocal solo, or scat singing in jazz music, in which vocals replace the sounds of musical instruments.

There’s now an increasing number of a cappella groups in Taiwan’s music scene, rearranging popular music in many different styles of performance.

This group, “To Be Continued” is the winner of best leading vocals in the 2023 Taiwan Cup Modern A Cappella Competition. The eight members knew each other from university.

Shih Huai-yuan (group leader)
To be Continued
When I started the group, I kept thinking about what kind of feeling I wanted to give the audience. When I was coming up with our name, I used this as a starting point. I hope the audience who watched our performance would keep thinking, ‘Hey, is there anything else? Do you have anything else to offer? What other surprises can you bring me?’”

What makes a cappella so captivating is also the most challenging part: arranging everyone’s voice into one.

- “Slower” looks like this.
- And “softer” like this.

Angelica Wawa (Mezzo-soprano)
Awkwapella
We’re singing and acting at the same time, with the gaze. When the five of us are performing on stage, it’s not just about the singing, but more importantly, harmonizing.

Every member in an a capella group must be tuned into everyone’s voice, in order to get the right pitch and rhythm. No one in the group should take the focus away from the group.

Angelica Wawa (Mezzo-soprano)
Awkwapella
When I’m recording, the microphone will be here. But the producer would want me to step back and turn around. So the microphone’s here, but I’m moving back and voicing while turned away, so the reflection of my voice is captured instead. It’s because I’m too loud in the studio.

A capella used to be seen as a form of musical performance without much industry potential. But in 2024, an a cappella group was named “Best Vocal Group” at the Golden Melody Awards, symbolizing its mainstreaming.

On top of singing, vocal percussion also makes a cappella all the more special.

The beatboxer of Awkwapella, Echo Lee, is not to be overlooked. With over 20 years of experience, he’s also taught the King of Mandopop, Jay Chou.

Echo Lee (Vocal percussion)
Awkwapella
It’s really an unforgettable experience. His manager contacted me, because Jay Chou wanted to perform beatboxing in his concert. The manager said that he really liked the stage effect of my beatbox echoes and wanted me to teach him, so I did.

Lee learned beatboxing as a child, performed in the US while in high school, and even once made it to the finals in a high-profile competition on television. He’s not only a performer, but also a producer.

Echo Lee (Vocal percussion)
Awkwapella
Many characteristics of beatboxing are related to music production. There are many layers, and you must be sensitive to frequencies and rhythm. Many beatboxers around the world end up becoming producers because they’re composing in their heads.

A cappella struggled to break into the mainstream music scene because it’s simply not taught widely in formal education. Formal music education still only teaches classical vocals, but contemporary a cappella music incorporates popular singing techniques, and pop music is marginalized in formal music education.

Starlay Lee
NTNU School of Continuing Education
I believe it’s taught at the Tainan National University of the Arts, but don’t think universities in Northern Taiwan teach it as a credit course. What makes it even more difficult to promote is that a good a cappella singer is quite versatile, because we don’t just sing one style of music.

Moreoever, even with a formal nod from the Golden Melody Awards, a cappella music still struggles on the market, which favors pop singers or groups. There are few paid gigs for a cappella groups.

Shih Huai-yuan (group leader)
To be Continued
It’s true that a cappella music is quite niche in Taiwan. I think it’s because concertgoers in Taiwan are used to stimulation. There are so many music festivals, concerts and K-pop performances nowadays, so it’s difficult for people to calm down and listen to only human voices. It’s a little difficult to promote our kind of music.

This Atayal-language set was arranged by Awkwapella. The group knows very well that an a cappella group needs a distinct sound, a stable membership and consistent output in order to stand out commercially.

- It’s so difficult. You must sing and memorize the beat at the same time. When they started practicing this song, I was really resistant to it.
- But you do love it now, don’t you?
- Yes, so much.
_ She really loves it now.

Charis Chua (Soprano)
Awkwapella
We also have some parts with choreography, and create dance moves for different songs, which could either be endearing or awkward, but all done to entertain the audience. We want everyone to feel that our performance is well executed.

Without accompanying music and elaborate stage effects, a cappella music may not take center in pop music, but what makes it so special is that it’s entirely human.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#music #ensemble #acappella #singing #vocals

2026-08-07

Language vitalization efforts by Taiwanese of Hakka heritage

Since the promulgation of the Development of National Languages Act in 2018, schoolkids must earn credits for a national language other than Mandarin. This could be Taigi, also known as Taiwanese, Hakka, or any of the 16 Indigenous languages. With Mandarin being the dominant language for the overall society, other national languages are usually a heritage language for most people. Still, not all heritage languages are equal. Sinitic languages spoken in Taiwan, including Taigi and Hakka, are far more dominant than Indigenous languages. And between Taigi and Hakka, the former is much more prevalent. But that does not stop Hakka people from embracing their language and culture. Let’s take a look at our special report on how the Hakka language is being revitalized in different parts of the nation.

As many as 90% of residents in Hengshan Township, Hsinchu County identify as Hakka. Aspects of Hakka culture, evident on Neiwan Old Street, are more than just tourist attractions. It’s embedded in daily lives.

The local Dadu Primary School has a little more than 200 students. All of them, from first- to sixth-graders, have gathered to learn their Hakka-language school anthem.

Hakka singer-songwriter Liu Jung-chang teaches at Dadu Elemetary School’s ukulele club. He composed the new school anthem, which debuted around a decade ago.

Liu Jung-chang
Singer-songwriter
I believed the new school anthem should be easily disseminated and catchy. The lyrics must be easy for kids to pick up, so that they know it after just one to two takes.

Liu opted to compose a catchy Hakka-language school anthem, so that kids would be willing to sing it often. It’s a lifeline for the local heritage language. Even though 75% of Dadu Elementary schoolkids are of Hakka descent, their Hakka-language skills suffer owing to a strong dominant Mandarin society-wide.

Liu Jung-chang
Singer-songwriter
Kids have to sing their school anthem. So it’d be great to have Hakka-language school anthems in predominantly Hakka neighborhoods, and Indigenous-language ones respectively, be it Atayal, Saisiyat or Amis. At least schoolkids can sing one song in their heritage language, and that song is also current.

Efforts to promote Hakka are challenged even in Hakka villages, not to mention in urban areas, where the language is hardly ever spoken.

As soon as Lin Chiung-han takes a seat in the classroom, the teacher descends from the lectern and sits with him for an one-on-one session. That’s because he’s the only one taking this Hakka class at Taipei’s Datong High School for mandatory local heritage language coursework at the middle school level.

Tso Chun-hsiang teaches three Hakka courses at Datong High School, each with less than five students enrolled. One is attended by a single student, Lin himself.

Lin Chiung-han
7th grader at Datong High School
In primary school, there was a larger group. There are also fast answer races, so one person speaking Hakka will encourage others to do the same. That way, everyone makes quick progress. The one disadvantage now is that I have no classmates to discuss with.

Even though Lin is the only student in the classroom, he’s still eager to learn, because Hakka is the primary language of communication between him and his maternal grandparents, who live in a Hakka village in Miaoli.

Lin Chiung-han
7th grader at Datong High School
My grandma took care of me until kindergarten. She spoke Hakka to me. At home, she watches news and listens to the radio in Hakka, and that’s how I picked up the language.

Although Lin is only one of the handful of students taking Hakka, there are far more students of Hakka descent opting to take Taigi instead.

Tso Chun-hsiang
Hakka language teacher
Most kids would take Taiwanese Taigi for local language credits. There’s a saying in Holo, “to take the larger slice of the watermelon.” Conformism makes it so that fewer and fewer students learn Hakka. It’s a vicious cycle. People are led to believe that Hakka is of no use in the future.

When fewer students of Hakka heritage opt to learn their language, teachers suffer too.

Tso Chun-hsiang
Hakka language teacher
Whether it’s parents or the wider society that discourages kids from taking Hakka in school, we teachers have less classes to teach. It’s simply not possible for one to make a living solely from teaching the language.

Kids may wish to join the Taigi-speaking majority. It could also be that parents believe it’s more practical for kids to learn Taigi. Either way, that makes the minority language even more susceptible to language death outside of Hakka villages. But on the bright side, some parents are proudly hanging on to their heritage.

On weekend mornings, 7-year-old Tsai-ni enjoys quality time with the family practicing speaking Hakka with her father over breakfast.

She’s currently a second-grader in Banqiao, New Taipei, and the only one in her homeroom learning Hakka. But at least she gets to attend Hakka classes with five other kids. Still, she’s sad that she couldn’t be with her friends in Hakka classes.

- How many people are you friends with in class?
- Five.
- What did they choose?
- Minnan.
- I told mom and dad I want to learn Minnan, because all my friends are learning Minnan.
- What did mom and dad say?
- They won’t let me.

Mr. Wu
Father
Because we’re Hakka, we hope our child can take Hakka language classes. It’s okay if she doesn’t become fluent. I think it’s alright if she’s able to understand conversational Hakka. It’s great that Hakka is offered at school, so she has more exposure to the language. Also, when we visit our parents, her grandparents and great-grandparents can still exchange a few words with her.

The Wu’s visit grandpa and grandma every weekend to keep the family close and give their daughter more opportunities to speak Hakka.

Mr. Wu
Father
I could understand and speak Hakka as a kid. It’s because I grew up hearing the older generations using the language. I was immersed in it in everyday life. If there’s something I didn’t understand, I’d ask my father. Little by little I learned the language.

Even though the Wu’s hope to create more opportunities for their daughter to use the language, her grandparents still mainly speak to her in Mandarin. Still, it’s better than nothing.

Mr. Wu
Father
Some Hakka villages are also tourist attractions, such as Nanzhuang, Beipu. Many tourist attractions in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli are Hakka villages. She can practice speaking Hakka with local businesses. For example, I’d ask business owners to repeat in Hakka for my kid, and give her money to pay for us. She enjoys it too.

Luckily, the families of Tsai-ni and Lin still speak Hakka at home. But what about other kids whose parents and grandparents no longer speak the language fluently?

At Hengshan Junior High’s reading room, kids are excited for a picture book read aloud.

The book of the day is “Little Peach Girl,” a story about Hakka-style red tortoise cake. It’s read in Hakka and some Mandarin. This is a Hakka-language parent-and-child co-learning event hosted by Play Art Group, a local cultural and educational organization.

Play Art Group found that even though kids may learn Hakka at school, they often have no one to practice with at home or elsewhere, eventually resulting in attrition. So they hope to get parents involved and introduce Hakka into the household.

With an engaging story, kids easily pick up vocabulary related to the dish. But there’s more. They’re invited to make their own red tortoise cake.

From the screen to real-life, kids engage with Hakka culture with all five senses. Kids love these workshops.

Parent
Workshop participant
We’re three generations under the same roof. Her grandma speaks Hakka to her at home. We also want our kid to learn it.

Parent
Workshop participant
We live in Hsinchu County, where there are many Hakka speakers. We’re of Minnan descent, so we can’t really speak Hakka and can’t teach our kids Hakka, so we try to participate in Hakka-language events, so they have more opportunities to hear and learn the language.

The family friendly events allow kids and parents to learn Hakka together. For many families, it’s also an opportunity to pick up vocabulary.

Parent
Workshop participant
Last time we learned expressions for different types of bridges and many words for colors.

Liu Jung-chang
Singer-songwriter
Kids enjoy storytelling. Parents taking part with them may not be fluent in their heritage language, but they can still learn. Through repetition, kids can learn with their parents.

Though fluent speakers of Hakka are on the decline, it seems that there’s still hope.

Lin Chiung-han
7th grader at Datong High School
Hakka is not as mainstream, because most people are Taigi speakers. There are fewer people who will be able to pass on the culture and language. By choosing to take Hakka, the culture and language are still being passed on and made known to a greater number of people.

From mandatory heritage language coursework, to extracurriculars and even the home, Hakka is kept alive.

As long as the language and culture are still being taught, there’s always a chance for its revival.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taiwan #languages #heritagelanguage #hakka #taigi

2026-07-29

Woman finds new life in professional sports, career after paralyzing condition

Mermaids don’t have legs to walk or stand on. In real life, there are also people who can’t use their legs. Pan Chih-yu refused to give up after suffering a condition that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Despite being wheelchair-bound, Pan has learned how to free dive just like a mermaid, and she plays table tennis. She now also has a full-time corporate job. With support from loved ones and her own resilience, her story tells everyone that even if your movement is limited, life has endless possibilities. Here’s our special report.

Rays of light ripple through the water as a mermaid gently sways her tail, moving as freely and gracefully as a dancer.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
At the time I thought mermaids were so beautiful, so I asked my coach if I could try. He said I could, and got me a mermaid tail.

Pan Chih-yu got to try mermaiding with help from coaches. She cannot put on the tail or get into the water herself. Her coaches gently dropped her.

- Ok, here we go! Three, two, one!
- What makes this difficult?
- It’s difficult to put it on.
- This part at the bottom?
- I wear socks to avoid injuries, because I can’t feel my legs.
- Does it always take so much effort to put on the costume?
- Yes, it’s difficult to put on a mermaid costume.
- But the coach said “there is always a price to pay for beauty.”
- Yes, it takes a lot, especially from those around me.

In the water you can’t tell that she’s paraplegic. Despite being compleletely paralyzed from the waist down, Pan found a quiet corner for herself underwater.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
It’s really soothing. I have to keep pushing to move on land, but in the water, it wakes only a gentle nudge.

Pan is all smiles when talking about being underwater, but it wasn’t easy for her to accept her condition. Before she was 15, Pan was on her school’s volleyball team. But that soon changed.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
The first time I showed symptoms, I was practicing volleyball and doing weight training. I was carrying a classmate while running. As soon as my classmate got on top of me, I started feeling discomfort. After about half an hour, I got a really bad headache.

She was eventually diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation that damaged her spinal cord. Even after six surgeries, she could no longer stand, completely changing her life.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
I collected a lot of meds like sleeping pills. I thought about taking them, but then I thought that I can’t leave my family like that. I thought, if I go, then it would be hard on them. I couldn’t do that.

Even after becoming paraplegic, Pan could still take care of herself. But those days are numbers.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
My hands can’t fully function. I used to be able to go to the toilet on my own, but now I need help from my mother. She has to put on medical gloves with Vaseline and perform anal dilation on me. I don’t think just anyone would be willing to do it even if it’s immediate family members. But my mom always tells me that she’s willing to do anything for me without asking for anything in return. All she wants is for me to be healthy and happy.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
Everything my mom makes is delicious. She always makes huge portions. Just look at my dad. You should see his old photos. He’s gained as much weight in numbers as the years they’re married.

Her family’s love and care were the strength Pan needed to move forward.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
Life pushes you forward, so you must keep going. If not, you’ll be trapped here in your own room. I don’t think that’s the right way to live.

As someone who used to play volleyball, sports are in her blood. Even now, she continues to do sports on land and underwater. Apart from water sports, she also plays wheelchair table tennis.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
It feels like how I used to play volleyball. You can play to your heart’s content. It’s not off limits just because you’re wheelchair-bound.

But she’s not your average sports lover. Pan has already played many times for the national team, which allowed her to build experience and confidence.

Chen Yu-jung
Table tennis coach
I clearly remember that one year when her condition flared up again and required surgery. Even then, she still showed up at a match wearing a neck brace. She persisted, all for that one little white ball. I was really in awe of that spirit of hers.

Pan not only mastered table tennis, she also does underwater sports, even if she needs a little help from others.

Her diving coach Chen Chien-hung used to be a physical therapist. Under his guidance, Pan could finally enjoy some moments to herself away from the wheelchair.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
It’s really relaxing. On land, I must use a wheelchair, but underwater, I could simply drift. It feels like gravity disappeared. It’s really, really relaxing.

Chen Chien-hung
Freediving coach
They often get pressure injury on their backside from exercising on a wheelchair, due to the weight and pressure. It’s not as straining underwater, so we hope that they can fully stretch out their limbs underwater and try out other forms of sports and leisure.

More people joined in. There’s a photographer and coaches looking out for her safety. The teamwork ensured that this beautiful moment is captured forever.

Pan Wei-wen
Pan Chih-yu’s father
I just hope that the road ahead is long. She has to be independent, healthy, and happy. Find her own path in life.

Yeh Yu-chi
Pan Chih-yu’s mother
Your path in life is important. We hope that she does whatever she wants to do. We’ll support her fully.

Pan now works in customer service at Starlux Airlines. Previously, she worked at an NGO for paraplegic advocacy and a hospital. Despite her varied professional experience, a corporate job marked a new chapter in her life.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
I thought I wouldn’t get hired, because I need to use a wheelchair. But many companies lack sufficient accessibility infrastructure, so they may not hire someone on a wheelchair, because it’s quite an investment.

Eric
Starlux Airlines HR
I was impressed by her upbeat and proactive attitude despite having reduced mobility. Looking at her professional and academic experience, I decided that she’s the one we’re looking for.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
This is the company’s accessible toilet. I have to get up and move myself over, and fell down on two or three instances. When the company found out, they got this hospital bed for me to use.

Pan is the first employee with reduced mobility in the company. The hospital bed is only one example of how the company accommodated her needs.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
For example, this counter here is quite high for me. So the general affairs helped me prepare lunchboxes so I won’t have to pick up each dish one-by-one, which is quite straining for my hands.

She’s also giving back to the company in her own way, even if she’s not always aware of it.

Brandy
Pan Chih-yu’s colleague
Once when I had just gotten off work, I saw her getting out of a car. What would usually take only a minute or two for most people would take her up to 20 or 30 minutes. It really made me think how it’s not easy to empathize with how much difficulty they face if you don’t have first-hand experience witnessing it.

Emmy
Starlux Airlines customer service
It’s not easy to work in customer service. Many customers come to you full of complaints, or all sorts of emotions. After she joined our team—like I said, she’s always so upbeat towards life and she’s really courageous no matter what’s thrown at her—and I believe that spirit has really rubbed off on the rest of the team.

Pan encouraged people around her with her life experience, while her job helped her get a clearer direction in life.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
I was happy after I started earning money. It allowed my parents to relax a little. They don’t need to worry about me being unable to work or support myself.

Pan hopes that her parents could worry less about her, but her parents still do, unsurprisingly.

- Yes, we still do. For example, yesterday she wanted to go out and get tofu pudding. I still wanted to be by her side.
- So you still worry?
- But it’s one baby step at a time.
- Yes, one step at a time.

Yeh Yu-chi
Pan Chih-yu’s mother
We hardly ever shed tears in front of her or say anything negative. We try to be positive for her. We hope that she won’t have to experience too many negative emotions, because that’s not good for her condition.

Pan Chih-yu
Paraplegic
My parents won’t tell me not to do one thing or another because it might be dangerous. I think that’s the best for us. It’s best that they’re not overprotective.

Pan may be restricted to a wheelchair, but it doesn’t restrict her laughter or courage. Her parents’ love and coworkers’ support give her the strength she needs to keep going. Her story proves that despite constraints, one can still live a full life.

Yeh Yu-chi
Pan Chih-yu’s mother
Keep going for it! This is life, overcoming challenge after challenge. There’s nothing you can’t overcome. Your dad and I will forever be your support. Just keep going. I love you. I’ll always love you.

#paraplegic #inspiring #mermaid #freediving #wheelchair #wheelchairtabletennis #disability #family

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2026-07-22

Ju Percussion Group celebrates 40 years in 2026

A group of musicians in Taiwan has drummed to their beat for four decades. They’re the world-renowned Ju Percussion Group. Members of the ensemble say that percussion music’s primal and rustic appeal brings their music closer to the audience. And for forty years, they’ve touched the hearts of listeners from all walks of life, from concert halls to temple squares. Let’s take a look in our special report.

A large group of people departs from Taipei. They’re members of the Ju Percussion Group, heading to Hualien with a mission.

Earlier, the ensemble was invited to perform in Hualien, but the performance was postponed due to severe flooding from an overflowing barrier lake on Matai’an Creek in a typhoon.

Shovels and buckets are turned into musical instruments into the new arrangement, which kept the audience on the edge of their seats and elicited enthusiastic applause at times. The scene in which members passed buckets to each other showcased the power of unity and mutual support.

Hwang Kuen-yean
Senior member
I hope to bring the joy and passion of music to the audience here. It’s not that we want to do anything great, but just to create a little something to inspire them, so that maybe they’ll have sweet and fuzzy dreams before they go to sleep. I think that would be wonderful.

Wu Shih-san
Senior member
Percussion instruments are very close to the human heartbeat, and drumming is also a human instinct. We love to interact with people through percussion instruments, and we hope that they can get to know music in a relaxed state and become more familiar with music.

This performance in Guangfu Township, Hualien was a collaborative effort by 14 members of the Ju Percussion Ensemble spanning four generations. Among them, Peng Ching-ying, who stood on the stage, is not only a musician but also a teacher in the Ju Percussion Music School system.

Away from the stage, Peng Ching-ying takes the podium, imparting her musical experiences to inspire the next generation.

Before practicing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme song, she wants kids to imagine they’re about to sail out to sea. This puts them in the right state of mind to interpret the piece.

Peng Ching-ying
Member
After becoming a teacher, I could finally understand, more or less, how my teachers guided us in class, and what kind of feelings they hoped we could adopt. Actually, I used to get nervous every week before entering the classroom. At times I might not have practiced well enough. So when I’m about to scold students, I would be remember that I used to be exactly like them.

As a kid, Peng was pretty shy. At the age of 5, her mother enrolled her in the Ju Percussion Music School. Slowly, she gained confidence and found her calling.

Peng Ching-ying
Member
I initially chose percussion because I love it. I really find it fun, enjoyable, and gives me a sense of accomplishment. We also go on tours, and we accomplish things together. It’s not just the result that matters, but the process of improvement. I think that has had a significant impact on me. I’ve always wanted to feel these things in a group because I feel that those things are very genuine.

Peng has followed the group for almost 30 years, from pre-school to a full-time member. Among the current 20 members, 7 are “lifelong members of Ju Percussion Group” like her.

Ju Tzong-ching
Founder and Artistic Director
This teaching method isn’t to train performers. Instead, it’s an extracurricular program outside the formal schooling system. It draws on the human instinct to tap and play to connect with music. Later, we discovered that many people have embarked on an artistic path because of this method. So, this process has been going on for 35 years, and 160,000 people have joined over the years. This is something I never expected.

Ju Percussion Group, founded in 1986, is Taiwan’s first professional percussion ensemble. In 1991, it established a teaching system, which later branched out and formed the Ju Percussion Group 2, the Jumping Percussion Group and others. To date, the group has performed in 35 countries and regions around the world, with more than 3,500 performances.

Ju Tzong-ching
Founder and Artistic Director
When I founded the group, it was simply out of love for music. I’m incredibly blessed that I could stay true to myself and stick to my initial mission. I thought it’s quite incredible that a grassroots performance group performing around the world would last 40 years, but we have defied the laws of nature.

Tai Han-chih
Member
I think there are many different kinds of things involved in making music. Furthermore, I believe that when people come to our performance, they would first feel the energy and see how we collaborate and enjoy the music on stage. We hope to bring the passion of percussion to everyone.

Director Ju Tzong-ching personally oversees rehearsals before formal performances, leaving no detail overlooked. His dedication sustained the percussion group for 40 years. While it may seem like smooth sailing to outsiders, it has actually been a long and arduous journey.

In December 2022, the Ju Percussion Group’s rented warehouse in Bali, New Taipei burned down, destroying many valuable assets in the middle of the night. To make matters worse, there were less than two months left before the premiere of their major production of the year, an updated version of the critically acclaimed "MuLan."

Ju Tzong-ching
Founder and Artistic Director
That situation dealt a huge blow to us. Immediately afterwards, I convened a video conference to check whether anyone got injured and tally the losses incurred. Then, I made a very important decision: we wouldn’t play the victim card. We immediately took action, called the 1000-day countdown, and made overall plans for the entire project, including systems, talent, works, and performances.

Six months later, the Ju Percussion Group was reborn from the ashes. Not only did it survive the fire, but when the COVID-19 pandemic began and the arts and culture industry fell into depression, Ju Percussion Group was the first to insist that it would not lay off staff or cut salaries.

Ju Tzong-ching
Founder and Artistic Director
It’s about how you face things when they happen. Do you say, “There’s nothing I can do, let it go,” or do you confront it, solve the problem, or even reignite your fire and bravely move forward? If I were the only one saying this, people would think I’m crazy. It’s one thing if I’m the crazy one, but if a group of people are all crazy, the perseverance and the likelihood of success are very high. So I’m very fortunate to have found a group of friends with strong solidarity, strong cohesion and a common goal.

A common vision kept them through thick and thin. Despite the Ju Percussion Group’s international standing, it remains committed to Taiwan.

To inspire more kids, the Ju Percussion Group went further into schools, such as holding classes in Taipei’s Dalong Elementary School to get kids to play music.

Lee Pei-hsun
Member
I think it’s very important for children to grow up happily, so in the process of nurturing their learning and interests, we also hope that they can gain something from it. If the schoolwork becomes too stressful, sometimes playing music, or just playing is a very therapeutic process.

On campus, children tap out rhythms for the first time, experiencing the joy of music. These inspired ideas may one day be transformed into musical works.

Wu Hao-tse
Dalong Elementary School
It’s different from other classes, because in other classes you have to sit in a chair and look through things, but in this class, you can go up and play many musical instruments. My wish is to be up there and show little kids how I play musical instruments.

Liu Guo-chao
Dalong Elementary School principal
Watching a performance itself is incredibly moving. It’s a kind of emotion that you might not normally feel in your daily life. But music, with its many elements, sparks children’s imaginations and connects them with human relationships. I think that kind of emotion will stay in their hearts for a lifetime.

Hwang Kuen-yean
Senior member
Some kids may not have the opportunity to come to the National Concert Hall or other performance venues and sit upright to watch a concert. We’re proactively bringing music to their doorstep, and suddenly they’re discovering how wonderful music is. Perhaps this catalyzes a passion for music in the future.

They keep running with all their might. This is the group’s second percussion theater production, “A Tale of Clay,” telling the story of Lin Kuang-ching, the founder of a ceramic empire.

Ju Tzong-ching
Founder and Artistic Director
Lin Kuang-ching’s story is the same as the percussion group’s 40-year history. From the first blueprint, through setbacks and various trials and tribulations, we learned how to regain passion and keep moving forward. Our story is the same as his. So we have two storylines in this production.

The protagonist of the story, Lin Kuang-ching, also gave his first theater performance, conveying a story of perseverence through the action of running. In addition, “A Tale of Clay” is also the first work co-created by members of the Ju Percussion Group across generations.

Kao Han-yen
Member
I often say that it’s like I’m standing on the shoulders of giants to see the world and the development of percussion music. It seems like we’ve avoided many detours and can clearly see our future development and how we should communicate with the audience.

Peng Ching-ying
Member
I feel very proud to stand on stage with everyone in the group, because I think it’s really quite an achievement to have come this far. The pride probably comes from being able to stand together at such heights. I feel very lucky.

For 40 years, Ju Percussion Group has traveled the world and reached out to people with their music. They’ve proven that art is not just for the halls of fame, but can enter everyday life and be passed down through generations. And their story is far from over.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#music #percussion #ensemble #concerts #musiceducation

2026-07-16

The story unfolds in real-life settings with street theater

Have you ever heard of street theater? It’s a kind of play that takes place in public spaces like a street, with the story unfolding in real-life settings. Last year, the National Theater and Concert Hall made its first-ever street theater production with a Japanese director and a Taiwanese cast. In the streets of New Taipei’s Sanxia and Taipei’s Wanhua, the audience followed the lead actor to help an elderly neighbor find his missing wife. What is slowly revealed is a poignant story about dementia and how it affects the patients’ family and friends. Here’s our special report.

A large audience follows the lead actor on the streets and alleyways. With the plot of the play integrated with everyday life, the audience also becomes a part of the story. Yes, this is a theater production. But instead of the stage in a theater building, the plot unfolds right on the streets.

- You’re Big Nose.
- Big Nose.
- You’re the Big Nose that used to come to my home as a kid?
- It’s been so long, grandpa. How about this? I’ll help you find grandma. If we still can’t find her, then we’ll call the police.
- I’ll go over there myself.
- Take care, grandpa. Watch your steps and don’t rush.

As the story unfolds, the audience begins to understand that the main character A-jung has returned to his hometown, Sanxia in New Taipei as an adult. He bumps into the neighbor of his childhood home, an elderly man and helps him search for his wife, who has dementia.

- I wonder if you’ve seen a lost grandma. She was wearing yellow and carrying a red bag.
- Yes, I think I’ve seen her.
- It was right over there, near the bear statue when I saw her this morning.
- Yes, right there.

Every plot twist appears on the street corners. The scene changes not by shifting set pieces, but by traveling with the actors. The production took place in Sanxia’s Taipei University Special Zone, taking the story to the streets. It’s a play about dementia.

Tsai Min-ni
Assistant director
They need to help the grandpa find grandma, so the journey on foot begins. The male lead has to track down grandma in the place where he grew up with clues he gathers along the way. Through this production, we’re not only allowing the audience to immerse themselves into the plot in ten different settings, but also allow them to experience the Taipei University Special Zone.

We followed the theater company backstage, a week before the show was premiered, getting a glimpse of the rehearsals.

Naoki Sugawara
Director
I’m really excited to see what kind of work will be produced. It would be great if the audience and crew will enjoy themselves too.

Japanese theater director Naoki Sugawara was invited to produce the play on dementia with a Taiwanese team, titled “FormosArt: Night Never Gets Darker.”

Naoki Sugawara
Director
I believe the issues of dementia and aging societies can be shared with everyone in the community through theater. I hope to encourage the audience to think about how to solve the issues arising from dementia in the community through street theater. I also hope that the end of the play isn’t an end, but that the stories in the play can continue at the location where it took place.

- Hi grandma, are you alone?
- Excuse me. I’m grandma’s care companion. How can I help you?
- Oh, sorry. It’s just that there’s a grandpa asking me to look for his wife. She happens to be wearing yellow too, so I thought it was her.
- Why didn’t you call the police if you’re looking for her?

In order to find actors who can accurately portray dementia, casting took the production team almost a whole year.

Actor Huang Chiu-chin is 71 years old and plays an elderly woman with dementia. Her nuanced body language perfectly captures what it’s like to live with dementia. It’s because she had experience caring for elderly family members with this condition.

Huang Chiu-chin
Actor
It’s mainly because my husband had a stroke. He had vascular dementia. Later on, my mother also had Parkinson’s disease dementia, so she also developed dementia. I once had to take care of three family members. Now, two of them are gone. My 100-year-old father is still alive. I incorporate these experiences into my performance in the play.

Another cast member, Chang Cheng-I, like Huang, has real-life experience dealing with dementia in the family. In the play, he’s an elderly man taking care of his spouse with dementia.

Chang Cheng-I
Actor
My father-in-law passed away at the age of 96. He had dementia at 85. My father is still alive. He’s 97 years old now and also has dementia. In the beginning, their conditions were pretty mild, but gradually worsened. All I had to do in the play was to recall my experience with them and embody that naturally in the play.

The two actors brought their real-life experience into their performance. They’re not alone in having to take care of aging family members. In Taiwan, around 350,000 older adults suffer from dementia, the burden of care on their immediate family.

- Have you seen an old lady wearing yellow and carrying a yellow bag? She walked past here earlier. She’s been missing since this morning.

The main character A-jung is played by Talum Isbabanal. He’s the one leading the audience throughout the play and through the winding streets, in search of an old lady with dementia.


- I’m A-jung. Do you remember me? I used to visit your noodle shop often, and you’d make me noodles. Remember?

Talum Isbabanal
Actor
Our performance takes place in a real-life setting, so there’s no need to exaggerate anything. After the performance, a member of the audience came to me and said that they felt understood. For those who are unfamiliar with the subject matter, they’ll be prompted to think about elders in their families. Maybe this will change their attitude towards elder family members with chronic illnesses.

Talum Isbabanal used to work at a senior daycare center, so he’s very familiar with older adults. His role deals with feelings of anxiety and helplessness when looking for someone with dementia. His real-life experience makes his performance all the more convincing.

Through this production, street theater becomes a medium to advocate for issues in an aging society, thanks to the National Theater and Concert Hall’s FormosArt Initiative.

Liu Yi-ruu
NTCH General and Artistic Director
We have a relatively large outdoor production every year. At one point we wondered how we could go further instead of maintaining the same format. A large outdoor production can feel like staging fireworks. It’s brilliant for that one night. But what happens afterwards? Did we really make an impact on the local community?

The FormosArt Initiative was inaugurated in 2015, bringing stage productions out of stately performance theaters into cities and townships all over the country. But what more can be done for locals after the credits roll in? That seeded the FormosArt 2.0 Initiative and resulted in the very first street theater production in Taiwan.

Liu Yi-ruu
NTCH General and Artistic Director
We were really attracted to stage theater then, not only for its unique format, but also because dementia is something that occurs in our daily lives. And so we thought this topic must be explored in a way that’s close to our surroundings. Because the performance deals with something so mundane, it fully immerses the audience very easily.

The production took place in a new neighborhood and an old town: Sanxia in New Taipei and Wanhua in Taipei. In the future, it’s hoped that street theater can enter a greater number of neighborhoods and create stories that belong to the communities.

Liu Yi-ruu
NTCH General and Artistic Director
FormosArt 2.0 is special in that we invite local government to become co-producers. So they’re not just bringing in an audience. They’re more or less also involved in the production. And because local production teams are involved, they can replicate it in the future, whether on their own or with the local government.

- Cherish the opportunity right now to see those you hold dear, and tell them what you’ve yet to say to them.

Audience member
Watched the production
The whole play was really touching. As you walk with the cast, you’ll notice that you’ve walked past the older parts of Sanxia into the newer and bustling part. It also touches upon many issues related to societal aging. It really got me thinking how I should seize the day and cherish all that I have.

Audience member
Watched the production
I find the topic to be quite dark, but a play is another way to get to understand dementia.

Even a serious topic can be explored through a play, while keeping the audience grounded in reality. With the initiative, fiction and reality become one.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#NTCH #theater #streettheater #culture #taiwan #formosart

2026-06-18

Social isolation suggested as common, crucial risk factor of mass violence

During rush hour on Friday Dec. 19, 2025, a man conducted a mass killing spree at Taipei Main Station exit and at a department store next to MRT Zhongshan Station. He killed three and injured 11. The attacker died immediately after jumping off the building. Cases of mass violence may be relatively rare in Taiwan, but they’re worrying all the same. More so, because they indicate larger societal and structural risk factors that played a part in driving the attackers to violence. So what exactly is the socio-psychological root of mass violence? Let’s find out now in our Special Report.

In 2021, on the night of Halloween, screams erupted on a Keiō Railway train in Tokyo, Japan. A man dressed up as a clown conducted mass stabbing of fellow passengers, and arson. A total of 18 were injured.

Earlier, in 2014, another stabbing spree took place outside a subway station in Chiba Prefecture. The perpetrator attacked four passers-by, leaving one injured and another dead.

Since the 1990s when Japan began formally documenting statistics of mass killing events, at least one would occur every year. There were 14 such cases in 2008 alone.

The most chilling of all was the 2008 Akihabara massacre. The perpetrator drove a mini-truck and rammed through the pedestrian area. Then he exited the vehicle and began stabbing. Within five minutes, he killed seven and injured 10.

Witness
2008 Akihabara massacre
The mini-truck ran over three people. It didn’t look like an accident. It ran over about three people in high speed.

The perpetrator of the 2008 Akihabara massacre was a 25-year-old contract worker. His dissatisfaction with employment and personal life drove him to violence.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
The perpetrator in this case was unhappy that full-time employees had their own desks and lounge, while contractors like him had to squat in a corner or gather in a separate space to eat their bentos. It’s this feeling of differential treatment that made him feel marginalized very deeply. The last thing that happened to him was when he couldn’t find his work gear. Someone left it in the restroom. That’s a rather extreme example of social rejection, which aggravated him. He likely thought, “since society doesn’t care about me, what’s wrong with me annihilating others?”

In Taiwan, such cases of indiscriminate killing, in which victims were targeted at random, gained widespread attention in 2012, following a brutal case of child murder at a game arcade.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
“Indiscriminate” here is a direct Japanese loan word. Of course it differs from our concept. It’s not really indiscriminate. Someone will have to get close enough to get killed. Taiwan has very strict gun control, so it’s not possible to do this from a distance. Rather, it’s a form of mass murder in a very short period, causing a great number of casualties in a very short period.

Call it indiscriminate killing, random killing or more accurately, mass murder, this form of homicide are all characterized by a stranger relationship between the perpetrator and victims. Anyone in a public space could be randomly attacked.

Hsu Fu-sheng
Central Police University dean
Think about it. You happen to be walking down the street only to get stabbed and killed by a complete stranger. That sense of fear. I believe anyone would be frightened. That’s why random killings or indiscriminate killings cause such great terror.

On the afternoon of May 21, 2014, a stabbing spree erupted on the Taipei MRT’s Blue Line. The attacker was quickly captured at Jiangzicui Station by the police and members of the public, but he still caused four deaths and 24 injured. Shock and fear quickly rippled through society at the wake of the incident.

Little by little, people in Taipei dropped their guards. But exactly ten years later, on the same day in 2024, a similar knife attack took place on the Taichung MRT.

Fortunately, no one lost their lives this time, thanks to brave passengers. But very soon, on Dec. 19 the following year, Taipei MRT was again the site of violent crime.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
The way the crime was carried out this time around at the Taipei MRT was even more sophisticated. He had exhibitive props, such as the addition of smoke bombs, which he used in an attempt to create terror. He killed those who stood in the way of his criminal plan, those who he perceived as obstructions. We can reasonably deduce that the perpetrator thought those he killed were those who obstructed him from taking the next steps. For example, sometime stopped him from lighting up the Molokov cocktail, or maybe someone caused him the trouble of having to go through traffic before he could enter the store. His killings were done to eliminate those obstructions.

This time around, the perpetrator killed three pedestrians and injured 11 within three hours. He also died after jumping off a building during a police chase. All three instances of mass attacks on the metro were astoundingly similar in execution.

Hsu Fu-sheng
Central Police University dean
The commonalities, I guess, are that all of them chose public spaces, targeted complete strangers and instilled widespread fear and panic. The perpetrators often choose highly visible public places, train station and the metro are typical examples. The action must be shocking, and it was especially so this time around. The key is to instill fear in everyone.

Sadness, fear and rage were in everyone’s heart after the tragedy, but also questions. Why did all three attackers target strangers without any regard?

Hsu Fu-shen
Central Police University dean
Speaking of the perpetrator Cheng, he did well in high school, at Banqiao Senior High. He later attended the National Defense University but got expelled, and then he transferred to Tunghai University, and became interested in killing others. It’s worth noting these shifts. It’s the same with Chang in the recent incident. He also did well in high school and university, but he experienced a major setback when he was dismissed from the military after being caught drunk-driving. And he only stayed on his next job as a security guard for a year. In the year or so afterwards, he started planning the mass murder. What was the impetus? At which point was he completely abandoned by our society and its systems and institutions, which in turn motivated him to commit this form of lone actor terror?

Only the perpetrators themselves can fully explain their motivation. But Cheng of the 2014 attacks was executed in 2016, while Chang of 2025 plunged to death immediately. Only the Taichung MRT attacker, sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison, could serve as a research subject.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
In the Taichung MRT incident, the attacker survives. After analyzing lots of data, we discovered that the attacker had trouble adapting in new stages of life. He experienced difficulties at home and in school. He felt bullied in school. The attack was his way of avenging, which he saw as an exercise of justice. He sought justice, alright, but the method wasn’t ideal.

Chuang Yueh-hsiang
Flying Youth mentor
We’d describe this as the safety net in their heart fraying bit by bit. Once they lose their family, friends, colleagues, work, their support system would come undone little by little. Imagine that every individual is a web within a larger system. If every link snaps, the individual’s life is no longer supported. When someone becomes isolated to a certain extent, they become negative. When these negative thoughts accumulate, they’re expressed in harmful action, whether to the self or to others.

Researchers believe that instigators of mass murder at home were similarly motivated as those in Europe or Japan. They’ve all experienced, or rather perceived, great social rejection.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
What’s perceived social rejection? It’s when an individual believes that people around them are marginalizing them, despite otherwise. It’s a form of cognitive distortion. The individual may perceive others as targeting them in some way. That perception would aggravate feelings of hostility, and the intensification of such feelings could motivate the individual toward aggression.

In all three cases, the perpetrators were in their twenties, transitioning from campus life to the job market. It’s easy to perceive setbacks negatively during this critical period. Difficulties in life could lead to cognitive distortion, in which the individual believes they’re marginalized. From what the police gathered in Chang’s phone, it appeared that he was almost completely cut off from others.

Hsu Fu-sheng
Central Police University dean
In Chang’s case, I’d say it’s due to his personal dissatisfaction with life trajectories. I believe there are more and more people of this sort. Chang was dismissed from the military, he got another job, but he only stayed on it for a year. Little by little, he became isolated from society. Someone who’s dissatisfied with their life course may turn to random killing to assert their individual existence.

In all three cases, the perpetrators acted upon feelings of extreme social rejection. Experts believe these events hinted at a higher probability for similar incidents in the future.

Tai Shen-feng
Professor of Criminology, CCU
Now that we have three such cases, our society has to face a certain reality. It’s happened repeatedly, meaning there could be many more out there with similar fantasies, but dare not act them out yet. Or perhaps they might not have entertained such acts of violence before, but now they are. Could these people be emboldened to entertain, and even act out their violent fantasies? We certainly don’t want this to be true.

How can we prevent these negative feelings from being internalized, and in turn become the catalyst for violence? With increased evidence from research, the government has worked on bolstering the social safety net.

Hsu Fu-sheng
Central Police University dean
A Japanese study was conducted on random killing. It analyzed 52 cases. The researchers concluded that they’re all related to social isolation.

Chuang Yueh-hsiang
Flying Youth mentor
Now that we’re able to identify the cause, we can perhaps reflect on those around us. Someone may start acting strangely. They may speak less. Once these symptoms appear, we should think about how to intervene through care and action so that tragedies can be avoided.

It’s not enough to strengthen connections with one’s social circle. A long-time mentor for high-risk youth, reminded us not to incite hatred.

Chuang Yueh-hsiang
Flying Youth mentor
After a young person commits a crime, they may see comments on YouTube attacking them, calling them scum or trash, or wanting them to just die. But just think here: the law protects these youths and they could be released or rejoin society to work. If they do not develop self-awareness, or if they do not reflect on themselves, and internalize all the criticisms at them, they would take that as, “Yes, I am no good. I’m violent. I want to attack you. To those that once made me suffer, I’ll make you all suffer too!” All that hatred and fear only breed more fear.

The three lives lost on that fateful day in 2025, and many more before them, are scars in our collective memory. But even more than that, they forced us to open our eyes to interpersonal, societal and structural risk factors that catalyzed violence in the very first place. The perpetrators’ individual traits notwithstanding, we can also play a part in healing our communities and prevent another similar tragedy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#crime #criminology #psychology #sociology #highriskyouth

2026-06-11

Traditional markets get modern revamp to attract customers

Due to unruly human behavior in its open-air structure, traditional markets are gradually losing customers to supermarket chains. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, more than 100 traditional markets closed in just two years, from 2021 to 2023. To reattract customers, governments are stepping in to revamp the facilities and vendors are also finding clever ways to gain new customers. Our weekly special report.

Pulling a trolley and fritting from one stall to another: this is A-ming, a retail-level fruit and vegetable vendor. Every morning, he goes to Sanchong Fruit and Vegetable Market to bulk buy what he’s planning to sell.

He stacks boxes upon boxes of produce onto the trolley, then takes them over to his truck in the parking lot. It usually takes several trips back-and-forth to get everything he needs.

Loading his truck under the hot summer weather is quite some serious workout. Some vendors couldn’t bear to see him having to work so hard, so they try to make things easier by pre-packaging the goods. Others even help A-ming transport the boxes over with their own scooters. That saves him a number of trips.

Many people enjoy shopping at traditional markets for the social aspect. However, traditional markets all over Taiwan are in decline, losing customers and even forced to close in some cases.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, from 2021 to 2023, the number of government-owned markets fell from 486 to 438. The decline is even steeper with privately-owned markets, from 215 to 153. In total, more than 100 markets have shut down in just two years.

It’s likely some shoppers are put off by those inconsiderate people, and coupled with the rise of supermarket chains and hypermarkets, many customers would rather opt for those instead. Is modernizing traditional markets, and thereby improving the shopping experience, the solution?

As soon as one walks in, they’re greeted by the cool AC. This is Wugu Market in New Taipei, where A-ming runs his fruit and vegetable stall. It’s not only well-lit and comfortable. The vendors also try to provide a better experience themselves. A-ming and his wife Elsa clearly put a lot of thought into product display.

Elsa
Fruit and vegetable vendor
We have different layers as opposed to having everything on one flat surface before. We noticed that people may be overwhelmed when everything’s placed together, so we categorized our products in different layers to make it easier for them.

Established in 2022, Wugu Market is the first modernized, government-run traditional market in New Taipei. Stalls here are placed in designated areas for fresh produce, meats and prepared foods. Scooters are also not allowed inside, making for a comfortable and safe shopping experience.

A-ming
Fruit and vegetable vendor
The clearest difference is the AC. In traditional markets, when the weather’s hot, it really feels like a sauna. It’s really hot. Also drainage. We have well-designed drains with covers, whereas in traditional markets it’s the usual type that have many gaping holes, and residue like vegetable waste and other stuff will get inside, and cause blockage. When it’s really hot, the odor becomes worse.

Wugu Market’s modern facilities allow it to be free of the shortcomings plaguing traditional markets, but foot traffic there still can’t compare to markets past.

Ya-wen
Pork vendor
I can’t manage to sell the day’s inventory. Sometimes I make sausage from those pork, and also cured meat. For the shoulder, we turn that into sliced meat for hotpots. And pork belly can be made into bacon.

Ya-wen has run a pork stall for over 20 years. She applied for a spot at Wugu Market when it opened because rent was cheap. But she didn’t expect the decline in shoppers after the initial opening period. Many vendors have already left.

Ya-wen
Pork vendor
In the beginning there were more than 100 vendors. But after the number of customers fell, vendors left too.

At the time of filming, we noticed that the signboards from those previous vendors remained, but their spots were taken over as storage or made into dining areas. And with less vendors, the number of customers also dropped.

Customer
Some people enjoy shopping at markets because they like to look around for things to buy, but there aren’t as many vendors or products available here anymore.

Why is it so hard to attract customers even though the facilities are much better?

Wu Yi-shin
National Sun Yat-sen University assistant professor
Most people seem to redesign markets on the premise that consumer habits have changed when that’s not the case.

Dr. Wu Yi-shin believes instead that consumer habits are hard to change. For example, modernized markets with AC may be more pleasant for pedestrians, but because scooters aren’t allowed inside, a great proportion of customers and older adults are left out. That greatly shrinks vendors’ customer base.

Wu Yi-shin
National Sun Yat-sen University assistant professor
I think they can start with allowing scooters inside, but with rules in place. I believe that would be a good start. It’s less abrupt than banning them altogether. Begin by putting a speed limit on scooters and make scooter riders build a new scooter etiquette, then move on to the next stage. People with scooters will be better behaved and that makes it easier to implement traffic control.

Because of its proximity to industrial zones and a redevelopment zone, the local population is still quite small. To attract customers, the vendors’ association often hands out vouchers on weekends or organizes family activities to create incentives to locals to drive over to shop. Additionally, being close to highway exits also brought them customers through partnerships with tour groups, and turn the market into a rest stop of sorts.

Chen Wen-sun
Wugu Market vendors’ association head
Wugu’s tourism is mainly centered on our Guanyinshan National Scenic Area. Many visitors come from Central and Southern Taiwan and stop here to rest. They can have meals, do some shopping and rest a bit before going back on the road.

While the vendors’ association launches campaigns to attract customers, individual stalls try to get them to make a purchase.

Ya-wen noticed that her customers are usually small families in the nearby redevelopment zones. They buy little and don’t cook very often. So she began offering sausages and vacuum-packed ingredients that suit those customers better, and has since gained a steady clientele.

Ya-wen
Pork vendor
I’ve been here for almost three years now. I have a steady customer base and also my own Line open chat group. My customers order from there and we also try to offer products, such as vacuum-sealed meat that they can order straight from the chat.

Meanwhile, A-ming approached many eateries outside when he’s not taking care of the stand. He now has several long-term contracts, and clients like working with him because he has machinery that can quickly prepare chopped green onions, ginger and chili. A diverse clientele improved his business.

A-ming
Fruit and vegetable vendor
Sometimes there are really so few customers. In this situation you must come up with solutions. So I approach restaurants and we also do deliveries and group-buying. I deliver to the nearby Zhouziyang redevelopment zone, and also Sanchong and Xinchuang, because I live in Sanchong and I can do deliveries on my way home. So there are ways to get more customers.

Vendors at Wugu Market have to do more than traditional retail-level outdoor markets, and even reaching customers beyond the market building. But A-ming has no complaints. He says he believes it’s only a matter of time for vendors to have to adapt to new business practices. He also says he observes local markets on holidays to Japan and South Korea.

A-ming
Fruit and vegetable vendor
The markets there are now all renovated, have AC and are all pretty clean, which is closer to what we have here. But they try to keep a retro vibe, meaning they combine the old and the new, while prioritizing cleanliness and tidiness. But our modernized markets may still feel off for older generations or people who are used to traditional markets. But I also think it’s a matter of habit. If you visit certain sellers often, you’ll eventually develop a cordial relationship with them. You just have to take the first step inside here.

Newer markets may no longer look like they used to, but it’s all for a better customer experience. They also offer a more social experience even when chain stores are gradually taking over.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#shopping #markets #consumertrends #taoyuan #nanmenmarket

2026-03-10