History

The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files

by John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith

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Latest episodes

Songshan Airport: Ninety Years in the Heart of Taipei – S6-E32

October 22, 2026 · 26 min

Opened by the Japanese in 1936, Taipei's Songshan Airport has witnessed wartime bombing raids (by aircraft piloted by both Soviet and American pilots), Cold War diplomacy, and tearful family farewells. During the Cold War, it welcomed some…
Lin Yutang: The Importance of Living – and Coming Home to Taiwan – S6-E31

October 15, 2026 · 29 min

Writer, philosopher, linguist, inventor – Lin Yutang (林語堂) was one of the most famous Chinese intellectuals of the twentieth century, and for decades one of the people most responsible for explaining Chinese culture to English-speaking…
Abacus: A Grandfather’s Journey from China to Taiwan – S6-Bonus

October 11, 2026 · 34 min

When his grandfather died during the COVID pandemic, Hudson Wei realized how little he knew about the man who had raised him. Determined to uncover his story, he interviewed relatives, pieced together family memories, and eventually turned…
Andō Momofuku: Was the Inventor of Instant Noodles Taiwanese? – S6-E30

October 8, 2026 · 35 min

Andō Momofuku is a household name in Japan, celebrated as the inventor of instant noodles. But his story actually begins in Puzi, a small town in southern Taiwan, where he was born Wu Baifu in 1910. John is joined by Tom Gibb, a…
Taiwan at the Asian Games – and the World Games Triumph of 2009 Asian Games – Snack 10

October 3, 2026 · 21 min

NOTE: People not using Spotify can watch this video on YouTube. As the 2026 Asian Games in Japan come to a close, Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s sporting struggles and successes in Asia. Who knew that the country has long been a…

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Cheng Feng-hsi: A Boat in the Vast Ocean –S6-E29

October 1, 2026 · 32 min

Born into a poor farming family in coastal Yunlin County in 1944, Cheng Feng-hsi 鄭豐喜 (Zhèng Fēngxǐ) was severely disabled and spent much of his childhood crawling rather than walking. His early years included travelling with an elderly…
Tyrel Eskelson’s Taiwan 22: Travels in Paradox – S6-E28

September 24, 2026 · 27 min

What happens when curiosity about Taiwan turns into something of an obsession? Canadian academic Tyrel Eskelson, who lives in Japan, set out to understand an island nation that kept appearing in the international news. The result was…
Ballots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First Presidential Election (1996) – S6-E27

September 17, 2026 · 37 min

Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s first direct presidential election: the protests and constitutional reforms that made it possible, Lee Teng-hui’s controversial visit to Cornell University, and the Chinese missile tests that turned an…
VIDEO - Ballots and Missiles: Taiwan’s First Presidential Election (1996) – S6-E27

September 17, 2026 · 38 min

NOTE: We know non-Spotify users may not be able to view this from here, but the program is also available on YouTube. Thanks. Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s first direct presidential election: the protests and constitutional reforms…
The History of Comic Books in Taiwan – S6-E26

September 10, 2026 · 30 min

John is joined by writer, artist and comics enthusiast Ray Hecht for a journey through Taiwan’s manga history. This story is sometimes reduced to Japanese comics and their Taiwanese spinoffs. Ray and John, however, get into the forgotten…
REMASTERED AUDIO: Colonial Tourism - Japanese Visit their Model Colony, While Tokyo Brings Indigenous Taiwanese to “The Motherland” to Show Off “Civilization” - S2-E35

September 9, 2026 · 26 min

We travel back to 1920s Taiwan, first in the company of Terry’s Guide to the Japanese Empire and then follow a Tokyo travel bureau itinerary for Japanese tourists to the island. Ride the rails with us as we visit Shinto shrines, sugar…
Drones: From Toys to Weapons, with Bryce Barros – S6-E25

September 8, 2026 · 24 min

Defense analyst Bryce C. Barros tells Formosa Files about M.I.T. drones and their surprising connection to Taiwan's remote-controlled toy industry. Before China became the "world's factory," Taiwanese companies emerged as major…

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About the show

Formosa Files is the world's biggest and highest-rated Taiwan history podcast. We use an engaging storytelling format and are non-chronological, meaning every week is a new adventure - and, you can just find a topic that interests you and check out that episode...skip stuff that isn't your thing. The hosts are John Ross, an author and publisher of works on Taiwan and China, and Eryk Michael Smith, a journalist for local and global media outlets. Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for over two decades and call the island home. Email: formosafiles@gmail.com