Taiwan Salon

“Taiwan is not only a geopolitical hotspot—it's part of a much longer Indigenous history across the Pacific.” In Taiwan Salon Season 5 Episode 3, GTI Communications Associate Yuchen Lee and Spring 2026 Intern Cara Bilson speak with Margaret Yun-Pu Tu, a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Washington and co-founder of the Seattle-based NGO Pacific Alliance for Autonomous Traditions, Indig...

“When we saw Leeteuk from Super Junior speak Hakka at his concert, I was really moved because at that moment I realized this was no longer just a television program. It has become a sincere cultural exchange.” In 2024, Hakka TV launched its first international co-production: Hakka Kitchen, a reality show that brings K-pop stars like Super Junior's Leeteuk together with Taiwanese artists to run...

“Hakka culture is not mainly about grand buildings or eye-catching symbols. It's not only about history and festivals. Instead, it lives quietly in everyday life, in our food, our language and our family relationships.” Characterized by their hospitality and distinctive food culture, the Hakka (客家) are one of Taiwan’s major ethnic groups, comprising about 20 percent of the population. Over the y...

“Don’t ask why nobody is doing this, you are the NOBODY.” Confronted with frequent natural disasters—such as earthquakes and typhoons—and ongoing political challenges, including Chinese coercion, Taiwan has cultivated a resilient and highly creative civil society. Within this dynamic ecosystem, civic technology stands out as a distinctive force, blending grassroots activism with digital innovation...

Taiwanese (台語), also known as Tâi-gí, is the most widely spoken native language in Taiwan. During both the Japanese colonial period and subsequent martial law era (1949-1987), Taiwanese and other indigenous languages faced severe repression. While democratization has restored the freedom to speak Taiwanese openly, new challenges have emerged. As fewer young people speak the language, the questio...

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Trinity Tai interview Honghong Tinn, the author of  Island Tinkerers  and an assistant professor at University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Drawing upon her research of influential Taiwanese “tinkerers,” Dr. Tinn talks about how Taiwan’s rise in high-tech industries has contributed to its international image and en...

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Diarra Molock interview KJ Chang, the founder of Mizo Games. KJ explains how Mizo Games—through board games like  2045  and  Raid on Takao —combines fantasy, Taiwan’s history under Japanese colonization, and current cross-Strait tensions to create uniquely-Taiwanese playing experiences.

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Intern Diarra Molock interview Hsin-mei Cheng, the screenwriter and producer behind the series  Zero Day Attack,  which depicts the events surrounding a Chinese attack on Taiwan. With Hsin-mei, we discuss the importance of using popular culture to bring difficult-to-discuss topics to mainstream audiences and the challen...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon , GTI Senior Programs Manager Adrienne Wu and Communications Associate Yuchen Lee interview Chris Horton, a freelance journalist based in Taipei. Chris talks about his journey to Taipei, international news coverage of Taiwan, and his upcoming book, Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival .

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu interviews Director of Research Caroline Fried and Director of Engagement Siwei Huang from the Center for Asia Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). For our season four premiere we speak with Caroline and Siwei about CAPRI’s work, the importance of being nonpartisan when doing policy research, and the challenges and o...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon , GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu and Fall Intern Yuchen Lee interview Jay Lin, the founder and CEO of both Portico Media and GagaOOLala, to discuss GagaOOLala’s role as a global LGBTQ+ streaming platform and how the pink economy can benefit Taiwan.

In this episode of Taiwan Salon , GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu interviews David Chang, the founder and secretary-general of Crossroads, to talk about the organization's ongoing dual nationality petition and discuss what dual nationality means for Taiwan—as a country, society, and economy.

In this episode of Taiwan Salon , GTI Program Manager Adrienne Wu and Spring Intern Uma Baron interview Vanessa Hope, the director of documentary film Invisible Nation . Reflecting on the eight years she spent filming Invisible Nation , Vanessa Hope talks about why Taiwan and Tsai Ing-wen matter for democracies worldwide and how she approached telling Taiwan’s story.

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interviews Dr. Jerry C. Y. Liu, dean of the College of Humanities at the National Taiwan University of Arts and the founding president of Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies (TACPS). For our season three premiere, we speak with Dr. Liu about TACPS’ recent cultural petition, recommendations for the incoming adm...

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu interviews Dr. Gary Rawnsley, head of University of Lincoln’s School of Social and Political Sciences, and Diana Chiawen Lee, an award-winning independent film producer and documentary filmmaker. Despite Taiwan’s vibrant and unique culture, the country struggles with communicating its story to international audiences. F...

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and former GTI Program Associate Zoë Weaver-Lee interview Clarissa Wei, a freelance journalist and the author of  Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation . From bubble tea to beef noodle soup, Taiwanese food is a huge draw for tourists and an excellent way of introducing Taiwan’s culture to the world....

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and Summer Fellow Jonah Landsman interview Annie Huang, the regional project leader at Greenpeace East Asia. Taiwan’s vibrant civil society not only sets Taiwan apart from China, but also showcases Taiwan’s commitment to protecting human rights and holding the government accountable to its citizens. During this episode, w...

In this episode of  Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Research Associate Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Lanhee Chen, a GTI Advisor and the David and Diane Steffy Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. During this special AAPI heritage month episode, we speak with Dr. Chen about Taiwanese American identity, Taiwan as a bipartisan issue, and the role that Taiwane...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews Chiayo Kuo, the founder and president of the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association (TDDA). In an increasingly digitized and globalized world, social media has become an important tool for public diplomacy. During this episode, we speak with Chiayo Kuo about why digital outreach is important for Taiwan and TDDA’s...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews sociologist and academic researcher Dr. Agnes Ling-yu Hsiao. In 2018, the Taiwanese government established a Transitional Justice Commission (TJC) to examine illegal acts committed during the White Terror period, and to provide victims with compensation. For this first episode of season two, we discuss why tran...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu interviews three representatives of Taiwan's emerging news media: Sara Lin, director of public Relations for Taiwan Plus News; Natalie Tso, host and producer at Radio Taiwan International; and Emily Y. Wu, co-founder and CEO of Ghost Island Media. While growing interest in cross-Strait relations has led to greater interna...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon , host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Awi Mona, Associate Professor of Law and Indigenous Studies at National Dong Hwa University. Taiwan’s cultural policies have aimed to expand the definition of Taiwanese to be more multicultural. In this episode, Dr. Awi discusses how Taiwan’s indigenous communities have...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Weining Hung, the co-founder of LUCfest, an annual music festival that seeks to showcase new talent, as well as to connect Taiwan's musicians with international audiences and the broader global music industry. Ms. Hung discusses the barriers faced by Taiwan’s music industry,...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Assistant Zoe Weaver-Lee interview Dr. Alan Bairner, a professor of Sport and Social Theory at Loughborough University (UK). In the conversation, Dr. Bairner discusses the role of sports in cultural diplomacy, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by Taiwan in relation to hosting and participating...

In this episode of Taiwan Salon, host and GTI Research Assistant Adrienne Wu and Program Manager Marshall Reid interview Dr. Randall L. Nadeau, the executive director of the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, commonly known as Fulbright Taiwan. Discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Confucius Institute closures, Dr. Nadeau talks about trends of interest in academic exchanges between th...