Author: Eryk Michael Smith

Looking for the true story behind the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie)? There’s much more to it than dragon boat races and sticky rice dumplings (zongzi).
Many know the standard origin story of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, but Formosa Files uncovers the less-tidy roots of the holiday. The Dragon Boat Festival date falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month; once feared as the dangerous “Month of a Hundred Poisons.” Discover how people responded with temple rituals, protective herbs, and even arsenic-laced wine.

As we head into the 2026 World Cup, we take a look at Taiwan’s surprisingly rich football heritage.

The day’s larger theme was Taiwan’s maritime future. Cho said Taiwan’s technology sector and position in the Indo-Pacific have made it central to regional stability, adding that the country now has the confidence to “look at the world from Taiwan.” Taiwan, he said, should face the Pacific and the wider world rather than remain locked in a China-centered view.

The bridge began as a temporary railway bridge built in 2009 during Kaohsiung’s railway undergrounding project. After trains were moved underground in 2018, the tracks and overhead wires were removed, and the structure was converted into a riverside landscape bridge in 2021. Its planned removal now shows how the THSR extension is not just a regional transportation project, but a major urban construction challenge for Kaohsiung.

Pingtung mangoes are already exported to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and the county government said it is continuing to invest in export infrastructure. A new international-standard agricultural packaging and processing facility is expected to begin operations early next year, featuring vapor heat treatment and cold-chain systems designed to support overseas shipments. Pingtung mangoes are already exported to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and the county government said it is continuing to invest in export infrastructure. A new international-standard agricultural packaging and processing facility is expected to begin operations early next year, featuring vapor heat treatment and cold-chain systems designed to support overseas shipments.

The Pingtung County Government said cooperation with major retailers can help stabilize production and sales while increasing farmers’ income. Carrefour said its Taiwan stores shipped about 50 tonnes of Pingtung Irwin mangoes in May. The company expects sales to rise further in June as the season reaches its peak.

Unsurprisingly to many who drive to Kenting and back frequently, news reports confirmed that many of the fixed poles along the route were not functional, but decoys used to deter speeding. In fact, across Pingtung County’s roughly 1,500 kilometers of roads, fewer than 40 fixed camera poles have, or had, functional radar units. Traffic police said removing “unreasonable” camera locations has helped cut fixed-camera speeding citations by more than 60 percent in 2025, from more than 100,000 violations to about 40,000 cases. Some might say fewer cameras obviously means fewer citations. Police said the more important measure is that traffic accidents along the same stretch have also decreased.

Coworking space Second Space held a soft opening for its second branch on Qixian 1st Road (Cisian 1st Rd./高雄市新興區七賢一路294號) on Friday. The new location is significantly larger than the original Second Space and includes professional studio facilities, meeting rooms, workstations, lounge areas, and other amenities.

In the 1930s, a mysterious document known as the Tanaka Memorial shocked the world. Supposedly written by Japanese Prime Minister Baron Tanaka, it outlined a strategy for conquering Manchuria, China, Southeast Asia, and even the United States.

The trees, known in Chinese as fenghuangmu (鳳凰木), usually bloom from May to July. Their bright orange-red flowers have made them a familiar sight in southern Taiwan.