Taiwan Salon Season 4, Episode 6: Aiong Taigi on Preserving Taiwanese and Learning the Inner Language
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 question looms: how can this once-flourishing mother tongue survive in an era of globalization?In this episode of Taiwan Salon, GTI Communications Associate Yuchen Lee and 2025 Ya-Hui Chiu Summer Fellow Carissa Cheng interview Aiong Taigi, a Taiwan-based American YouTuber dedicated to preserving and promoting Taiwanese. Aiong shared his experience learning Taiwanese as a foreigner, and how Taiwan’s language policies have evolved from the martial law period to today’s democratic society.Useful linksAiong Taigi: https://www.youtube.com/@AiongTaigi/featuredChiok-eng-tâi 足英台三聲道磅米芳: https://www.youtube.com/@saveTaiwanese/featuredMary Knoll Taiwanese Textbooks: https://journeytothewestresearch.com/tag/maryknoll-taiwanese/Taiwanese singer Hsieh Ming-yu (謝銘祐): https://open.spotify.com/artist/38kvukZeDwVBlhLnVVCKWwWebsite that archives lyrics of Taiwanese songs (台語正字歌詞): https://hackmd.io/@Et47FKHKRS2m83n-aEjwAA/HkqwImgdU
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Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 5: Honghong Tinn on Island Tinkerers and Semiconductors
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 engagement.
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Taiwan Salon Season 4, Episode 4: KJ Chang on Learning Taiwan's History through Board Games
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.
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Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 3: Hsin-mei Cheng on "Zero Day Attack" and Taiwanese Media
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 challenges of producing such stories.
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Taiwan Salon, Season 4, Episode 2: Chris Horton on Journalism in Taiwan
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.
Taiwan Salon is a podcast produced by the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a 501(c)3 policy think tank in Washington, DC.
Hosted by members of GTI’s staff, Taiwan Salon examines Taiwan’s cultural policy and approach to soft power from perspectives both inside and outside the government. Through interviews, the series illuminates how Taiwan’s unique history and culture interacts with policy and pinpoints opportunities and challenges for future “soft” engagement between Taiwan and the United States.
Intro and outro music for the series is by I’mdifficult 我是機車少女.
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