The Taiwan Gazette translates and publishes original reporting from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. Our goal with the platform is simple: We want original reporting from the Sinosphere to have a wider impact on global civil society.
All in The Reporter (報導者)
No Final Goodbyes ── Pioneer of the Hong Kong “Lying Flat” Movement, Victoria Park Native Simon Lee, Passes Away
Simon Lee, a street sleeper and practitioner of what is now known as the “lying flat” movement, passed away in December 2021. Hong Kong photographer Ko Chung Ming had the chance to document the bits and pieces of Simon’s life and his way of engaging with the social world.
The Aftermath of the Taroko Train Accident: An interview with the 76 Monks cosmetology Team
On April 2, 2021, a Taroko express train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) derailed at the Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien, resulting in 49 casualties. Due to the collision severity, most of the victims’ bodies were severely disfigured. A group of volunteer mortuary cosmetologists from the 76 Monks – a non-profit organization which has assisted with many large-scale disasters – were immediately dispatched to assist in the reconstruction of the corpses with the intent of protecting the dignity of those who perished. The Reporter visited the restoration site of the Hualien City Funeral Home over several days and learned that the cosmetologists are willing to overcome all difficulties and come to serve from all over Taiwan. How did cosmetologists from the 76 Monks go about fixing the wounds of the deceased and heal the grief of the living with their bare hands?
A Return to the Human World: Chen Yingzhen’s Utopia and Four Ren Jian Journalists
Though short-lived for just less than four years, the Ren Jian (Human World) magazine, founded in 1985, was like a legend, shedding light on countless dark corners of Taiwanese society and revealing the wounds of the land in Taiwan before and after the lifting of martial law. With its powerful photographs and writings, it defines the core of in-depth investigative reportage. For more than 30 years, Ren Jian has been mentioned every now and then, commemorated through various exhibitions, conferences, or awards, including the Outstanding Contribution Award bestowed by the 2021 Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF). The Reporter meets with former Ren Jian employees and interviews them about their personal perspective of what the magazine means for their lives and for the era.
Commentary / The Time is Up: Taiwanese Businessmen in China Facing the Centennial of the Chinese Communist Party
Taiwanese businessmen in China have enjoyed the spoils of China’s economic reform and political development after Tiananmen. Doing business in China could be risky, however. It is easily affected by the profound instability of business-political relationship in China, the shifting balance of global power, and other factors. As the Chinese Communist Party celebrated its centennial in 2021, what might be the fate of Taiwanese businessmen in China?
Taiwan’s Humanitarian Aid to Hongkongers Faces New Questions Amid Geopolitical Uncertainties
July 1, 2019 is the 2nd anniversary of the occupation of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Bill movement and the 1st anniversary of Taiwan’s investment of national resources in providing humanitarian aid to Hongkongers in exile. Two years after Taiwan’s assistance of Hong Kong, official relations between the two have seemingly ceased as the political situation in Hong Kong continues to deteriorate. Amid geopolitical uncertainties, how can Taiwan continue to help Hongkongers?