History and culture are the frames that prescribe how we understand what is happening around us. The Ketagalan Project presents in-depth interviews and thoughts on how art, culture, history and politics intertwine through time and space to connect us. Find out about the cosmopolitan modern Taipei downtown in the 1920s, the gay subculture in the 1970s, the future of aboriginal culture and more, below.

China on the Brink (KP25)

China on the Brink (KP25)

We caught up with China commentator Gordon Chang and ask him about geopolitics in Asia, what advice he gives to the next US and Taiwan presidents, and how he responds to criticism that he is a China alarmist.

Tainan Cultural Capital (KP24)

Tainan Cultural Capital (KP24)

We interview Tainan’s mayor Lai Ching-te about his vision for the city of Tainan, Taiwan’s old capital and historical center, as well as his views on how his party, the DPP, can be pragmatic when dealing with China.

Yunlin Farmville (KP22)

Yunlin Farmville (KP22)

We speak to Wolf Wu, a candidate for County Council in Yunlin, one of the poorest farming counties in Taiwan. We ask about agriculture, tourism, investments from China, and what’s good to eat there.

The Third Son (KP21)

The Third Son (KP21)

The Third Son tells the story of a boy who grew up in between the Japanese colonial period, and the early years of Chinese Nationalist rule in Taiwan. We talk to the author Julie Wu…

Migrating to Taiwan (KP20)

Migrating to Taiwan (KP20)

Migrations in Taiwan are not just historical facts, but an ongoing reality. What policies should Taiwan’s government pursue? We talk to Professor Ji-Ping Lin, of Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, to answer questions about professionals, laborers, and immigrants.

Tongues of Heaven (KP19)

Tongues of Heaven (KP19)

We talk to filmmaker Anita Chang about her film Tongues of Heaven, which explores the stories of four young women in Taiwan and Hawaii in search of their native languages, which are facing extinction.

Upside Down Idealism (KP18)

Upside Down Idealism (KP18)

Because Taiwan’s society is so pragmatic, it sometimes worry so much on what is available, and forget to see what is possible. And in a time like this when there isn’t much more available, Mr. Candle reminds us to focus instead on what is possible.

Westerner in Taiwan (KP17)

Westerner in Taiwan (KP17)

We ask blogger Ben Goren, the author of the blog Letters from Taiwan, about what it is like being a Westerner living in Taiwan, and just how he got into the fray of Taiwan’s controversial political scene. We also talk shop about politics, just a little bit.

Taiwanese, Yet American (KP15)

Taiwanese, Yet American (KP15)

We talk with HoChie Tsai about the Taiwanese American communities, whether Taiwanese Americans should, or have a right to, be involved in affairs in Taiwan, and about what the third and even fourth generation might be facing in the future.

Past and Future of Food in Taiwan (KP14)

Past and Future of Food in Taiwan (KP14)

What do you think of when we mention “Taiwanese food?” Is Taiwanese food only bubble tea and stinky tofu? We ask food author Elizabeth Kao about fine dining in Taiwan, how history shaped food in Taiwan, and thoughts on the future.

Technology and Movements (KP13)

Technology and Movements (KP13)

We talk to Sean Su, a Taiwanese American activist and part of the media and tech team for the Sunflower Movement, about all the technology that helped shape the movement’s messages and image. And drones.

Sunflower Generation (KP12)

Sunflower Generation (KP12)

We talk with former NTU student president Ching-Fang Hsu about how this new political generation from the Sunflower Movement will answer Taiwan’s important questions on governance, China, and globalization.

Wild Lily Democracy (KP11)

Wild Lily Democracy (KP11)

On March 16, right before the Sunflower Movement occurred, we talked to Stanford’s Prof. Kharis Templeman about democratization in Taiwan in the 90s and the future of democratic consolidation in Taiwan.

Teach for Taiwan (KP10)

Teach for Taiwan (KP10)

Teach For Taiwan is closing Taiwan’s education gap by training young teachers for remote schools. We talk to founder Anting Liu about the organization, education for remote areas and some ideas on education direction.

Legacy (KP Special)

Legacy (KP Special)

In this special episode, we reflect on the 228 Massacre, from the isolated event in Dadaocheng that set off the entire incident, to the psychological effects of the trauma on individuals and on the nation as a whole.

Aboriginal Culture (KP9)

Aboriginal Culture (KP9)

We discuss Aboriginal and indigenous civilizations in Taiwan with Tony Coolidge, the son of a US military serviceman in Taiwan and an Atayal aboriginal Taiwanese, and the founder of the NGO ATAYAL.

Crystal Boys (KP8)

Crystal Boys (KP8)

Crystal Boys, a classic novel about Taiwan’s gay subculture in the 1970s, is also about family, authority and freedom. We talk to director 曹瑞原, actors 莫子儀 and 陸一龍, and the author 白先勇 himself about an upcoming stage adaptation.

Art for Free Taiwan (KP Special)

Art for Free Taiwan (KP Special)

We talk to Victoria Linchong, who is the director of the documentary “Almost Home: Taiwan” in which she takes us on a family visit to Taiwan that turns out to be much more about history, identity and making these big questions personal.

Dadaocheng (KP7)

Dadaocheng (KP7)

We take you on a journey into the 1920s, when Dadaocheng was the cosmopolitan center of Taiwan, connecting it to the rest of the world in the Roaring 20s. We also ponder what that means for Taiwan going into the 2020s and beyond.

Regional Free Trade (KP6)

Regional Free Trade (KP6)

We tackle the questions of Taiwan’s economy and ask Prof. Peter Chow of City College of New York about trade with China, Taiwan’s strategy in joining regional trade blocs, and whether free trade is ultimately good for Taiwan.

China’s Air Defense Zone (KP5)

China’s Air Defense Zone (KP5)

We take up two countervailing American views on China’s East China Sea air defense identification zone and discuss escalation versus appeasement. The co-hosts also ponder what all this means for Taiwan.

Pop Music and Politics (KP4)

Pop Music and Politics (KP4)

Co-hosts Chieh-Ting Yeh, Jonathan Lee, and Tim Suen talk about a few pop singers in Taiwan and their encounters with political and social questions, including Deserts Chang, Mayday, Amei, Wang Lee-hom, Dua G and Chthonics.

Land Abuse (KP3)

Land Abuse (KP3)

In this third episode of the Ketagalan Project, we explore the various issues surrounding the government’s expropriation of land, student activism and economic factors in places like Dapu, Shihlin, and Huaguang in Taiwan.

Histories of Taiwan (KP2)

Histories of Taiwan (KP2)

In this second episode of the Ketagalan Project, co-hosts Chieh-Ting Yeh, Jonathan Lee, and Tim Suen chat about the histories of Taiwan, founding myths and how conflicting national identities affect politics in Taiwan today.

US Pivot to Asia (KP1)

US Pivot to Asia (KP1)

In this first episode of the Ketagalan Project, we talk with US foreign affairs expert on East Asia Julia Famularo on current policy debate on Taiwan in Washington, the pivot to Asia, reaction from China and predictions for the future.