program cover image

Soul of the Craftsman

Discover the rich heritage of Chiayi's soy sauce craftsmanship, where each bottle tells a story of tradition and innovation. Rooted in Taiwan's history, dark soy sauce is a testament to resilience and local flavor, made from black beans and aged to perfection. Zheng Guo-han, a second-generation sau

03:07
The Song of the Shaojiao Horn
The Shaojiao horn represents the power of the gods. It is blown to announce the arrival of one of Taiwan's most important deities, the goddess Matsu. One Shaojiao horn master has b
04:19
Riding Life's Waves
A-shui grew up in Taiwan's southwest region, but moved to the country's East Coast to pursue his dream of running a surf shop. For more than 20 years, he has turned his passion int
06:18
Anti-gravity Street Dance
B-Boy Gino is a 37-year-old breakdancer. He says that to breakdance is to go beyond one’s limits and express an individual attitude and style. To keep in peak physical fitness, Gin
04:36
The Yufeng Cheongsam Shop
Crafting a cheongsam, the traditional Chinese dress, is very complicated. Master tailor Chen Chung-hsin says it must perfectly fit the contours of a woman's body. Growing up in Tai
07:28
The Sound of Perfection
Hu Ting-yi works as a movie sound technician and foley artist. Looking for props to help him make suitable effects is the first part of his job. He collects fruit, vegetables, pots
04:43
The Sorrow of the Houlong Stone Fish Traps
For hundreds of years, the local residents of Houlong on Taiwan's West Coast have built giant stone fish traps. The large, interlocking, U-shaped stone embankments use the changing
04:47
The Master Drum Maker
Huang Cheng-feng is a master drum maker from Siansi, Changhua, on Taiwan's West Coast. He has been running his family's drum-making business for over 30 years. Huang soaks cowhides
04:48
Memories of the Rising Wind
Tsai Shu-mu decided he needed to find a new hobby after retiring. He began using reclaimed materials to construct miniature versions of traditional houses on his home island of Pen

Every Lantern Tells a Story

Published 12/02/2021 02:16

Provider General Association of the Chinese Culture

In Taiwan's traditional agricultural society, temples allow people to hang lanterns to pray for offspring, wealth, and happy life. But lantern maker Hsiao Tsai-hsin tells stories with the lanterns he makes. "I can make political lanterns," Hsiao says. "When the situation called for it, I made lanterns to show my defiance."

Up Next

The Song of the Shaojiao Horn

The Song of the Shaojiao Horn

The Shaojiao horn represents the power of the gods. It is blown to announce the arrival of one of Taiwan's most important deities, the goddess Matsu. One Shaojiao horn master has b

Riding Life's Waves

Riding Life's Waves

A-shui grew up in Taiwan's southwest region, but moved to the country's East Coast to pursue his dream of running a surf shop. For more than 20 years, he has turned his passion int

Anti-gravity Street Dance

Anti-gravity Street Dance

B-Boy Gino is a 37-year-old breakdancer. He says that to breakdance is to go beyond one’s limits and express an individual attitude and style. To keep in peak physical fitness, Gin

The Yufeng Cheongsam Shop

The Yufeng Cheongsam Shop

Crafting a cheongsam, the traditional Chinese dress, is very complicated. Master tailor Chen Chung-hsin says it must perfectly fit the contours of a woman's body. Growing up in Tai

The Sound of Perfection

The Sound of Perfection

Hu Ting-yi works as a movie sound technician and foley artist. Looking for props to help him make suitable effects is the first part of his job. He collects fruit, vegetables, pots

The Sorrow of the Houlong Stone Fish Traps

The Sorrow of the Houlong Stone Fish Traps

For hundreds of years, the local residents of Houlong on Taiwan's West Coast have built giant stone fish traps. The large, interlocking, U-shaped stone embankments use the changing

The Master Drum Maker

The Master Drum Maker

Huang Cheng-feng is a master drum maker from Siansi, Changhua, on Taiwan's West Coast. He has been running his family's drum-making business for over 30 years. Huang soaks cowhides

Memories of the Rising Wind

Memories of the Rising Wind

Tsai Shu-mu decided he needed to find a new hobby after retiring. He began using reclaimed materials to construct miniature versions of traditional houses on his home island of Pen

Three Generations of Gong Making

Three Generations of Gong Making

With craftsmanship they learned from their father, the Lin brothers work together to forge the giant brass gongs used for Taiwan's traditional rituals and worship. In fact, more th

Priceless Gold

Priceless Gold

The Chinhokuei Gold Shop was founded in 1910 and is the last traditional hand-crafted gold jewelry and ornament shop left in Taipei's historic neighborhood of Bangka. Chung Chun-ch

Moving Castles for Our Ancestors

Moving Castles for Our Ancestors

Tu Chen-hao has been told he has spiritual hands. Tu, a hairdresser, also creates intricate paper offerings to ancestors and the gods in his free time. He cuts and folds joss paper

Perfect Landing

Perfect Landing

When one of Taiwan's paratroopers hits the ground, he is traveling at a speed of about six meters per second. About 13 meters above him is a 26-meter parachute slowing his descent.

The Native Minstrel

The Native Minstrel

Growing up in Taiwan's southern city of Tainan, traditional musical instruments enchanted Lin Tsung-fan. He taught himself how to make them, and by the time he graduated from middl

Conservators of History

Conservators of History

Lai Ching-chung works to preserve Taiwan's important archives of literature and historical books at the National Palace Museum. He was trained by a master conservator at the world-

Shadow Painting Prodigy

Shadow Painting Prodigy

Hsieh Sen-shan is a creator of hand-painted billboards in Taiwan's northern city of Taoyuan. Born in Taichung in 1964, he apprenticed at the Eastern Advertising Agency at the age o

Second Half of the Ninth Inning

Second Half of the Ninth Inning

In 1985, as Taiwan experienced a boom in the popularity of baseball, Chang Shun-chin wanted to give local players an alternative to the expensive imported Japanese gloves. He opene

Creating From the Heart

Creating From the Heart

Lu Yen-hua is curious about materials. As an artist, she has had experience creating wood, pottery, and enamel works. "Materials talk, they can inspire you," says Lu. Recently, she

The Divine Power of Paper

The Divine Power of Paper

In 2013, Tsai Cheng-he was the boss of a struggling consultancy. He wanted a figurine of one of the divine generals that guard deities in Taiwan temples, but could not afford one.

The Man Who Overhauls Naval Vessels

The Man Who Overhauls Naval Vessels

To master the art of calligraphy, you must know how to grind the ink, how to hold the soft brush, and how to control it as you complete the strokes. For Master Sergeant Huang Tian-

The Layers of Life

The Layers of Life

Chen Tsai-lieh describes his life as like a tatami, built from layers of experience. His father learned to make traditional Japanese straw mats when Taiwan during Japanese rule. In