Formosa Files presents two incredible stories aboutWWII airmen in this week’s remastered, re-edited encore episode (first released in Sept. 2022). 

First, a tale by the author of “God is My Co-Pilot”about a U.S. pilot who cobbled together a plane – with bamboo “skis” instead of wheels – and flew it on an epic raid a year after the Pearl Harbor attacks. 

And second, the story of how a young Japanese fighterpilot from Mito (near Tokyo) became “General Flying Tiger,” a deity worshiped at a temple in Tainan City, Taiwan. 

We recommend listening to the whole episode; however,if you're only interested in the “General Flying Tiger” story, skip to about minute 14. 

Pics, info, and links at formosafiles.com 

在一些神明出巡的時候，總會有一團「家將」在駕前護衛，協助神明執行任務。這個「家將」的文化由於時代與人心變遷，大多已經失去過去的宗教意涵，還時常由於廟會的各種失序行為與黑道滲透，在現代社會中遭受非議。但也有許多家將團，在現代的各種誤解與非難中，持續努力維持正派與傳統，讓世界看見臺灣文化。這集的Formosa Files 中文版，我們邀請到長期紀錄廟宇文化的「一步就出走」文字影像工作室的阿丹，來與大家一起聊聊臺灣家將文化的歷史與故事。

來賓簡介：

阿丹－一步就出走文字影像工作室（下港人文化工作室、廟會小學堂）成員。府城人，外文所文學碩士畢業，高中理組，後讀文學，跨入民俗中。

一步就出走文字影像工作室（Facebook、部落格）－以影像及文字紀錄廟宇文化為主，並與廟宇一同進行歷史、故事、神蹟等資料的收集、統整及出版。同時也透過活動推廣臺灣的廟宇文化。

主持人簡介：

Eric Hsu（徐葆權）－彰化北斗人，從大學南漂高雄以來，人生的大部分時間都在高雄渡過。關心臺灣文史與地方文化發展，尤其是自己的兩個家鄉：北斗與高雄。

Sing: Gongxi, Gongxi, Gongxi Ni, hey, (repeat ad nauseum). 

Sin Nien Kwai Le (as they might write it in Kaohsiung). We hope everyone is enjoying the long holiday. Nine days of auspicious food, firecrackers, red envelopes, and… relatives!!

Should you, however, need a little break from the mahjong table or the relatives, John and Eryk have a few snake stories for you.

Not to give too much away, but guess what? John is a snake eater, and he also refrigerates snakes! Eryk is not a fan of snakes; except for a certain fire snake woman, and a certain water snake child.

Pics and more at formosafiles.com 

如果要舉一位臺灣或華語流行音樂史上最有影響力，也最令人感到惋惜的歌手，相信很多人的選擇都是鄧麗君。這位在東亞有巨大影響力的歌手，在臺灣因為積極投入勞軍活動，也曾是許多男性的「軍中情人」。這集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊鄧麗君，Teresa Teng，這位臺灣永遠的歌姬。

主持人簡介：

Eryk Michael Smith－ICRT南臺灣特派員，長期從事記者採編工作、聲音編輯，也會客串DJ。現居高雄，在臺灣已經居住了接近30年，認為臺灣是自己的家。

Eric Hsu（徐葆權）－彰化北斗人，從大學南漂高雄以來，人生的大部分時間都在高雄渡過。關心臺灣文史與地方文化發展，尤其是自己的兩個家鄉：北斗與高雄。

The press called her a “two-pistol-packing” grandma. She witnessed and participated in the chaos of warlord China, World War II, and the CCP-KMT civil war. 

For a time, she was a criminal. Later she became a household name for her bravery in fighting the Japanese and then the Communists, resisting right up to the evacuation of Dachen Islands in 1955.

Huang Bamei died in Taipei in 1982 (age 76) after devoting the last decades of her long and action-packed life to caring for children orphaned by the Chinese Civil War; an amazing life that, quite honestly John and Eryk would rather talk about than have lived through. 

Pics, links and more at formosafiles.com

2013年，美國《時代》雜誌選出了世界史上最具影響力的15頭動物，林旺也名列其中，讓林旺的知名度從臺灣跨向全世界。曾經身有軍階，最初出生在緬甸叢林的林旺，究竟是如何來到臺灣，又與臺灣有些什麼樣的故事呢？這集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊，過去臺北市立動物園裡人見人愛的這頭「林旺爺爺」。

主持人簡介：

Eryk Michael Smith－ICRT南臺灣特派員，長期從事記者採編工作、聲音編輯，也會客串DJ。現居高雄，在臺灣已經居住了接近30年，認為臺灣是自己的家。

Eric Hsu（徐葆權）－彰化北斗人，從大學南漂高雄以來，人生的大部分時間都在高雄渡過。關心臺灣文史與地方文化發展，尤其是自己的兩個家鄉：北斗與高雄。

As you likely know, Chinese writing comes in two main forms: traditional (fántǐzì) and simplified (jiǎntǐzì). Taiwan uses traditional characters and China uses simplified characters. Taiwan is a peace-loving democracy and China is an authoritarian state; ergo – traditional characters are better!

But no, logic doesn’t care about politics and as John and Eryk debate this sometimes-controversial topic, you may come to agree with us that there are pluses and minuses for both systems. Eryk likes writing his wife’s surname as 刘, not 劉… but John has a point about beauty – did they really need to do this 东 to “east”? Was the original, 東, really oh, sooo hard?

Enjoy a friendly argument or two, and learn a bit of the history of characters and the people who simplified them.

PS: if you want to know more about Hanyu Pinyin, listen to our Bookish Asia podcast episode where John chats with an author of a book on Zhou Youguang (周有光).

臺灣從1987年解嚴（金馬地區為1992年），以及1992年修正刑法100條之後，開始逐步邁向民主自由的社會，至今已是東亞民主自由成果最耀眼的國家之一。然而臺灣的民主自由絕非誰人給予，也絕非一蹴可幾。這集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊臺灣民主自由的一位重要先驅：施明德先生。

主持人簡介：

Eryk Michael Smith－ICRT南臺灣特派員，長期從事記者採編工作、聲音編輯，也會客串DJ。現居高雄，在臺灣已經居住了接近30年，認為臺灣是自己的家。

Eric Hsu（徐葆權）－彰化北斗人，從大學南漂高雄以來，人生的大部分時間都在高雄渡過。關心臺灣文史與地方文化發展，尤其是自己的兩個家鄉：北斗與高雄。

After serving eight months behind bars for libel, Chen Shui-bian is released in February 1987, and enters the fray of a newly-liberalized political landscape. In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party became Taiwan’s first real opposition party, and Chen’s wife is elected to Parliament.

Mr. Chen bides his time, and then pounces – first becoming a lawmaker, beating Frank Hsieh to become DPP caucus chief, and then setting his sights on the nation’s capital city. In 1994, direct elections for Taipei mayor are held for the first time, and Chen overcomes Frank Hsieh again to become the DPP nominee. 

But Chen has a few issues: he isn’t a great speaker and he doesn’t like smiling. Will this plucky lad from a dirt-poor home in Tainan overcome the odds? Find out in this week’s exciting Formosa Files Taiwan history story.

Pics, links and more at formosafiles.com

颱風對臺灣人來說，真的是又愛又怕。臺灣既需要颱風帶來的雨水（以及防災假？），但颱風又時常對臺灣帶來非常嚴重的災害。2024年臺灣歷經了許久不見的颱風登陸，2025年第一集的Formosa Files中文版，就由兩位主持人來與大家聊聊印象最深刻的颱風，以及一些颱風的歷史小故事。

主持人簡介：

Eryk Michael Smith－ICRT南臺灣特派員，長期從事記者採編工作、聲音編輯，也會客串DJ。現居高雄，在臺灣已經居住了接近30年，認為臺灣是自己的家。

Eric Hsu（徐葆權）－彰化北斗人，從大學南漂高雄以來，人生的大部分時間都在高雄渡過。關心臺灣文史與地方文化發展，尤其是自己的兩個家鄉：北斗與高雄。