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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 21m

Gochi, a twenty-year old Pepohoan woman wearing a #headscarf, photographed in #Taiwan circa 1871

Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 2h

A Pepohoan mother, with her child in a sling, and a thirty-six year old Pepohoan man, circa 1871.

Both photos were taken at Baksa, "a village about thirty miles inland from the capital, #Taiwanfu [Tainan 臺南市]."

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 2h

"Pepohoan" refers to the Plains #Indigenous peoples of the #Taiwanese lowlands, also known as Pingpu people (平埔族), now assimilated.

A thirty-year old Pepohoan woman, pictured from the front and side, circa 1871.

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3h

#Indigenous man with pipe and community members pictured in central #Taiwan (1870-1900)

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3h

A long dug-out #canoe on Lake Candidius (today's Sun-Moon Lake), #Taiwan (1875)

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 23h

Possible photograph of Keelung #Coal Harbor (today's Badouzi District 八斗子), #Taiwan (1870-1890)

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 23h

Image Point (點陣角) at the mouth of #Keelung Harbour, northeastern #Taiwan (1870-1890)

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 1d

A man beside a huge #Banyan tree with exposed roots, #Taiwan (1871)

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 2d

#TaiwanWordoftheDay is #鏟子超人 — "superheroes with shovels" aka a record 400k volunteers from across Taiwan who brought their own shovels to clean a town devastated by a catastrophic barrier lake flood in #Hualien. They were honored in the president's speech and #Taipei101 fireworks on 🇹🇼 national day.

https://english.president.gov.tw/News/7022

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/5207366

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

Formosa Petrochemical responds:

"Due to global market conditions, most bidding suppliers have delivered 🇷🇺 #naphtha.

This is purely the result of market circumstances, not a deliberate shift in procurement strategy.

Should the 🇹🇼 government issue a ban in the future, the Company will fully comply."

https://www.fpcc.com.tw/en/news/articles/2/89

Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

"Under the nation's policy back then, the [Chinese Nationalist] authorities concerned not only could deprive a person of his or her life, they could even strip the bodies that remained, exploiting their remaining values to the bones. [...] Even after their deaths, they were dissected involuntarily."

Before the National Defense Medical Center relocated to Taiwan, there was only one school of medicine in Taiwan, which was affiliated with Taiwan Government-in-General (台湾総督府). At present, it operates as the NTU Medical School. Pictured here is its dormitory. （Source: Wikimedia）

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

"'I Won the Prize, Teacher' by the #novelist Huang Chunming (黃春明) is an essay dedicated to a #teacher who inspired his interest in #literature, Wang Hsien-chun (王賢春). [...] One day, Wang was taken away from class. Shortly afterward, a high school senior said that he saw Wang in an #autopsy room."

https://www.upmedia.mg/tw/commentary/culture-and-education/169969

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

What happened under martial law?⤵️

"Prevalent political #persecution made mortuaries filled with the #executed political prisoners… There were so many of them that the guardian had to use a hook to turn the bodies [in formalin pools] around for identification."

www.taiwangazette.org/news/2021/4/...

Ghastly Heritage of NTU’s Shuiyuan Campus: White Terror Stories in Autopsy Room — The Taiwan Gazette

Between 1949 and 1999, the National Defense Medical Center was located around what is now the Shuiyuan Campus of National Taiwan University. Ghastly rumors about the site circulated among present-day ...

www.taiwangazette.org

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

"One month ago, Sept 10, was the historic date when the number of days 🇹🇼 had spent #free from martial law officially surpassed the number of days endured under its stifling rule."

#Democracy, forged through untold hardships, is what clearly positions the 23 million people of #Taiwan in this world.

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

#Kaohsiung Pride on Nov 29:

"Next year, Taiwan will hold another round of local elections. As voters, we must unite to support candidates who prioritize gender #equality and make LGBTQ+ rights a winning issue. No matter where we live, we need leaders who will stand for inclusivity." www.khpride.org

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 4d

🏳️‍⚧️ 2025 #Taiwan Trans March — Break Prejudice, Shine Diversity on Oct 24:

"As the world moves backward, we must move forward together.

Join us. Sometimes even the smallest candle can help someone lost in the dark. A caring message. A kind gesture. Standing quietly beside someone who feels alone."

https://hotline.org.tw/civicrm/event/info?id=845&reset=1

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 4d

#TaipeiPride🌈 celebrates its 23rd year on Oct 25: "Only by crossing the barriers built from prejudice and fear, and by appreciating each unique life experience, can we weave a more resilient society, making #Taiwan ever more diverse, equal, and truly respectful." www.taiwanpride.lgbt/2025-theme-s...

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 5d

Before her secret #identity was exposed, Eve Hsieh was given top marks for job performance at CNA for producing more #articles than her peers. In response to Huang Kuo-chang's claims that "Hsieh's resignation is CNA's loss," the CNA chair says "Hsieh is responsible for CNA's loss [of #credibility]."

https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20251008edi029

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 6d

FS-8A — the first component of FORMOSAT-8, a #satellite formation comprising 8 units — departs for the US. Nicknamed Chi Bo-lin satellite (齊柏林衛星) after the late environmentalist, the observation unit built with 84% #Taiwan-made parts will be launched on SpaceX's Transporter 15 #rideshare mission.

https://www.tasa.org.tw/zh-TW/announcements/detail/247c09c0-3412-4bb7-9587-c1e93877bbae

https://www.tasa.org.tw/zh-TW/announcements/detail/4d4244b4-38c7-484c-abf1-36125174f2b0

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 10d

However, Formosa Petrochemical (FPCC), a private company, has single-handedly made Taiwan the world's largest buyer of Russian naphtha. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, FPCC has been the single largest known buyer of Russian naphtha in the world. energyandcleanair.org/publication/...

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 10d

Official response by the #Taiwanese foreign ministry:

"Imports of #naphtha raised in media reports are not currently controlled by #Taiwan. However, Taiwan's state-owned enterprises stopped purchasing #Russian crude oil, naphtha, and other related products in 2023."

en.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content...

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Reposted by Min Chao

Pierre-Yves Baubry 博磊 @pybaubry.bsky.social · 10d

If the KMT-proposed reversal of pension reform was to be voted by the TPP, young voters supporting the TPP would be screwed.

Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 11d

The #KMT has announced 24 priority policies the party plans to push through the Taiwanese #parliament via its majority coalition formed with the TPP, including reversing Tsai Ing-wen's national #pension reforms and changing how presidential #elections work in #Taiwan. newtalk.tw/news/view/20...

國民黨公布24優先法案停砍公教年金、總統改二輪多數決入列 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞

國民黨今（2日）舉行立法實務研討會，公布立法院新會期，國民黨立法院黨團的24項優先法案，包含：因應花蓮光復鄉災情，而提出的《樺加沙風災暨花蓮光復堰塞湖潰決災後重建特別條例》草案，攸關停砍公教年金的《公務人員退休資遣撫卹法》及《公立學校教職員退休資遣撫卹法》等法案，甚至有將總統選舉修正為二輪絕對多數制

newtalk.tw

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 11d

The KMT aims to change the one-time direct vote for presidency to a two-round plurality (aka top-two runoff). Reinstilling the preferential interest rate of 18% paid to retired civil servants and public school employees will deplete public coffers by ~NT$1.4 trillion and bankrupt the pension system.

https://english.president.gov.tw/News/5165

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 11d

The #KMT has announced 24 priority policies the party plans to push through the Taiwanese #parliament via its majority coalition formed with the TPP, including reversing Tsai Ing-wen's national #pension reforms and changing how presidential #elections work in #Taiwan. newtalk.tw/news/view/20...

國民黨公布24優先法案停砍公教年金、總統改二輪多數決入列 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞

國民黨今（2日）舉行立法實務研討會，公布立法院新會期，國民黨立法院黨團的24項優先法案，包含：因應花蓮光復鄉災情，而提出的《樺加沙風災暨花蓮光復堰塞湖潰決災後重建特別條例》草案，攸關停砍公教年金的《公務人員退休資遣撫卹法》及《公立學校教職員退休資遣撫卹法》等法案，甚至有將總統選舉修正為二輪絕對多數制

newtalk.tw

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Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 11d

"A national figure like everyone's granny."

More on the career of the #Taiwanese actress who said "acting is a pursuit for a lifespan": www.goldenhorse.org.tw/news/detail/...

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