Taiwan Panorama 2017 Dec

10612 42 12
Vol. 42 No. 12 December 2017

CHINESEENGLISH BILINGUAL MONTHLY ISSN 1991-525X
12
Taiwan Panorama

Indonesia:
Land of Opportunity

NT$150
US$5
HK$40
600

Drying Persimmons

T he area around Hankeng in Xinpu, Hsinchu County, is
Taiwans main center of dried persimmon production.
Each autumn, as the persimmons turn red and the north-

eastern monsoon winds start up, the persimmon driers get
busy, putting tray after tray of peeled fruit onto outdoor
bamboo racks. Seven to ten days of drying in the sun and
wind turns the plump fruit into flat dried persimmons.
(photo and text by Jimmy Lin/tr. by Phil Newell)

106121
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Publisher: David Tawei LEE

2016
Director: Paul Kuoboug CHANG
2,425151
Editor-in-Chief (acting): DUAN Shu-hwa

Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Ivan CHEN
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Editor: LIU Yingfeng

Writers: Cathy TENG, CHEN Chun-fang,
Lynn SU

Director of Layout: HU Ju-yu

Art Editors: HSIAO Ying-tsen, Henry WANG

Photographic Coordinator: CHUANG Kung-ju

Photographic Director: Jimmy LIN

Photojournalist: LIN Min-hsuan 40 Pindy

English Editors: Audrey CHEN, Robert TAYLOR,
Phil NEWELL

Japanese Editors: YAMAGUCHI Yukina, * * *
Shila SHIH

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Looking at Indonesias EDITORS NOTE
Business Potential
A s the Southeast-Asian market captures

t he eyes of the world, according to
Indonesias Investment Coordinating Board
historically important buildings, the former
Taiwan Railways Administration building
and the old Taipei Railway Workshop, were
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Policy in place, bilateral relations should of railways and of music, and also increased
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For this months cover story, we traveled Numerous small and low-profile restau-
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to our islands environment. world and be noticed. l

By happy coincidence, this summer two (Ivan Chen/tr. by Phil Newell)

CONTENTS 10612 42 12 Vol. 42 No. 12 December 2017
6
Cover Story
6
Indonesia: Land of Opportunity
8

The Many Faces of Indonesia

18

8
Surabaya, the Years of Struggle:
Taiwanese Firms in Indonesias
Second City

30

Beyond Taiwan:
Realizing Entrepreneurial Dreams
in Indonesia

38 40
18

Four Decades of Aid Work:
ICDF Technical Missions in Indonesia

Postcards from Home

Editors Note
2 1 50
Looking at Indonesias Business Potential Drying Persimmons Variety Pages

Photo Essay
56

The Wafting Fragrance of Incense
Traditional Chinese Faiths in Indonesia
Cover: In Surabayas Chinatown, an Indonesian
woman carrying fruit on her head gives a friendly wave
and a smile. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
Around Taiwan
66

Creating a Shared Spirit Through Music:
The World Music Festival

76

76
The Salmons Dream
Environmental Education and
Conservation at Shei-Pa National Park

86

A Living Museum of Trains
The Transformation of an Industrial Relic

Cultural Trends
98
86

Tai-Hwa Pottery
The National Palace Museum of Yingge

Entrepreneurship
106

Crafty Fashion: Giving Taiwanese
Manufacturing a Voice Through Design

Communities
106
116

Dough Sculpting the Java Way
A Migrant Worker Kneads Her Dreams

Indonesia: Land of Opportunity

COVER
S TO R Y

The Many Faces of Indonesia
20175%
2.6 I ndonesia has a population of some 260 mil-
lion people and is enjoying GDP growth of
more than 5% in 2017, making it both an enor-
mous market and an engine for growth within the
recently created ASEAN Economic Community.

The country is undergoing wholesale change and
international investors are taking notice.
892 TaiwaneseIndonesian exchanges are on the rise.

More than 140 companies took part in the Taiwan
5 External Trade Development Councils 2017 Taiwan
Expo in Indonesia at the Jakarta Convention Center
in May, and more than 20 Taiwanese groups from
fields as diverse as education, culture, and agricul-

ture visited Indonesia in August and September.
9

Indonesias streets are alive with the enticing aromas of
traditional snacks.

1,037
2015

BKPM2016 30
2,425151

2.6
Indonesias 260
million people make
for a large market.
10 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

From unilateral to bilateral says John Chen, Taiwans representative at the Taipei Eco-
Taiwan and Indonesia have enjoyed close ties for many nomic and Trade Office (TETO) in Jakarta. Indonesians
years, and many more bilateral exchanges have been initi- incomes are increasing and the countrys middle class is
ated under Taiwans New Southbound Policy. on the rise. In addition, Indonesia has picked up the once
These include four or five new agricultural cooperation plodding pace of its infrastructure construction, and has
projects and agreements established in areas such as irriga- greatly improved the investment climate.
tion, personnel training, and rice cultivation. Meanwhile, Putting down roots in Surabaya
the ROC Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Established at the end of 2015, the Taipei Economic and
Technologys Taiwan scholarships are attracting applica- Trade Office in Surabaya has become an important locus
tions from a large number of Indonesian students1,037 for cooperation under the New Southbound Policy.
in this year alone! TETO Surabaya is located in East Java, a large province
Economic investment, long the mainstay of Taiwan with jurisdiction over 30 cities, says Jeffrey Hsiao, direc-
Indonesia exchange, is also growing. According to the tor-general of the Surabaya office. We have to address the
Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) and the characteristics of each region when seeking local coopera-
ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs Investment Commission tion with Taiwan. As well as opening up exchanges in the
(MOEAIC), Taiwan had 2,425 investments in Indonesia to- areas of immigration, education, and tourism, the office has
taling NT$15.1 billion as of the end of 2016. Taiwanese com- recently formed a Taiwan alumni association for Indone-
panies have been extending their investments beyond the sians who have studied in Taiwan. It plans to ask members
labor-intensive industries such as textiles, garments, and to give talks on their experience in Taiwan to students at
automotive hardware that they once preferred, and moving colleges and universities in Surabaya. The office is also
into food and beverages, finance, and e-commerce as well. helping match workers with jobs by sharing information on
The forces driving Indonesias rise are very powerful, more than 100 Taiwan alumni with Taiwanese businesses.
11

With its strong GDP growth, Indonesia
is one of ASEANs economic drivers.
9

S i s w a d i

6

430


Indonesian migrant workers are another important will help foster the relationship between our two nations,
bridge for bilateral exchanges. As many as 60% of the and that we can continue to participate in the future.
more than 250,000 Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan Exporting Taiwanese knowhow
come from East Java. In fact, TETO opened its Surabaya Kao Ying-chang first visited Indonesia more than 30
office in part to share the burden of processing the large years ago. Last year, he put the spirit of the New South-
number of visas for such workers. Following the model of bound Policy into practice by establishing Formosa
its Taiwan alumni association, the office has also estab- Teknologi Sentral (FTS), a school that aims to bring Tai-
lished an association of Indonesians who have worked in wans models for technical and vocational education to
Taiwan, in hopes of fostering grassroots exchanges. Indonesia.
This year, Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Having run a machine-tools trading company in Indo-
the Taiwan representative offices of Indonesia and other nesia for many years, Kao had noticed that the country
Southeast-Asian countries to take part in Septembers faced a severe shortage of skilled machinists. He founded
AsiaPacific Cultural Day festivities. The event took place FTS to train people in the relevant fields. To that end, the
in the main concourse of the Taipei Railway Station, and school currently offers two programsautomation control
featured an Indonesian booth and exciting performances
by Indonesian dancers. Siswadi, deputy representative at
the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei, said,

The Indonesian booth showcased highlights of our na- Indonesian incomes are rising and the countrys
tional cultural heritage, such as batik. We hope the event middle class is growing.
13

Bumper-to-bumper traffic is common in Jakarta.

1997

6

2001
1986


and machine operationeach of which puts students tune while still a young man. But he stumbled badly in
through 430 hours of intensive training, an amount equiv- 1997 when he misjudged the Asian financial crisis.
alent to that required for a Class C license in Taiwan. Lai started over in 2001, establishing a small automo-
Students who complete their training earn starting tive hardware factory with the help of a friend. Seeking
salaries of at least NT$1,000 per month more than those to repay his debt quickly, he chose to focus production on
of common laborers. And it isnt just Indonesian students replacement parts for power steering systems, which have
who benefit from the training. Once graduates begin a high profit margin. The first stages of his comeback were
working on production lines, they can generate efficien- grueling. Fortunately, his friend stuck with him, providing
cies that encourage plant operators to purchase Taiwanese financial support and, even more importantly, help with
equipment. In the future, Id like to extend our efforts production, an area in which Lai had no experience.
beyond training frontline personnel to also cultivating Lai joined the Jakarta Taiwan Entrepreneur Associa-
seed teachers, so we can have a still greater impact. tion five years ago. In just a few years, he has become the
Lifes twists and turns president of the Jakarta association and is now chairman
Lai Wei-hsin, who became chairman of the Indonesia of the Indonesia Taiwan Chambers of Commerce. Having
Taiwan Chambers of Commerce in June and is also pres- taken the reins at the parent organization, Lais goal is to
ident of the Jakarta Taiwan Entrepreneur Association, invigorate it and develop its capabilities.
spent more than a decade developing his businesses in You might not know
Indonesia before the recent go south fervor. As interest in the topic of going South has waxed,
Even so, Lai came to the country much later than Jennifer Lai has written about her more than a decade of
many other Taiwanese businesspeople. He made his first experience living in Indonesia in a book entitled Things
trip to Indonesia after completing his military service, You May Not Know About Indonesia.
traveling to the country in 1986 on behalf of his broth- Lais impetus for writing the book was straightforward.
ers trading business. He subsequently became a regular With the rise of the ASEAN market in recent years, many
on the TaiwanIndonesia route. friends have visited Indonesia on business, and, after a few
In Indonesia, he applied his keen head for business days there, always remark: Indonesia is different than I
to the many emerging opportunities and earned a for- expected. After hearing that several times, she couldnt
A Jakarta pedicab driver

waits for customers.
15

5

This years AsiaPacific Culture Day festivities boosted

TaiwanIndonesia exchanges. (photo by Jimmy Lin)

2.6

l

Indonesia is culturally diverse and very welcoming.
help but wonder: What are peoples expectations of In- In the past, TaiwaneseIndonesian exchanges con-
donesia? What impression of it do Taiwanese have? sisted primarily of investing or traveling, but Lais long
Lai wrote the book in her non-working hours, and years of observation have shown her that Taiwan and
took more than a year to complete it. Though relatively Indonesia have the potential for more diverse kinds of
slim, it covers a huge range of topics, from snacks in the exchanges flowing in both directions. She notes that
countrys Chinatowns, to Indonesias work culture, Islam, Taiwans colleges and universities are an option for In-
and the joys and travails of life in a foreign land. Her first donesians thinking about studying abroad, and that In-
essay addressed the cultural differences between ethnic donesias relative lack of medical services and Taiwans
Chinese in Taiwan and Indonesiaa subject with which high standards of medical care make Taiwan attractive
she is personally familiarand she has retained that kind to wealthy Indonesians seeking medical treatment.
of personal perspective in everything shes written since. In recent years, many Taiwanese have become
Lais Indonesian experience began when she met curious about Indonesia as well, hoping to visit and
her husband while studying in the US. After marrying gain a better understanding of the country. What kind
there, the couple returned to her husbands Indonesian of country is it? Speaking as a long-term resident,
homeland. Living in a new and unfamiliar country, she Lai says, Indonesia is culturally diverse and very
had to adapt not only to its different culture and working friendly. l
environment, but also, slowly, to his Chinese-Indonesian (Liu Yingfeng/photos by Lin Min-hsuan/
familys customs and traditions. tr. by Scott Williams)
17

COVER
S TO R Y

Surabaya, the Years of Struggle:
Taiwanese Firms in Indonesias Second City

S urabaya, with a population of 3 million, is Indone-

sias second largest city, and one of its most modern.
Taiwanese businesspeople first began going there in the
19701990
1970s. In the 1990s a large new group moved in, and today
everywhere you look you see signs of their presence.
Of all the Taiwanese who have written their stories

in Surabaya, Yudi Setiawan Lin, former president direc-
tor at paper makers Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia, can be
considered in the class of elders.
Lin, who was in the first class to graduate from the

Paper Manufacturing Group of the Department of
Chemical Engineering at Chinese Culture University

and initially worked in paper manufacturing in Taiwan,
APP was at that time very highly thought of by companies
in Indonesia. The Sinar Mas Group, which was founded
40 by Indonesians of Chinese descent and later built Asia
Pulp and Paper (APP) into the third largest paper pulp
company in the world, came specially to Taiwan to re-
cruit Lin onto their team.
Lin, who by then was still only in his 30s, went to In-
donesia with several of his staff from Taiwan, and they

In Surabaya, which is steadily

improving, you can see many new-
style residential and commercial
complexes being built.
Yudi Setiawan Lin and his wife Erina Ho, who together went
to work in Surabaya 40 years ago, have been eyewitnesses to
the citys development.
19

With the rapid development of the Indonesian economy, the land
in the Ngoro Industrial Park has sold out.

1976

1973

1991

Wu Ching Tai, senior marketing executive
for the Ngoro Industrial Park.

became the core group at Tjiwi Kimia, under the flag of and it relied on Taiwanese businesspeople for textbooks
the Sinar Mas Group. and exercise books. It started out with a very motley
In 1976, the year Lin arrived in Surabaya, there were collection of stuff, recalls Ho.
only scattered Taiwanese businesses there, and the later Today the Su ra baya Tai pei International Schools
Go South Policy that encouraged Taiwanese to invest campus covers more than seven hectares, with expan-
in Indonesia had not even been mentioned yet. Lin and sive and welllit buildings. The harsh conditions of the
his compatriots in the company were among the few old days are long gone, but the process of the schools
Taiwanese in Surabaya. The company built a dormitory founding and development from such humble begin-
expressly for these Taiwanese staffers, and at the peak nings bears witness to the history of Subarayas Taiwan-
there were 200 people there including employees and ese business community.
their family members, just like a little Taiwanese village. Building Surabayas first freeway
With this vanguard in place, in the middle of the Of all the stories written by Taiwanese businesses in
1990s, due to internal and external factors in Taiwan Surabaya over the past 30-plus years, one that must be
including policy changes and transformation of the in- told is that of the RetSer Engineering Agency (RSEA).
dustrial structure, there was a wave of enthusiasm for Since being founded in the 1950s, RSEA has gone as
investing in Indonesia. The number of Taiwanese in Su far as Egypt and Bahrain to undertake road building
rabaya increased markedly, and Erina Ho, now a mem- and bridge construction projects. In 1973 a team from
ber of the ROC governments Overseas Community Af- RSEA arrived in Sumatra, and in the 1980s they built
fairs Council, who had gone with Lin, her husband, to Indonesias first freeway, from Surabaya to Malang. Wu
work in Indonesia, got together with several Taiwanese Ching Tai, senior marketing executive for the Ngoro
businesspeople to set up the Surabaya Taipei Interna- Industrial Park (NIP), states that RSEAs main line of
tional School. business was originally construction engineering, but at
When the school was first founded it had nothing, that time, quite incidentally, they also founded the NIP,
21
5 Lezen Indonesia
500

Toyota
5

IDP
Lezen Indonesia

I D PC H A N E L
PRADAGUCCI
IDP
4

30
1991

IDP
30
2000IDP
I D P800 IDP
3.6
IDP Group chairman Bob Yen has used Surabaya as a
base to build a paper bag empire.

serving as the best possible sup-
port for Taiwanese businesses.
In the 1980s, as the NT dollar
appreciated and Taiwanese wages
rose, many businesses found it
increasingly hard to stay afloat in
Taiwan and invested abroad, with
Indonesia becoming the top choice.
However, in Indonesia there were
gray areas in the enforcement of
laws of all kinds, and when added
to the language barrier, Taiwanese
businesses there suffered a lot.
The many difficulties faced by
Taiwanese businesses at that time
caused RSEA to get together with
investors Intiland Sejahtera to build
the NIP, easing the problem of Tai-
wanese firms having to buy land
and build factories on their own.
Starting in the 1990s, large numbers
of Taiwanese businesses moved
into Indonesia, and the propor-
tion of Taiwanese firms in the NIP
reached its peak, with 80% of the
companies coming from Taiwan.
The NIP, which has always been
sensitive to economic conditions,
began to feel an upsurge in the
Indonesian market five years ago.
The nearly 500 hectares of land in
the industrial park sold out com-
pletely, and more than 90 firms
from ten-plus countries, involved
in everything from medical supplies to automotive IDP
parts to food processing, clustered together in the NIP.
The paper bags and boxes used by many leading brands
are made by IDP.
Behind success, tribulations
Bob Yen, chairman of the IDP Group, and Kenny Lee,
president director of Lezen Indonesia, came to Surabaya Prada, and Gucciall of which came off IDPs produc-
to invest in new factories there at about the same time. tion lines. In another place are hung four clocks show-
Both had to overcome many trials and tribulations to ing the times in Indonesia, China, New York, and the
achieve success, and both have given their all to Suba UK, clearly indicating the global domain Yen has built
rayas development. for himself, all starting from a foothold in Indonesia.
Inside the IDP factory building, we see racks filled Before going to Indonesia, Yen ran a trading com-
with a display of exquisite paper bags marked with the pany. Later, in response to a request from a client in
names of European designer brands such as Chanel, the UK, he began making small batches of paper bags
23
(mostly for use in wrapping gifts), which are not dif-
ficult to manufacture. He sold them into the UK and
other locations.
At that time Yens small factory in New Taipei Citys
Xindian had only 30 employees, but its labor-intensive
form of production meant that it came under pressure

2001 from the appreciation of the NT dollar and Taiwans
sharply rising wage costs. After visiting mainland
911 China and several Southeast-Asian countries, Yen found
the investment environment in Indonesia to be more
stable than in the other locations, so in 1991 he came to
build a factory in Surabaya.
Not long after the factory was built, the Asian finan-
cial crisis occurred. IDP, which specializes in selling
to overseas markets, was one of the very few firms to
A l u m i n u m make a profit out of it. This was because production
Extrusion Divison costs plummeted due to the huge depreciation of the
Indonesian currency, the rupiah.
11 In 2000 IDP expanded its territory beyond Indonesia,
as Yen decided to build a factory in Suzhou, mainland
China. Later he also opened offices in the UK and the
US. Today IDP employs 800 people, and produces hun-
dreds of types of bags, on its 3.6hectare factory site in
Indonesia.
2004 When you walk into the factory belonging to Lezen
Indonesia that Kenny Lee built up singlehandedly, the
products displayed on shelves are instead pair after
pair of mens and womens fashionable leisure shoes.
The starting point of Lees story in Indonesia is sim-

ilar to that of the great majority of Taiwanese business-
people. Before coming to Indonesia, Lee had a small
shoe factory in Taiwan, and sold most of his products

abroad. He similarly felt the twin pressures of an ap-
2 preciating NT dollar and rising wages in Taiwan, so
30 he went on factfinding trips to mainland China and
1976 Southeast Asia. Lee eventually decided to set up a
factory in mainland China, but then the Tiananmen
Incident occurred, so at the recommendation of some
friends he turned to Surabaya to build his factory.
At that time, Taiwanese businesspeople all came
here singlehandedly. The pain behind the success that

others see, and the suffering that is not easily expressed,
all had to be endured alone in a foreign land, says Lee.
In 2001, Lees company faced a crisis of customers
withdrawing orders. This was because his company
mainly produced shoes for American golfing brands,

Lezen Indonesia
(right) Lezen Indonesia president

director Kenny Lee relates the joys
and tribulations of making his way
in a foreign land.
(below) Because its labor costs

are low, Indonesia has become
the choice for many Taiwanese
businesses as a place to invest
and build factories.
25
2.6

6

20
7

6022,400

4,000

Coming in with a professional management model,
second-generation Taiwanese businessman Paul
Wang has made his familys company even stronger.

and after 911, American customers felt qualms about
Muslim countries, and were not willing to give orders
to a company that was located in one. The companys
business was greatly affected, but fortunately, through
an introduction by a friend, he was able to make up the
shortage of orders.
The second generation takes over
Secondgeneration Taiwanese businessman Paul
Wang took over the management of his familys com-
pany, Metals Indonesia. Although he didnt have to
start from scratch as the previous generation did, he has
long understood their experience from the stories they
would tell. After his father invested in Indonesia, Wang
came to join him there at the age of 11.
In 2004, Paul Wang cut short his studies in Japan to
return to Indonesia and help run the family firm. To un-
derstand the companys operations as quickly as possi-
ble, Wang, who was only in his early 20s, would spend
most of his time each day at the production lines.
Outside pressure is only a secondary issue. Its un-
fortunately the conflicting management philosophies
of different generations within Taiwanese businesses
that are the biggest challenge. In Wangs analysis, Tai-
wanese businesses in the early days were fighting on
their own in a foreign land, beset by market challenges
and often suffering setbacks. After a while, the deci-
sionmaking model came to be, whatever the boss says
goes. Given that most small and mediumsized enter-
prises have no professionally trained managers, when Wayne Wu, production manager at Swanson Plastics Indonesia.
they bring in members of the younger generation, who

believe in putting expertise first, to join in the man-
agement of the company, this plants the seeds of inter is one of the newest Taiwanese businesses to join the
generational conflict. ranks of Surabaya firms.
As the first generation of Taiwanese businesspeople Swanson is a subsidiary of the USI Corporation, and
ages, the next generation is going from strength to mainly produces plastic films for use in diapers, tam-
strength, and the issue of succession naturally comes pons, and other personal hygiene products. The reasons
up. Fortunately, the younger generation of Taiwanese they chose to set up in Indonesia were that on one
has kept the flexibility of the older generation, while hand, we are following in our clients footsteps, and
adding the professional approach of the US and Europe. on the other, we see commercial opportunities in Indo-
Going into the Indonesian market, Taiwanese defi- nesias domestic market, says Wayne Wu, Swansons
nitely have an advantage, says Paul Wang. production manager.
Indonesia is making progress Indicators on which the company bases its decisions
In contrast to the previous generation of Taiwanese whether or not to invest in a location include total pop-
businesspeople, who have at least 20 years of expe- ulation, birthrate, and degree of modernization, and the
rience in country, Swanson Plastics Indonesia, which newly rising Indonesian market satisfies its conditions
finished setting up its factory only in July of this year, in all these respects. Wu explains that Indonesia, with
27
260 million people, ranks fourth in the world terms of
national population. The birthrate is also extremely
high. As women join the workforce, their incomes will
increase and their time to invest in housework will
shrink, so their willingness to use diapers, tampons,
and other hygiene consumables will rise.
Six years ago, when Swanson decided to check out
Indonesia for possible investment, they visited Jakarta
and Surabaya, which are the core production areas for
hygiene products. Unexpectedly, when they were in
Jakarta, which has long been plagued by traffic conges-
tion, they also encountered an onslaught of heavy rains,
and the citys main roads were flooded. In fact, a vari-
ety of conditions that made it disadvantageous to locate
a factory in Jakarta became apparent, and after careful
consideration, they chose to invest in Surabaya.
Several decades on, today more than 300 Taiwanese
firms are in Surabaya. As for the changes in Surabaya,
Grace Huang, who over the years has spent several
periods working in Indonesia, and is currently chair-
woman of the Surabaya Taiwan Business Club, has
some profound observations.
Back in the day, the first wave of Taiwanese firms

Grace Huang (above), chairwoman of the Surabaya Taiwan to settle in Surabaya were mainly automotive hardware
Business Club, has high expectations for Surabayas future.
Pictured at left, the Heroes Monument in Surabaya. makers who moved out of the Dafa Industrial Park in
Kaohsiung, Huang says.
Later, industries such as textiles and garments
moved in. In Huangs memories of the old days, what
followed was a hard life in a foreign land. The bustling
shopping centers that now appear in Su ra baya were
all built in recent years. In the early days Indonesias

infrastructure was inadequate, roads were not as they
3
are now, and the availability of telecommunications ser-
vices was patchy.

These old circumstances are being transformed,
and the degree of change has been especially large in
recent years. For example, says Huang, in the past the
whole area around the Surabaya Taiwan Business Club
was overgrown wasteland. But in recent years, as the
income of local people has risen, new-style residential

complexes of a kind you rarely saw in the past are being
built one after another.
Theres still room for improvement, but Indonesia

is making progress! Grace Huang declares. l
(Liu Yingfeng/photos by Lin Min-hsuan/
l tr. by Phil Newell)
29

COVER
S TO R Y

Beyond Taiwan:
Realizing Entrepreneurial
Dreams in Indonesia

T
raffic-clogged roads and ubiquitous department
stores comprise the initial impressions of many
a visitor to Indonesias Jakarta. But the capitals
street scene has undergone a subtle change in recent
years. Besides eye-catching public construction proj-
Go-jekGrab
ects, fully uniformed Go-Jek and Grab drivers now
shuttle among the boulevards and alleyways.

U b e r Similar to hailing an Uber in todays sharing
APPGo- economy, passengers need only confirm their location
jekGrab and destination via an app, and a motorcycle driver
who has joined one of the shared transport service
platforms such as Go-Jek or Grab will pick them up
onsite and deliver them to their desired destination.

The Shopee online shopping platform, which
sprang up in Taiwan in recent years and has at-

T
tracted many users, has also stationed itself in
Indonesia, and now occupies the giant T-shaped bill-
IDX boards alongside the highway between the airport
INCUBATOR and the city center. Recognizing the increasingly

A P P
Just identify your location via an app, and

a shared-ride motorcycle driver arrives to
deliver you to your desired destination.
31
StyleUp 5
UChange25
9

F a c e b o o k
Airbnb
Go-
JekGrab

StyleUp

EZTABLE

EZTABLE
2008EZTABLE

EZTABLE

EZTABLE
50%

On weekends and holidays, Jakartas
ubiquitous malls are packed with visitors.

E Z TA B L E

a F a m i l y
EZTABLE
Eztable CEO Alex Chen
relocated his headquarters
to Jakarta and launched a
totally new brand, aFamily.
(lower photo courtesy of
Eztable)
to its huge market potential, they were attracted by the

countrys dynamic entrepreneurial ambience.
PurpleCow originally considered including Thailand
in the itinerary for this trip, explains Eddie Wang, but by
comparison to both Singapore and Thailand, Indonesia
is a totally different country. Ironically, the many incon-
venient aspects of life there actually stimulate the emer-
gence of innovative services. For example, less-than-
ideal road and rail networks and poor public transport
have given rise to the ride-sharing motorcycles of Go-
dynamic entrepreneurial atmosphere, in order to lend Jek and Grab, a classic startup business model.
a hand to startup founders, the Indonesian Stock Ex- Although this is a preliminary study trip, The points
change has also established the IDX Incubator. to watch for most of the startups are how to accommo-
date Indonesian consumer culture, and how to select
Following its Singapore trip, in September Tai- appropriate themes for market entry, says Wang.
wan-based PurpleCow Startup Association led a new Discarding the Taiwan Experience
team of five Taiwanese startups, including StyleUp, Optimistic about the Southeast-Asian market, in
UChange2, Fruitpay and Liors, to the second stop on its early 2017 Eztablean online restaurant reservation
Entrepreneur Training Tour: Jakarta. platformrelocated its headquarters to Jakarta, where it
During the Singapore trip, the trainees called on firms intends to put down roots.
such as Facebook, Airbnb and Sequoia Capital, says Choosing to expand overseas has been part of the
PurpleCows public relations manager Eddie Wang, and plan from the word go, says Eztable CEO Alex Chen,
were expecting to visit with others such as e-commerce who returned to Taiwan and set up the firm in 2008 after
industry leader Alibaba and software developer Cheetah studying and working in the US. The new platform rose
Mobile in Jakarta. Outstanding entrepreneurs participat- rapidly thanks to the innovative services offered by its
ing in this itinerary are mainly players in online business. network positioning system. As sales have grown, share-
Members of the five startups were all in Indonesia for holders have widened to include investors from places
the first time, and were very excited about it. In addition such as Hong Kong and Japan. Chen has also evolved
33

10

2EZTABLE

E Z TA B L E

2000
Rocketindo
Rocketindo founder Daniel Liu.
E Z TA B L E
aFamily

from founder to professional manager. Although Eztables Rocketindo

Taiwan revenues have recorded 50% growth this year, he Rocketindo provides services to give
is still determined to seek opportunities overseas. a boost to Taiwan firms intending to
enter the Indonesian market.
Before deciding to enter the Southeast-Asian market,
Chen also went to China for onsite study. After several
years of observation, he sees a triangular competitive
situation similar to that of ancient Chinas Three King-
doms period, in which the modern-day players are Tai- 1970s and mainland China around year 2000, Indonesia
wan, Southeast Asia and mainland China. is undergoing a phase of explosive expansion.
According to his analysis, the mainland market is Eztables main serviceonline restaurant booking
like the state of Wei, with its broad hinterland, rich re- is not a popular practice in Indonesia, and progress has
sources and robust military; Korea and Japan are the fallen short of expectations. Chen says that people are
state of Wu, content with their current territory and not accustomed to booking a table, and even if they
self-contained; while in contrast to Wei and Wu, South- arrive to find an establishment full, they always have
east Asias market resembles the state of Shu, under- other options at hand. It is not only consumers who
developed but easily defended. It would be difficult to dont normally reserve a seat; even restaurateurs them-
swallow the region whole, given that it comprises more selves are not accustomed to accepting reservations.
than ten countries, all of which possess distinct cultures, Typically, a firm will transplant its domestic model
religions and languages. But they represent important to its overseas operations, but Chen completely rejected
markets nonetheless. this approach and started from scratch. He recently led
Eztable actually began positioning itself within the a team to Indonesia, specifically targeting its distinctive
Southeast-Asian market two years previously, but did market, and launched aFamily, a totally new brand.
so in a veiled manner. Thanks to several months of on- It provides restaurant owners with a membership man-
site observation this year, Chen has a better handle on agement platform, through which, by collecting and
Indonesias consumer marketplace. integrating membership data, they can organize online
Indonesias middle class is just now emerging, says and offline marketing activities to encourage consump-
Chen, and people are transitioning from shopping for tion and brand recognition.
basics, to a new emphasis on brand value. Similarly to Whether by providing booking services in Taiwan,
periods of rapid growth that occurred in Taiwan in the or by targeting membership management services for
35
Indonesia, in both cases Chen aims to connect consum-
Rocketindo ers and restaurants. There is a real need for such client
management, especially given the current state of de-
Rocketindo velopment of the Internet, which has entered the era of
New Retail, as Chinas Internet mogul Jack Ma puts
2016Rocketindo
it. The distinction between physical and virtual com-
merce is no longer a focal point; providing customer
solutions is now key.

Eztable is one of a small number of firms that have
Rocketindo5 taken practical steps to enter the Indonesian market. Al-
2012 though the outside world is optimistic about the coun-
try, actual participants are still few as a wait-and-see
approach dominates. Language, culture and the regula-
tory system are all challenges, says Rocketindo founder
Daniel Liu, whose firm has helped Taiwan enterprises

2,000
get a foothold in the Indonesian market in recent years.
Rocketindo: Accelerated takeoff
Rocketindo Founded in 2016, Rocketindo mainly provides ser-
vices for Taiwanese firms intending to enter the Indo-
nesian market. In addition to serving as an agent for all
related tax and administrative procedures, Rocketindo
also provides online and offline services for firms tar-
geting e-commerce.
Rocketindos one-stop service model is intimately
connected with Lius startup failure when he first came

to Indonesia five years ago. In 2012, Liu and his wife
had steady, high-paying jobs in Taiwan, but at the sug-
gestion of his father-in-law, Liu decided to open a busi-
ness in Indonesia. Liu was unfamiliar with the sector in
which he investedthe mining businessand coupled

with misplaced faith in his partner, he suffered a stag-
gering loss of NT$20 million. The biggest challenge
facing most other Taiwan businesses as they prepare to

make their own entry mirrors Lius earlier experience in
an alien investment environment. Therefore, when Liu
established Rocketindo, he positioned it as a startup
accelerator.
Liu points out that regardless of whether one is work-
ing in a new or a traditional industry, the challenges of
dealing with an unfamiliar language and culture, or of
seeking a partner, are ones that must be overcome by
all in order to get a foot in the Indonesian market. But

unlike in manufacturing, where controlling the costs of
the production process is sufficient, in new-fangled or
retail industries, familiarizing oneself with Indonesias
l consumer market culture is even more crucial.

it benefits from the effect of a series of cultural bomb-
Indonesias dynamic entrepreneurial ambience

ing campaigns. With the exception of Meteor Garden,
and huge market potential hold great attraction a Taiwan-made, manga-inspired teen idol drama that
for investors willing to make the move.
took Indonesia by storm a few years back, no Taiwanese
drama screened there since has had the same impact.
Naturally, local consumers thus have a relatively faint
Market misreadings aside, the weak international impression of things Taiwanese.
profile of Taiwanese brands has also hobbled Taiwan To succeed in Indonesia, as well as being hands-on
firms as they seek to gain a foothold in Indonesia. When and putting down roots, even more importantly you
dealing with a consumer market, the strength of ones must adjust your mindset, says Daniel Liu. The cus-
corporate brand name is critical. European and Amer- tomary expectation of a rapid return on investmentin
ican brands long ago established themselves globally. say three or five yearsmust change. l
Their marketing is indeed potent, especially because (Liu Yingfeng/photos by Lin Min-hsuan/
their brand marketing is not simply about product sales; tr. by Bruce Humes)
37

COVER
S TO R Y
40

Four Decades of Aid Work:
ICDF Technical Missions in Indonesia

1976
I n 1976 Taiwan first dispatched an agricultural
mission to provide aid in Surabaya, Indonesia.
The aid work was directed by the Committee of In-
ternational Technical Cooperation, the forerunner of
todays International Cooperation and Development

Fund (ICDF).
In subsequent decades, ICDF technical missions
also conducted aid work in Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java,
105 and Bali. At one point, the ICDF had as many as 15
staff members stationed in Indonesia, including five
technical experts, who worked on a host of initia-

tives ranging from aquaculture and horticulture to
tourism promotion.

2015 In 2015 Indonesias Ministry of Agriculture and an
ICDF technical mission launched a four-year program
in Bandung, called Strengthening Incubator Agribusi-
4 ness with Human Resources Development, to address a
range of agricultural challenges. We focused on help-
ing local farmers improve their business models and in-
crease profits, says Douglas Moh, leader of the Taiwan
Technical Mission in the Republic of Indonesia.
39

2016

9060

AL.amira farm

Ramdlani
Husni32
5

Ramdlani Husni

Douglas Moh, leader of the Taiwan
Technical Mission in the Republic
of Indonesia, hopes that the ICDFs
technical cooperation will help boost
farmers profits.

Agricultural expertise delivered on-site The area around Bandung, known for the quality of its
At present Indonesian farming faces numerous chal- water and soil, is an important source of high-value
vegetable crops for Indonesia.
lenges, including combating pests and diseases and im-
proving soil fertility. One factor limiting crop output is
the lack of professional management of the farmland.
In a village located only a short distance from the Na-
tional Agricultural Training Center at Lembang (LNATC),
cabbages are sprouting from a small plot of land. This turn counsel local farmers, and 60 farmers, have taken part
is the chief crop, but the plot is also scattered with chili in the program. This year, moreover, the agricultural train-
pepper plants, while eggplant is grown in one corner of ing teams began to travel directly to local farms to give on-
the field. In fact, the plot overflows with all types of veg- site advice and assistance.
etables. This is a common sight in Indonesia, a typical Improving techniques, building brands
lack of crop rotation management, Moh says. The technical missions are also eager to share Taiwans
Because different crops have different planting seasons agricultural production and marketing methods through
and need different amounts of water, the mixing of differ- the assistance program. In Taiwan since 1952 farmers asso-
ent crops causes pests and diseases to spread among the ciations have been teaching new cultivation techniques and
various vegetables and results in poor harvests. have established comprehensive training programs, which
To help address this, the ICDF work station at LNATC became a model for agricultural production and marketing
has offered more than 60 training programs focusing on organizations. Over the 60 years since then these have come
production and marketing and the adoption of advanced to provide a foundation for Taiwans agricultural industry.
agricultural techniques, in addition to providing healthy Under government guidance, Indonesia has also estab-
seeds and seedlings. To date 90 extension officers, who in lished many local and regional production and marketing
41
teams, but they suffer from a lack of expertise in both the
division of labor and organizational structure.
Moh explains that the Indonesian production and
marketing organizations lack the institutional support of
those in Taiwan. In Indonesia they make little attempt to
coordinate their actions, compete with one another, and
suffer from a lack of solidarity. The lack of diversified sales
networks also results in the leaders of production teams
acting as middlemen, directly purchasing crops from farm-
ers. In this model, crops often fail to fetch proper prices,
Moh says.
Under the guidance of the ICDF, one agricultural co-
operative increased market visibility by establishing a
brand name for its produce, marketing it under the name
BAVAS, a combination of Bandung and vegetables.
The branding process results in higher prices for agricul-
tural products, Moh says.
With Indonesias economy growing at annual rates of
at least 56%, demand for safe, quality produce is increas-
ing among the countrys growing middle class. And since
Indonesias food safety inspection mechanisms are not yet
fully established, an ICDF label is used to reassure con-
sumers about the quality of local fruits and vegetables.
The trial establishment of a produce distribution facil-
ity has also given local agricultural enterprises a leg up.
Training courses at the ICDFs Bandung work station teach

In 2016, with the aid of the Taiwan Technical Mission in
local farmers advanced farming techniques. Indonesia, the distribution center was established at the
LNATC. The spacious, well-lit facility is equipped for
the refrigeration, sorting, grading, washing, packaging,
storage and shipment of produce. Such a facility is rare
in Indonesia, where most produce is still prepared for
market by family enterprises using basic techniques. In
the future farmers will be able to increase the value of

their crops by using the centers advanced techniques for
1952 preparing the goods for market, Moh says.
The facility also includes four large smart green-
houses, examples of Taiwans advanced automated
agricultural techniques. Pan Po Yuan, a specialist at the
ICDFs Bandung work station, explains that the sprin-
klers and sunlight levels in the greenhouses are self-
regulating. Data on temperature, humidity and airflow

are also processed by computers that can quickly adjust
conditions in the greenhouses.
Although most Indonesian farmers cant as yet afford
smart greenhouses, the facilities nonetheless demon-
strate the potential of automation. Just as in Taiwan,

Ramdlani Husni
At an ICDF training course,

Ramdlani Husni, head of a
production and marketing team,
focuses on developing specialized
professional knowledge.
Pan Po Yuan (left), an ICDF

specialist, meets with local farmers
to help with farming techniques.
43

B a n d u n g
Ve g e t a b l e
B AVA S 4

56%

ICDF

2016

2011

10
100

the Indonesian agricultural sector is facing a shortage of

younger workers willing to take up the arduous work. The smart greenhouse at the ICDFs Bandung work
Automated greenhouse techniques demonstrate to local station is an example of the automated management
used in Taiwans agricultural sector.
farmers the benefits of applying advanced technology to
traditional farms, Moh says.
Automated greenhouses also provide market oppor-
tunities for Taiwanese sellers of agriculture-related equip- Agriculture University established the Bogor Agribusiness
ment and materials. Pan points out that bamboo and Development Center to enhance farmers incomes through
other low-cost materials are commonly used in Indonesia specialized cultivation techniques and marketing concepts.
for the construction of greenhouses. Aside from enhancing the expertise of farmers and
If adapted to local climatic conditions, modular build- addressing post-harvest distribution problems, the Bogor
ing materials offer real possibilities, Pan says. project also helped local farmers cultivate tomatoes, sweet
Local farmers can modify their facilities as they see fit to peppers, potatoes, and other high-value fruits and vegeta-
meet farming requirements. Having become familiar with bles popular in Asia. After test plantings of crystal guavas,
Taiwans automated technologies, farmers will be eager for example, the fruit quickly appeared in supermarkets.
to purchase such technologies once they have sufficient Taiwanese entrepreneurs in Indonesia subsequently
capital, and Taiwanese equipment will likely be their first planted orchards covering ten hectares, which can produce
choice, Moh says. about 100 tons of the fruit per month.
There is a precedent for this type of agricultural technical Boosting the rice supply
assistance in Indonesia, in an earlier initiative also focusing In mid-September of this year, the ICDF also agreed to
on seed and seedling production, arable land management cooperate with Hasanuddin University, located in South
and post-harvest marketing operations. In 2011 an ICDF Sulawesi, to implement the High Quality Rice Seed Devel-
technical mission in conjunction with Indonesias Bogor opment Project.
45

Starting with the cultivation of seedlings, the ICDF showcases the
technology and expertise of Taiwanese agriculture.

Quality control and branding
can raise the value of
agricultural produce.
The project will be implemented in the province of

South Sulawesi, located on a long, narrow peninsula in
9 the southeast of the island of Sulawesi. It is a prosperous
coastal region and an important rice-growing center. Al-
though Indonesia ranks among the worlds three largest
rice-producing nations, both the quantity and the qual-
ity of the rice crop have fallen short of expectations. For
many years now, Indonesia has been forced to rely on
imported rice to meet local demand.
One of the key reasons is inadequate irrigation facil-
ities, says Moh. From the end of the Dutch colonial era
during World War II until the present, only 45% of irriga-
tion facilities have been modernized and water supplies
are limited, thus affecting agricultural output. The lack of
45% mechanized farming is also limiting crop production. In
the future the adoption of collective production and mar-
keting will help with the adoption of a specialized division
of labor in rice farming, with different tasks such as field

300
preparation and harvesting being put out to contractors.
Yet the planting of healthy seedlings remains the most
important factor in raising crop output. Therefore one as-
pect of the current plan will help local production teams
to turn over 300 hectares of arable land to growing rice
seedlings. In future, this should increase the seedling sup-
ply by 15%.
Carrying out technical assistance plans is the best

300
way for Taiwan to showcase our technology and exper-
l
15%
tise, Moh says.

(Liu Yingfeng/photos by Lin Min-hsuan/
l tr. by Robert Green)
47

300 272

Pasuya
51

D V D
D V D

53

Tase
* * *

F B
p o

320 208


p o
* * *
55
Vihara Dharma Bhakti, Jakarta

PHOTO ESSAY
57


W hen you enter the side streets of a Chinatown in Indonesia,
Fujian-style temples, with their swallowtail roof ridges,
meet the eye, while smoke from incense burners curls into the air.
Here you can see the Buddhist and Taoist faith of Chinese-Indonesians.
After hundreds of years, many of the ethnic Chinese here
can no longer read the Chinese characters written on and in the temples,
but they still maintain the rituals for worshipping the deities,
passing along religious traditions that have been preserved
since their ancestors crossed the ocean long ago.
59

The Klenteng Hong Tiek Hian,

a traditional Chinese place of worship in Surabaya,
has a history of more than 700 years.
It still maintains its cultural tradition
of daily puppet play performances,
with the sounds of drums and gongs
reverberating inside and outside the building.

61
Klenteng Hong Tiek Hian, Surabaya

Klenteng Boen Tek Bio, Tangerang
63

l
Confucianism, based on the texts of Confucius and his followers,

is one of the six major religions legally recognized in Indonesia.
The Four Books (Confucian classics) have been translated into
Indonesian to help publicize these teachings. l
(photos and text by Lin Min-hsuan/tr. by Phil Newell)

Klenteng Boen Bio, Surabaya
65
AROUND TAIWAN
Creating a Shared Spirit

Through Music:
The World Music Festival

20162017
E ver since Pangu created the universe, a natural music has resounded con-
stantly through it, permeating our cells. It is the expression of the self, and
the language of peoples. Those who love it explore its original implications with
a reverential attitude, identifying interconnected spiritual resonances in distinc-
tive regional forms. A music craze that has spanned the world for half a century
fulfilled a dream for Taiwan in 2016. In the fall of 2017, in Taipeis Dajia River-
side Park, the joy is overflowing once again.

2016
The World Music Festival, representing a global
musical movement of half a century, fulfilled a dream
for Taiwan in 2016. Pictured is an opening parade
performance by West African drums.
67

A lecture on The Practical Details of Presenting a Music
Festival, presented by two foreign speakers, brings new
musical values to the audience.

1965
Wesleyan

2017

@


An inspiration among peoples ying, the curator of World Music Festival Taiwan, and
Musical notes and melodies have never been absent director of planning at Wind Music International Cor-
from the life of mankind. Babies innate waving of hands, poration. Music originates in culture. Even a very minor
kicking of feet and sing-song babblings string together musical tradition has its historical significance. If one
the rhythm of notes, extolling the creativity of life. This explores in depth the particular character of each regional
common language of humanity pours the water of life musical style, one finds that it conceals a subtle pulse of
into national cultures. Under the guidance of music, all its living environment delicately embedded in the music.
the peoples of the world can connect seamlessly. Colorful world music
World music is not just a fashionable term; it has The peoples of the world are many and varied, so
its academic place. It was first formally defined in 1965, world music is inevitably richly diverse. On the basis of
in the ethnomusicology syllabus at Wesleyan University the idea of the global village, all kinds of distinctive music
in Connecticut. The appellation has its origins in the are worthy of respect and preservation.
United States. All the music that was not mainstream in Amid frequent cultural interaction, musical styles grad-
America began to be called world music, says Yu Su- ually blend. Packaged by mass media and commercial

&
Dilip Mukherjee
With frequent cultural interaction,
musical styles gradually blend
together. Seen here are the
group Coromandel Express
and Indian tabla master Dilip
Mukherjee.

This passion for music is like a
firework shooting heavenward,
lighting up everyones hearts.
69
1719
Boxing

SitarKora

Tartessian Lyre
seikilos
1993
Each different ethnic group or community on earth has
its distinctive language and accent, giving rise to its own

rhythms and beats. Here we see a shamisen performance
by the Yoshida Brothers of Hokkaido, Japan.

fashion, the definition of world music has become Constantly introducing new elements, they are helping
broader and broader, presenting a harmony between tradi- to erode the geographical boundaries of folk music, giv-
tion and modernity. There are actually no specific criteria, ing listeners a completely new experience.
but more a kind of spirit, says Yu Su-ying. African music Chung Shefongcoordinator of the blog Trees, Mu-
was taken into the United States along with Negro slaves. sic and Art, founded in 1993, which strives to promote
That reverberating rhythm would later influence jazz. ethnic musicbelieves that the core of ethnic music is
When jazz-influenced styles of music made their way back that it must have ample culture to support it if it is to be
to Africa, they set off yet another wave. These interactions refined into a mature form with substance. The fusion of
between different regions have kindled infinite sparks. musical styles from different parts of the world should
Although the lyrics were in languages we didnt not consist in the coarsely decontextualized creation
understand, those melodies and rhythms gave us an in- of a superficial exoticism and sense of mystery, but re-
describable feeling of intimacy; it was as though our an- quires a respectful attitude and a dialogue of equals, to
cestral spirits were calling us, drawing us. So say Boxing,
a band which has developed the world music beat pas-
sionately and eclectically and was formed by members of
Taiwans indigenous Paiwan tribe. We created music in
different styles, such as rock, hip-hop, Latin and electronic

music, but all in our own mother tongue, giving voice to
the passion within our souls. Using battle rhythms that A stunningly virtuosic performance by Shan Ren Band of
Chinas Yunnan Province. Music originates in culture, and
took no prisoners, they dared to innovate, courageously even very minor musical traditions have their historical
significance.
injecting traditional Eastern music into Western rock n
roll, integrating American jazz with indigenous chanting.
71

Glastonbury Festival1970

500
Boxing
P e t e r

Gabriel1983
World of Music, Arts,
1969815 and Dance Festival, WOMAD

32
40
Woodstock Music & Art Fair

&

The World Music
Festival promotes
traditional musicians
from Taiwan to the
world. Pictured here are
Yen Yung-neng and his
band, Takao Run.

produce music that builds on the historical depth and
overall context of the different traditions. Boxing

Resonating with the melodies of the universe The members of the Paiwan band Boxing are in tune with
On August 15, 1969, a gigantic jamboree of music got the world music beat. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
underway beneath the open skies of the eastern USA.

Over three days, on Max Yasgur s dairy farm near a
hamlet named White Lake in the town of Bethel in up-
state New York, 32 acts played before a crowd of some (WOMAD), repositioning world music once again. It has
400,000. The event was called the Woodstock Music & become an annual bonanza in the popular music world.
Art Fair, and it was a defining moment in rock music This kind of fanatical enthusiasm for music has not
history. Thereafter, similar outdoor events were held all only created constantly changing rainbows on the hori-
over the world, one after the other. zons of the US and UK, but sprays glittering sparks all
Imagine, on the grass and in the mud of vast fields, over the rest of the world. Scotland, France, Spain, Por-
multitudes returning to the exuberance of childhood, tugal, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, one after the other, have
gyrating and singing joyfully without care or inhibi- hosted a succession of magnificent events.
tion. These are the scenes at the worlds biggest green- Musical sparks from Taiwan
field music festival, the Glastonbury Festival. Since its Music is infectious and Taiwan too is constantly
founding in Great Britain in 1970, almost half a century generating the enjoyment it spawns. The Formoz Fes-
ago, its annual crowds have grown exponentially, from tival, which began in 1994, introduced to Taiwan the
500 at the very beginning to some 175,000 this year. heterogeneous sounds of ethnic groups from all over
In 1983, Peter Gabriel, leader of British rock group the world, as well as blessing the nation with the atmo-
Genesis, launched a large-scale outdoor performance sphere of the worlds music festivals. The Migration Mu-
event, the World of Music, Arts, and Dance Festival sic Festival, held at the outdoor music stage in Taipeis
73

WOMEX
1994F o r m o z WOMADelaide
Festival UCLA

1995
Spring Scream

10
230

Ho-hai-yan Rock Festival l
Chiayi City International Band
Festival
20016
2015
2016

2017

Daan Park, not only saw contemporary world pop music Gongliao in New Taipei City and the Chiayi City Interna-
performed in Taiwan, but also promoted some traditional tional Band Festival added their own momentum, helping
tunes and singers from Taiwan to the world. the music lovers of this treasure island to weave together
Spring Scream, starting in 1995, and held annually in the background to their lives.
Kenting at Taiwans southern tip, is the longest-running Generating pride in Taiwan
large-scale music festival in Taiwans history, as well as the In 2000, Taipei Arts International Association held a
nations largest international music, art and cultural perfor- six-day Taiwan World Music Festival in Taipei, inviting
mance event. In its record-breaking 2007 edition more than singers and instrumentalists from Greece, Belgium and
230 domestic and overseas acts appeared over three days, Hungary to perform music that blended traditional and
with performances running simultaneously on ten stages. popular styles.
The beat gravitated from Taiwans tail all the way to The World Music Festival, organized by the Ministry of
her head. Such events as the Ho-hai-yan Rock Festival at Culture, made its debut in 2015, and in 2016 attracted more
than 30,000 delighted music fans. I wanted to forge a mu-
sic festival that belongs to the entire population, enabling
family members, lovers, married couples and friends to en-
joy a shared memory, says Yu Su-ying, her eyes shining.
2015 And now its time for World Music Festival Taiwan
The 2015 Spring Wave Music and Art Festival at the old
Wuliting Airport in Hengchun. (photo by Jimmy Lin) 2017, with the slogan move your body, music your life.
On stage or off, there are no barriers. As long as you let
yourself go, take off on the wings of musical dreams, im-
merse yourself in the joy of taking part and share in the
writing of a common music of life.
This event mixing the intellectual with the emotional
has attracted the attention of many notable figures in the
world of music. Among the official activities are presenta-
tions by the curators of such events and institutions as the
World Music Expo (WOMEX), Australias WOMADel-
aide, Japans Okinawan Festival, mainland Chinas Folk
on the Road music festival, the Center for the Art of
Performance at the University of California, Los Angeles,
and New Mexicos annual celebration of world music and
culture, Globalquerque!
These international presentations bring new musical
values and open up new and otherwise inaccessible hori-
zons, giving Taiwan an opportunity to breathe diverse
musical scents from other terrains. Taiwan too has many
treasures of music and art, which other regions struggle
to rival. So says a confident Yu Su-ying, who has been
deeply involved in local music for many years.
May this musical jamboree enable the uniqueness
and preciousness of Taiwans traditional music and art
to shine brightly and warmly, displaying new local tal-
ent. May it be passed from Taiwan to the world, to create
pride and vibes that will always be Taiwans! l
(Lee Shan Wei/photos courtesy of Wind Music/
tr. by Mark Rawson)
75
AROUND TAIWAN

THE
SALMONS
DREAM
Environmental Education
and Conservation
at Shei-Pa National Park

2015


I t all goes back to 2015, when Li Huan peng, a
teacher in the performing arts class at San Min
Junior High School in Hsin chu, gave a puppetry

Lin Fen-in (left), who wrote the script for the Ah Gui story, and
volunteer performer Li Chin-chu (right), bring life to puppet
course at the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters. theater. (photo by Jimmy Lin)
The course inspired park staffer Cho Hsiao-chuan and

a group of volunteers to do a series of puppet shows
on their own. Not only did these help strengthen the
publics desire to protect the Formosan landlocked The salmon puppet show begins!
salmon, they also evoked a general consciousness of The Third Prince Ao Bing, son of the Dragon King
ecological and environmental protection. of the Eastern Sea, wields his divine dragon claws with
consummate skill. In an instant all you can see are dense
With sudden sounds of wind and rain, emerging black clouds, driving wind and crashing rain, sand blow-
like a man from behind a mirror, the Third Prince Ao ing and rocks being moved. With this thrilling back-
Bing, son of the Dragon King, enters stage left. Wa-ha- ground narration, the puppet Ao Bing, representing a
ha-ha-ha! Heaven is great and earth is great, but who typhoon, crashes down on husband and wife Ah Gui and
is greater than me? The wind is strong and the rain is Gui Sao, a pair of Formosan landlocked salmon, separat-
strong, but I am still the strongest! ing them from one another. Ah! My husband, my poor
77

The Formosan landlocked salmon,
a relict survivor from the ice age and a
national treasure.

The eyed eggs and yolk sac stages of
the Formosan landlocked salmon.

17


husband! Gui Sao cannot help but wail. Following close

on this, symbols of disaster after disaster for the salmon The latest challenge to be faced is to find two or three
come on stagethe predatory tawny fish-owl, and threats tributaries beyond the Qijiawan River. The photo shows
the release of fish into the Luoyewei Creek.
to the salmons habitat from check dams, pesticides, and
excessive land clearance for farming. The salmon couple
pass through many tribulations but also receive lots of
help, and finally their drama comes to a happy ending.
Lin Fen-in, a retired teacher from Miaoli Senior High conflict and tension into the plot, and came up with
School who wrote the Ah Gui script, says: The most additional storylines like the typhoon, pesticides, and
difficult thing about writing an environmental drama habitat destruction.
is that besides being entertaining and having a story to The puppetry performances at Shei-Pa National Park
tell, it must also have meaning in terms of ecological opened up promotion of environmental education to a
education. Recalling how she got the idea for the story, larger public. Cho Hsiao-chuan, a staffer in the parks
it turns out that the earliest embryo of this play was Interpretation and Education Section, says: Once some
inspired by the collapse of a check dam, which morphed researchers from the Industrial Technology Research
into a story like the legend of Meng Jiang N, whose Institute came here to take a class, and after seeing the
tears broke down a part of the Great Wall of China as she puppet show, they told us they were very surprised
wept for her dead husband. But the director at the time, to see there could be this kind of creative class in a
Assistant Professor Li Tso-wen of Chungyu University of government agency, and the play had deepened their
Film and Arts, thought that it was necessary to add some understanding of the Formosan landlocked salmon.
elements of conflict and opposition in order to attract The challenges of salmon protection
audiences, and moreover that the most eye- catching Talking about the history of conservation of the For-
thing about Taiwanese puppetry is the fighting. mosan landlocked salmon, Liao Lin-yan, director of the
So Lin Fen-in gave new thought to how to bring parks Wuling Station, says: When I came to Shei-Pa in
79

1999

5,000
3,0005,000

20043,000
6

Through commitment of all kinds of resources
and manpower, the Formosan landlocked
salmon was restored to the Qijiawan River.
12
103
5
67
10
200

Chung Ming-shan, director of Shei-Pa National Park
Headquarters, explains the achievements made in
conservation throughout the park. (photo by Jimmy Lin)
1999, there were probably only 500 or so of the salmon five centimeters long. But in Taiwan, it was discov-
remaining. With so few fish in the river, it was virtually ered that newly released Formosan landlocked salmon
time to declare them extinct. Later, with only limited tended not to swim far from their release point. Obser-
funding and crude equipment, with great difficulty a vations showed that only about 20% of the fish swam
complete system was built up for breeding and raising upstream, and the other 80% were washed away when
Formosan landlocked salmon. What stands out most typhoon season came in June and July. Therefore the
in my memory is how in 2004, when the new breeding release time was changed to October, when the typhoon
station was only half built, Typhoon Aere washed away season is usually over. By that time the young fish
all 3000 fish in the old breeding station. With six years are larger and so are more likely to survive. They also
of hard work destroyed overnight, Liao could only began releasing the salmon at multiple locations.
console himself with the fact that they had decided to An urgent process of conservation
evacuate all the staff at that time, thereby avoiding any Every year we mobilize volunteers to count the
deaths or injuries. number of Formosan landlocked salmon in the entire
In terms of research into restoration of the Formosan stretch of river. The highest number ever recorded in the
landlocked salmon, Liao points to two critical break- Qijiawan River was 5000, with the average staying at
throughs. The first was overcoming the problem of how 30005000, says park director Chung Ming-shan.
to feed the fish while raising them, and the second was The river s carrying capacity appears to be from
adjusting the procedure and timing of the fishs release 3000 to 5000 fish, and by the commitment of all kinds
into the wild, and their size at release. Early data sug- of resources and manpower, the Formosan landlocked
gested that Formosan landlocked salmon need to eat salmon has been restored in the main waterway, the Qijia-
live prey to survive, but the water temperature in the wan River. But the conservation effort remains precari-
Qijiawan River is only 12C, so it is not easy to raise ous, as with extreme weather becoming more frequent
feed organisms. Later they tried using manmade fish on a global scale, events such as typhoons and floods can
feed, and after giving the fish time to get accustomed have a devastating effect on the fish. Therefore, the next
to the feed, choosing appropriately sized feed particles, challenge was to actively seek out two or three other trib-
and gradually increasing the frequency of feeding, they utaries of the Dajia River, beyond the Qijiawan River.
achieved success. There are limitations in the selection of waterways
Originally Liao followed the salmon breeding meth- for restoration of the Formosan landlocked salmon. The
ods used in Japan and the US, where the fish are bred Techi Reservoir, at an altitude of 1411 meters, makes it
in October and released in March, when they are about impossible for the salmon to spread downstream, and in
81

3,0005,000

2006

1,411

900
1,800

2,800-3,200

6070

The tree-climbing events held in the Xuejian
Recreation Area are a fun educational activity
that allows schoolchildren to experience the
ecology of the forest canopy.

any case they cannot survive at elevations lower than
Yaki Lawa
900 meters. Liao Lin-yan notes, meanwhile, that the The Shei-Pa headquarters cooperates with Aboriginal
habitat above the reservoir at 1800 meters elevation has communities around the park to promote environmental
education. The photo shows Atayal national treasure Lawa
been damaged by cabbage farming, so that every time Toyu, better known as Yaki Lawa (Grandma Lawa), one of the
it rains the water becomes very turbid and the fish cant last surviving members of her tribe with traditional facial tattoos.
survive. Therefore for the next three years Shei-Pa will

work with Taroko National Park to release salmon into
the Hehuan River at a height of 28003200 meters. This
is a place where the fish existed historically. have been removed from the river system, including
Chung Ming-shan notes that while this may look like Dams 1 through 4 of the Gaoshan Creek and Dam 1 of
conservation of only the Formosan landlocked salmon, the Qijiawan River. This is because check dams not only
in fact they are conserving the ecologies of the whole disrupt the routes for the salmons movement, they also
river and its surroundings. In the 1970s and 80s, all change its habitat and leave it no place to hide during
of Wuling Farm was planted with high-altitude crops the heavy rains of the typhoon season.
like cabbage and honey peaches. Compare that to the Promoting environmental education
present magnificent scene, luxuriant with plant life and In 2013, Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters became
a well-known spot for admiring cherry blossoms; the formally certified as an environmental education
credit for these changes can all be ascribed to the For- venue under the Environmental Education Act, which
mosan landlocked salmon. took effect in 2011. Besides passive distribution of
The conservation of the Formosan landlocked salmon information at the visitor center, they are now actively
has driven the conversion of farmland to other uses and holding activities for schools and communities. As
greater protection for water catchment areas. But what part of this work, there is a tree-climbing activity in the
really amazes foreign visitors is that five check dams national park that allows students to experience the
83

The precipitous Holy Ridge, which runs through

Shei-Pa National Park from Mt. Dabajian to Mt. Xue.
514
1
2011
2013

2011
23
310

Youth Camp31
30-40
l

ecology of the forest canopy in a fun way. Since 2011, to the park, and the park authorities want to build part-
the park has held this tree-climbing activity for school- nerships with them. Chung Ming-shan says: Starting
children on 23 occasions, with 310 participants. with an ecotourism training plan, the first thing is to
Also, every summer vacation they hold a Youth train guides, and next we will help these communities
Camp in the Wu ling and Guanwu recreation areas. do a survey of their community resources. After the
There are three sessions from high school to univer- surveys, the park will draw up ecotourism itineraries. If
sity, with each session hosting 3040 people. Activities there are problems regarding food or accommodation,
include camping, mountain hiking and tree-climbing, they will invite experts to help the indigenous commu-
and the camp is very popular. And now every week in nities troubleshoot the issues, and attempt to construct
the environmental classroom of the Wen shui Visitor a management system. The aim is to link local resources
Center, they put on programs such as the story of Ah with ecotourism to improve the livelihoods of the
Gui and the conservation of the Formosan salamander, people in these nearby communities, while facilitating
using dynamic and diverse activities to attract visitors. environmental sustainability. l
In addition, the Aboriginal communities next to the (Ivan Chen/photos courtesy of Shei-Pa National Park
three recreation areas in Shei-Pa are gateways for access Headquarters/tr.by Phil Newell)
85
AROUND TAIWAN
AROUND TAIWAN

A Living Museum of Trains
The Transformation of an Industrial Relic
F ollowing the traffic circle around Taipeis his-

toric North Gate, one catches sight of the old
Taiwan Railways Administration building to the
roundabouts northwest. With brick and half-tim-
bered walls and protruding towers to the right and
left of the entrance, the two-story building with a
dormered third floor is an example of Tudor-revival
Japanese colonial architecture. Its a beautiful build-
ing that features prominently in the memories of
many long-time Taipei residents.

The Taiwan Railways Administration building (top) and
the Taipei Railway Workshop (bottom, photo by Lin
Min-hsuan) both played important roles in the history
of railways in Taiwan.

Meanwhile the Taipei Railway Workshop, located

in eastern Taipei across from the Living Mall, was
built as the TRAs center of train repair when the
area was still on the outskirts of the city. This in-
dustrial complex became a second home of sorts to
the workers who inspected, maintained and repaired
train cars and locomotives there.
It was by coincidence that the two locationsalike na-

tional historic sites that played important roles in the his-
tory of railways in Taiwanwere both opened to public
tours this past summer. When the tours were announced
on the Internet, they immediately filled up. Access to these
railway institutions had been tightly controlled, so train
buffs were eager to avail themselves of an opportunity to
visit sites so crucial to the golden era of rail in Taiwan.
Taiwans first science park
Upon entering the former Taiwan Railways Admin-
istration building, which was built to house the Japa-
nese colonial railways administration, one is met with
eye-pleasing terrazzo floors and an ornate plaster ceiling
in a low-key but well-appointed lobby. Ascending a split
staircase, one arrives at a long conference room with a

The conference room on the second floor of the Taiwan
Railways Administration building features an ornate oval
plaster ceiling (upper right photo) that bears witness to the
colonial governments attention to detail and the importance it
placed on making a stately impression. The buildings central
lobby (lower photo) offers a charming and welcoming space.
89

A shot of the TRA office

building during renovations.
(courtesy of National
Taiwan Museum)
1912
1919

(below) The Alishan
Mountain Railway opened
in 1912. Cypresses from
the mountainsome
of tremendous size
were used to construct
the Taiwan Railways
Administration building,
which was finished in 1919.
1993
2006


A quiet corner of the TRA office building on a
bright afternoon.
marvelously ornate oval ceiling that bears wit-

ness to the colonial governments attention to
detail and to the importance it placed on mak-
ing a stately impression.
The location has a long history that predates
these elegant offices. The site was originally
home to the Taipei Machinery Bureau during
the Qing Dynasty, when it functioned as a
machine repair shop, arms factory, mint, and
railway repair workshop. Then in the Japanese
colonial era the current structure was built as
the administrative center for Taiwans rail-
ways. After Taiwans return to Chinese rule
at the end of World War II, the buildings use
for administering railways continued under
the TRA, which later moved to the newly con-
structed Tai pei Railway Station in 1993. The
old office building stood empty for a few years,
until 2006 when the National Taiwan Museum
was given responsibility for restoring it.
The site is significant in terms of the history
of Taiwans modernization. The Machinery Bu-
reau introduced new equipment and manufac-
turing processes to Taiwan, aiming to increase
precision and speed, and trains, to be sure, were
a means of transportation that placed great
stress on the importance of timeliness. Lin Yi-
hong, an assistant researcher with the National
Taiwan Museum who was responsible for the
buildings renovations, says: The Machinery
Bureau counts as Taiwans first scientific indus-
trial park. You could even say that this is where The Taipei Railway Workshop now spans some 17 hectares.
the modernization of Taiwan began. Each area of the plant features unique designs and building
Largest train repair facility in the Far East layouts. At 167 meters long, 20.4 meters high and 23.8 meters
Located on the other side of the city, the Tai- wide, the erecting shop features concrete exterior walls, large
pei Railway Workshop was the largest train span steel trusses, the symmetry of industrial architecture, and
repair facility in East Asia when it was con- high expansive windows, among other special features. At the
structed in 1935. Today it is the most expansive same time, with windows placed on the north and south sides
nationally designated historic site in Taiwan. but not the east and west, the sun cannot cast rays directly into
Its history bears witness to the development of the building when low in the sky. Its thus a highly energy-
train repair in Taiwan. efficient space.
91
Many of the workshop areas floors are made of large

blocks of cypress wood, with asphalt used to fill the
gaps. The choice of flooring helped to absorb oil, dampen
1935 shocks and limit the damage from dropped heavy parts.
The boilers in the engine room provided high-pressure
steam to power a variety of machines at the plant. The
excess heat was carried by pipes to warm the workers

baths. After employees got off for the day, they could go
17 for a soak to wash away their fatigue. By emphasizing
16720.4 the reuse of resources, it was a green design of its era.
23.8 The Tai pei Railway Work-
shop embodies the history of
labor on Taiwans trains. The
industrial complex was a sec-
ond home to workers for most
of their lives, and they left their

marks throughout the facility.
The murals in the complexs
dieselelectric locomotive shop
and internal combustion engine
shop were created by the work-

ers themselves. There are also
whimsical TRA robots, which
were built by workers from

spare parts. These features really
bring life to the complex.
Retired Taipei Railway Work-
shop chief Chen Wu-chang, 63,
guides us through the forge and
metallurgy shop, which would
have been a hot and stuffy place
back in the day. The plants workers themselves could
fashion any needed spare part here, and indeed the

workshop area still holds many tools that the workers
made themselves. A single steam locomotive has thou-
sands of parts, and the workers here could make all of
them, Chen says with pride. The anecdotes that Chen
shares portray a unique way of life inside the factory.

Restoration of cultural assets
It is only relatively recently that the preservation of

our industrial heritage has received much public atten-
tion in Taiwan. The TRA offices were designated as an
historic site back in 1992, but the Taipei Railway Work-
shop was only brought under the authority of the Na-
tional Taiwan Museum in 2006, and restoration did not
begin until 2014. At first only the workers baths, erecting

The erecting shop of the

Taipei Railway Workshop
features a vaulted ceiling
supported by steel trusses.
This is where steam engines
used to be repaired.
(photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
93

Old photos of workers at work in the

forge and metallurgy shop (top) and the
new coach shop (bottom). (courtesy of
the Bureau of Cultural Heritage, MOC)
63
45

1992
2006
2014


shop, engine room, and forge and metallurgy shop were ervation of the Taipei Railway Workshop, says, Recov-
designated historic sites. Only later did the entire com- ering a places core values is the driving force behind
plex gain that designation thanks to discussions among cultural preservation. Consequently, the first stage of
citizen groups and the Ministry of Culture (MOC). restoration was focused on the general offices and the
Wherein lies the value in preserving cultural assets? workers baths, because the two places are redolent with
Lin Yi hong believes that historical sites, as tangible social and historical context that animates the life histo-
three-dimensional spaces that impart a sense of history, ries of the workshops laborers. Furthermore, during the
are things that a city needs. Such places illuminate the period of restoration there were scheduled tours of those
experiences of certain places and times. Preserving them areas that could be accessed safely. These both gave the
as close to their original condition as possible, so that public a chance to participate in the restoration process
the public can personally experience the physical ob- and helped to achieve the goal of cultural accessibility.
jects and the traces left by time, is a paramount aim of National-level train museum
restoration efforts. For the restoration of the TRA offices, When you think about Taiwan finally having a
preserving the traces of different eras was an important chance to create its own railway museum, what kind of
concern. In the ornately plastered second-floor con- a museum would you imagine?
ference room, one can clearly distinguish between the Railway expert Hong Zhiwen explains that Taiwan-
white new sections and the yellowed original ones. Our ese culture is highly tolerant and inclusive, which is evi-
imagining of the future is reliant on our understanding dent when you look at the islands railways. From the
of the past and pondering of the present, says Lin. earliest tracks laid under the Qing-Dynasty governor
Liu Ming xing, who leads the team at the MOCs Liu Mingchuan, to the introduction of the Japanese sys-
Bureau of Cultural Heritage that is responsible for pres- tem, to the guidance provided by American consultants

For Chen Wu-chang,
retired chief of the Taipei
Railway Workshop, every
corner of the facility
is rich with memories.
(photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
95

24
583
2

11

l

With arched ceilings and beautiful windows, the
bathhouse at the Taipei Railway Workshop was
a place where workers could wash away the
days fatigue. This was another side of workers
lives at the facility. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
From the standpoints of cultural

equality and cultural accessibility,
Deputy Minister of Culture Yang Tzu-
pao, who is a train buff himself, is wor-
ried that contemporary art is gradually
becoming stratified by social class. He
emphasizes that museums have the dif-
ficult mission of making learning fun.
Enjoyment should be the mother of
knowledge. You dont want to intimi-
date or alienate the public. These consid-
erations must be the starting point for
the museum.
The late start taken to create a Tai-
wan train museum poses serious chal-
lenges but also offers advantages, Yang
says. He uses the metaphor of a train
station being a place of departure. He
anticipates that the railway museum
after the war, Taiwan has purchased trains from various nations. Thus will provide a gateway for the public to
the whole railway system in Taiwan has a highly cosmopolitan flavor. look back, turn around, and make new
A Taiwan railway museum ought to use Taiwans history to show startsall the while holding bright ex-
the trains of the world, says Hong. pectations for the future.
Because the Taipei Railway Workshop restoration project involves The plans call for exceeding a mere
preservation of the entire site, including 24 different stretches of track, national-level railway museum. Yang
many elements can be brought into play for a future rail museum. anticipates that the museum will demon-
For example, Hong notes that Taiwan has just acquired two 583 Series strate to the world how the people of Tai-
sleeper cars from the Railway Museum in Saitama, Japan. They could wan can bring disused industrial sites to
be made available for overnight stays. Restored Chu-Kuang Express life for modern people and will prompt
dining cars, meanwhile, could be used as the museums cafeteria. Old more foreign friends to take special trips
things can inform the public about the evolution of the islands rails. to Taiwan. The institution will thus as-
They help to tell the stories that a train museum should tell. cend to the ranks of truly international-
Apart from conveying the elegance of railway architecture, the class railway museums. l
central focus of the restored TRA offices will be in taking a small is (Cathy Teng/photos by Jimmy Lin/
beautiful approach to describing railway culture and history. tr. by Jonathan Barnard)
97
CULTURAL TRENDS

Tai-Hwa
Pottery

The National Palace Museum of Yingge


Y anagi Soetsu, the father of the Japanese mingei
folk craft movement, believed that handicrafts
combined spiritual beauty with the usefulness of
physical objects, thus satisfying people on both the
physical and spiritual levels. Tai-Hwa Pottery, a

brand that epitomizes modern fine ceramics in Tai-
wan, truly combines beauty
2011 and usefulness in its painted
porcelains. Leveraging its
skilled craftsmanship and
unique research into glaze
pigments, it draws on local

elements and the creativity
of local artists to create

works that have repeatedly
been selected by the Office of
2016 the President and the Min-
istry of Foreign Affairs for
state visit gifts.
Localization and global
ization are two sides of the
same coin. Special local qual

ities are what brings global

visibility. Through its parti

1983 cipation in many outstanding
nationallevel projects, Tai Cheng Shan-hsis
Remembering Shen Yao-
Hwa Pottery has acquired a tsu. Cheng has created
colorful porcelains for
reputation as the National more than 30 years,
Palace Museum of Yingge, during which time he has
earned a reputation as a
and its ceramics are known preeminent popularizer of
literati ink-wash painting.
as the imperial porcelain of
the current day. Behind its excellent reputation lie hard
work and the courage to face challenges head on. The
firms 30-some-year history bears witness to the rise and
fall of the ceramics industry in Yingge, New Taipei City.
1986 Rise and fall of an industry
When Tai-Hwa Pottery was founded in 1983, it
created ceramics both for daily use and for display. It
mainly worked as a contract manufacturer, making
antiquestyle handthrown, unglazed and singlecolor

glaze pottery for export markets, including Hong Kong
and the United States. It was like other contract ceram
ics makers in Yingge at a time when Taiwan occupied
a downstream location in the chain of ceramics pro
duction, lacking R&D, design and branding abilities.
99

Colored porcelain isnt merely an extension of artworks painted
on flat surfaces. Rather, its a form of creative expression born
from the interplay of glaze and heat.

1990
1,300
1995

(left) Hand-thrown vases at the Tai-Hwa
factory quietly await craftspeople and
artists to apply the color that will bring
them to life.

(below) In the piece Blue Magpie, the
exquisitely rendered magpie, along with
the resplendent gold engraving work,
symbolize wealth and good fortune.
It was competing on price in a labor-intensive field of New glaze pigment techniques

production. In 1986, responding to market demand, Tai After several years of working together, Lu
Hwa began to produce colored porcelain. In addition to Chaohsin and the TaiHwa team successfully
producing traditional Chinese ceramics in the fencai and developed the hightemperature underglaze
doucai styles, it also produced Japanesestyle ceramics single-firing technique in 1990. Chuang
(such as Imari, Arita Satsuma and Kutani ware) which Hsiu-ling, chief of Tai-Hwas Cultural Cre
it sold to Japan, Britain, the US, Italy and other nations. ation Division, explains the key to
Not long afterwards, developing nations with lower success with hightemperature un
production costs, including mainland China and coun derglazes: metal oxides must be
tries in Southeast Asia, entered the market. Seemingly heated to 1300C to vitrify before
overnight, we couldnt get orders, and pottery factories being ground into a powder to
in Yingge started going out of business one after an create a stable refractory under
other, says Lu Chaohsin, president of the company. glaze. This makes the color
The entire industry in Yingge was hit hard and fell into of the porcelain more vivid
rapid decline. It was as if we had moved suddenly and enables it to maintain a
from bright noon to sunset. It prompted a realization: like new condition over
We cant keep going down that old contract manufac the long term, as well as
turing path! a shiny luster and en
What approach did they take to repositioning Taiwan hanced texture that
in the global system of production? It wasnt enough suggest a higher
to preserve traditional craft techniques. Innovations quality. Single
were also needed to give ceramic art culture the power firings can raise
to sustain itself. Lu Chaohsin resolved to reform the the efficiency
businesss structure, shifting from competing on price of the manu
toward a model of highvalueadded production. Only facturing pro
by changing the business model, and introducing in cess and save
novations, could we produce products for a new era. energy, as well
101

1995

1998
2015
()
In 2015 Tai-Hwa designed Excellent Esthetics, exclusive
blue-and-white tableware that is used in ROC embassies and
consulates overseas for official dinners. (courtesy of Tai-Hwa Pottery)

as overcome the flaws of double-fired porcelain, such as
Tai-Hwa has released a houseware collection based on works
colors fading over time and the inclusion of lead, cad by the Hong Kong painter Sanyu that are held in the National
mium and other heavy metals that are characteristic of Museum of History.
low-temperature firing.
A watercolorlike glaze painting technique is an im
portant factor in drawing more people to create colored ceramics. Instead, by focusing on the special qualities of
porcelains. Whether machinethrown, slipcast or hand porcelain, Lu believes that it is possible to go further and
thrown, biscuit ware (the unglazed porcelain after the develop new forms of expression. Consequently, he says,
first firing) is highly absorbent and not easy to directly apart from developing even more kinds of ceramic ware,
apply colors to with a brush. After much trial and error, when it comes to artists who are interested in painting
it was discovered that adding a white cosmetic foun on porcelain, I have been highly supportive with tech
dation lowers the biscuits absorbency, so that the ex niques and materials, encouraging them to innovate with
perience of brush writing and painting on ceramics can new pigments and glazes.
closely resemble that of paper, allowing one to create in Playing with new colors
a carefree manner. The painter Hong Chungyi, whom TaiHwa has sup
Glazes with watercolor effects ported, is adept at using transmutation glazes to produce
The technique of getting glaze to resemble water color effects and textures. In 1998, I was among a group
colors originated from the needs of artists to create of oil painters who were invited to come to TaiHwa in
colored porcelains. In 1995 Lu Chaohsin, searching Yingge and have a go at painting ceramics. Much to my
for new techniques, established the TaiHwa Ceramics surprise, I alone was attracted to this medium and deeply
Learning Centre and the Craftsman Studio at Tai-Hwas captivated by it. To the present day it is an alternative fo
headquarters in Yingge. He hired a group of Taiwanese cal point of my creative work. Drawing from his strong
artists brimming with creativity to staff these facilities foundation in oil painting, Hong applies layers of differ
and participate in the creation of colored porcelains, so ent glazes. After high-temperature firing, these ceramics
as to apply artists skills and modes of thinking to the acquire a distinctive layered coloration. He has also taken
pursuit of innovations in themes and techniques. another step in using painting as a launching pad for cre
Yet by simply using unglazed ceramics as a painters ating biscuit ware in various shapes.
canvas, by using color to paint a picture, it is hard to When layered colored glazes melt together at high
transcend the framework of imitating historical colored temperature, says Hong, it creates surfaces that are
103

2016

2003

2011101

201133APEC
2010
2014

l
The Colors of AutumnChuang Kuei-chus Porcelain Paintings,
an exhibition held in Tai-Hwas Culture Concept Hall in Yingge.

236

At 236 centimeters tall, this vase is
the largest object with a crystalline
glaze in the world. It is one of the
greatest treasures in Tai-Hwas
collection.
boldly bursting with glaze. Its an effect thats difficult to communities around the world. Based on the original
create with oil paintings. With the mixing of pigments and paintings, TaiHwa created some porcelain pieces that
glazes, it becomes impossible to predict the ensuing trans can be used in daily life: Treasures for the Home. In
formations in the kiln, which makes the process even more 2016, the firm worked with clothes designer Goji Lin to
bewitching. He also mentions how small differences in create porcelain components to be used on bags and ac
applying the glazes can result in very different outcomes. cessories. These various crossdisciplinary alliances are
Going international helping to bring colorful porcelain into peoples lives
Lu Chaohsin is forming alliances with companies and spreading good taste.
in other industries in order to find new markets amidst Fighting spirit
rapid change. TaiHwa has introduced customization, When Yingges ceramics industry hit hard times,
with craftspeople at the firm combining paint and glaze many businesses continued to be conservatively inward
and then firing the requested items. The firm created looking, fearing the theft of their techniques. But Lu took
tableware and display ceramics for the Grand Hyatt Tai a contrarian approach: I decided to open the factory to
pei inspired by Chinese painting, colored calligraphies visitors, so that they could better understand the value
and traditional crafts. of porcelain. He believed that only if you are 100%
In 2011 it worked with Taipei 101 and eight artists to open can you see your own flaws. With that approach,
create bottles for a limitedquantity release of special kao you are not only forced to improve the cleanliness of the
liang spirit. They were sold at recordbreaking prices. Af factory, but you can also improve efficiency and quality.
ter that successful alliance, in 2011 Tai-Hwa was invited The architect Han Paoteh has said that those on the
to participate in a seminar on small and mediumsized cutting edge inevitably have high expectations of them
enterprises at the 33rd meeting of APEC, where it shared selves. Its a description that certainly applies to the
reflections on its experience and development practices. road that Lu Chaohsin and TaiHwa have taken. If you
In 2014 Tai-Hwa worked with the National Museum are competing with foreign brands, you will naturally
of History to develop a jointly branded tea set inspired work hard to raise quality. And among those producing
by QingDynasty birdandflower embroidery, which culturally creative products, only those few that pro
engendered much discussion about fashionable tea sets. duce at a high level will put the highest of expectations
This year the museum held the exhibition Parisian on themselves and their products. l
Nostalgia: The National Museum of Historys Sanyu (Sanya Huang/photos by Jimmy Lin/
Collection, which has created quite a stir in Chinese tr. by Jonathan Barnard)
105
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Crafty Fashion:
Giving Taiwanese Manufacturing
a Voice Through Design

D esigners are often faced with the question of how to

balance personal creativity with commerce. Taichung
makes that balancing act a bit easier. Its relatively low
rents and labor costs, and Taipei-comparable competitive
pressures, make it more accommodating to experimental
spaces, enticing young designers to build their businesses
there. These young creatives are renting apartments in the
city, opening unique creative and cultural businesses, and
connecting with and encouraging one another.

The Taiwanese expression hang-a-lai refers to an coffee shops, studios, and boutiques dot the surround-
expert, someone who is in the know. Its an apt name for ing lowrise residential neighborhoods, giving rise to
Taichungs creative and cultural industry hotspots. Cen- something very much like a mini creativecultural plat-
tered around the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, form. Happy surprises lurk around every bend.
the hang-a-lai areas include the citys West District and its Personal ties
Darong Street commercial district. Creative and cultural Huang Milu, the owner of PetitDeer Curatorial Stu-
enterprises ranging from private chefs to art galleries, dio and a frequent curator of fairs and exhibitions, says,
107

Taiwans manufacturing
industry was built on the
back of OEM manufacturing
with little thought to
branding. Small designer
brands are learning
brand management in the
marketplace.

2014

108 Vingt Six

2016C+H

Vi n g t S i x
C+H10


People from Tai chung are grounded and
stubborn. If you want to put down roots in the
city, youre better off developing relationships
than flashing titles and certifications.
Less highly commercialized than Tai pei,
the citys makeup retains traces of traditional
village culture. And while Tai peis creative
and cultural workers often go it alone, those
in Taichung for the long haul have to take the
time to weave extensive interpersonal net-
works that will not only provide them with
information and resources, but also facilitate
cooperation.
Tracing the threads of these interpersonal
connections reveals the patterns in the fabric
of the citys creative and cultural industry.
Rita Ho and Reean Jan used to work to-
gether at a Tai chung shoe manufacturer,
where their duties coordinating with OEM
customers and raw materials suppliers gave
them a thorough grasp of the shoemaking
process. After the company announced its
closure, the two women went on to establish
Laney Shoes in 2014. Chen Yunhan, manager
of the Art Museum Parkway commercial
district association, helped them arrange to
share a storefront on Wuquan 8th Street with
leather-goods maker Sensiashu, giving rise to
a leather studio with a rich array of products.
To further her shoemaking mission, as well as managing her own brand Rita Ho offers lectures on establishing
businesses that make shoes by hand, and works with shoe producers to pass on shoemaking techniques.

It isnt practical to use cutting dies for low-volume handmade
shoes, so materials must instead be cut by hand.
(courtesy of Laney Shoes)
109

In keeping with the handmade ethos of craftwork, the shops main area is used to teach leatherworking.

Laney


A shoemaker glues on a rubber sole. Handmade shoes breathe better than
mass-produced ones because they dont have their entire soles slathered with glue.
(courtesy of Laney Shoes)
Seams sewn in leather cant be corrected. Tidy seams are a

mark of quality craftsmanship.
Maggie Chang, founder of Vingt Six, produced her

first shoulder bag, one shaped like a skirt and featuring
a soft exterior and firm interior, to meet her own needs.
She went on to open a stall, take the bag to market, and
forge connections with other young designers in her
field. The young designers shared ideas and informa-
tion among themselves, and then rented a studio to-
gether. Their friendly relationship and mutual support
eventually led to Chang selling her products overseas,
and, in 2016, opening a designer boutique: O.Office.
Giving a myth the boot
Central Taiwan has long been the heartland of Tai-
wanese manufacturing. Back in the heyday of Taiwanese
OEM manufacturing, the area was filled with leather,
fabric and hardware makers generating large amounts
111

67

I didnt use to be confident in myself, but my personality changed
after I started wearing clothes Id designed myself, says Yang
Yun Han (left), who encourages conservative customers to give
them a try.

Maggie Changs pleated skirt
bag is soft on the outside, but
firm on the inside. Feminine
at first glance, its sturdy
construction and large capacity
also make it very practical.
of income from abroad. Though most of these pro- cow from which it came moved. When manufacturers
ducers have since moved overseas, a few remain and mass-produce leather shoes, they focus on speed and
continue to provide a variety of items and high-quality keeping costs down, and typically ignore the orienta-
materials at low cost. These products not only save tion of the leather. This means that their shoes often
the young designers and their brands money, but also become stretched out as they age, sometimes to the
get their creative juices flowing. The manufacturers point that the wearers heel may pop out. In contrast,
themselves offer them still another resource: the deep companies producing shoes by hand can take the grain
understanding of production methods that their older of the leather into account, making the shoes much
workers possess. Access to these workers enables more expensive, but also much more malleable. Ho
young designers with contemporary sensibilities to says, Many people think that handmade is the same
further the development of traditional crafts and in- as custom made, but shoes that have good malleability
volves young people in keeping these crafts alive. The shape themselves to the wearers feet, which disproves
clothing and shoes they help make contain echoes of the myth that Asians have wide feet.
the manufacturing glory days of yore. Fabric as inspiration
Ho named her brand Laney to evoke a sense of Taiwans textiles industry has long manufactured
the insidery nature of the craftdesign field. She and fabrics of outstanding quality for international brands,
her peers operate micro-brands characterized by their giving todays designers easy access to a variety of tex-
sale of highly designed products in low volumes. But tiles at prices that are just 6070% of their cost overseas.
how do they highlight the detailed craftsmanship at Originally an interior designer, Maggie Chang has
the core of their brand values? since moved into textile design, where she uses her
In Hos case, her more than a decade of involvement acute sense of 3D space to observe how fabrics change
in shoe manufacturing has given her a deep under- shape when clasped. In her signature products, Chang
standing of every aspect of making shoes, from the se- takes advantage of the droop of pleated chiffon to cre-
lection of materials to the actual production. ate cloth bags that feel substantial and a bit rumpled.
One facet of that understanding is that leather s Vingt Sixs most iconic bags are made from a pre-
elasticity is directional: it gives in the directions the mium chiffon produced in Taiwan. Born and raised in a
113

Arts and culture shops are built on different

concepts and employ a variety of business models.
Each has its own unique features.

center of Taiwanese textile productionHemei Town-
ship in Chang hua CountyMaggie Chang makes
a point of checking out fabrics in other textile hubs
Vingt Six
when she travels abroad, but invariably concludes
that Changhuas products better suit her needs. Our
skirt-style bags are mainly made with soft chiffon. It

doesnt wrinkle easily, and because the needle count
is high, if it snags on something, you can fix it by just
trimming it and giving it a little pull. Its not like most
chiffons, which tear all the way through when some-
thing gets caught. Many travelers come from Hong
Kong and Macao just to shop, and she shows them
how to pack their purchases so they dont become
wrinkled or creased.
Good design in the details
Sisters Yang Chun Chun and Yang Yun Han say
they both like outfits, but even after living through
years of changing fashions, still have trouble finding
styles that suit their small physiques. They began
learning patternmaking and then invested their hopes
and ideas into their C+H brand. Their style focuses on
strong colorsblack, white and grayand irregular,
geometric trims, giving a sense of soft exteriors hiding

C+H
strength within, and creating different looks from the
front, back and sides.
The edges of C+Hs clothing are first flattened,
hemmed using an overlock to prevent fraying, then
sewn again. It makes a sturdier hem than that on mass-
produced clothing, for which the stitching processes

are combined to save time.
The value of a designer s brand is determined by
the meticulousness of its craft and the uniqueness of its

designs. Chang notes that the creases in her skirt-style
bags are created by hand. She explains that making
them quickly with a machine would make the fabric
too flat and eliminate the bags fluffy feel. She has
applied for a patent on her creasing method.
Taiwan has myriad creative and cultural brands, all
developing their own visions of the industry. Taichungs
geographic advantages and the city governments

program to cultivate creative young entrepreneurs are
invigorating the citys creative and cultural scene. And
with young designers communicating with one another
and becoming inspired, that scene is flourishing. l
(Lynn Su/photos by Lin Min-hsuan/
l tr. by Scott Williams)
115
COMMUNITIES
Dough Sculpting the Java Way

A Migrant Worker Kneads Her Dreams

T raditional dough sculpture from
China has its origins in the culture
of sacrificial rites. The first forms were
shaped from rice flour dough to take the
place of animals, like pigs and fish, that
people were no longer willing to kill

Pindy as offerings. Today these figurines have
evolved into collectible miniatures of
all kinds, including animal motifs and
cartoon characters. And now a migrant
worker from Indonesia has not only
learned this traditional folk art, but
even infused it with themes from her

own culture such as Javanese wedding

attire or Gamelan musical instruments.
Her exquisite and colorful dough sculp-
tures are like glorious sparks released by
the convergence of cultures.
Pindy During weekends and holidays in the

main concourse of the Tai pei Railway
Station or at craft markets large and small

Pindy
around Tai chung you are likely to come
across this radiant young woman wearing
a traditional kerudung. Clothed in Indone-
sian dress and speaking Bahasa Indonesia,

her hands are occupied with a traditional
P i n d y folk craft popular in Taiwan, sculpting
dough figures. Her name is Pindy Windy,
a migrant worker from Indonesia. This
is a bride and groom in central Javanese
wedding dress, and that is a scene from my

childhood, riding to school on the back of
Pindy a water buffalo across the rice paddies. A
good many people have been introduced to
Indonesian culture through Pindys enthu-
siastic descriptions of her dough works.
Leaving home
Pindy is the eldest daughter of a Cen-
tral Javanese family. After graduating

Pindy
from high school she told her father that
6 she wanted to help the family by working
abroad. Her first stop was nearby Singa-
pore, to practice English and gain some
117

Pindy

With encouragement from Young Chingjen (left),
Pindy (right) became increasingly interested in dough
sculptures and built up a repertoire of her own.

Pindy

Pindy Pindy

Pindy Pindy

Pindy

Pindy Pindy
Pindy
Pindy
5
Pindy
Pindy

work experience. After a year she returned to Indonesia Losing all before finding dough
to study Chinese and to learn the proper skills for tak- Pindys husband spent all her savings, making her a
ing care of invalid patients and small children. Her next penniless single mom struggling to bring up two small
assignment was in Taiwan. children. She wanted a better life for her two-year-old
Pindy recounts her first work experience in Taiwan, I toddler and less than a year old infant, and so she made
took care of an elderly woman in Yilan without talking for the difficult choice to place them in the care of her own
six months. Not having a very good command of Chi- mother while she went to Taiwan for work. Pindys
nese, she feared saying the wrong thing and rarely opened eyes well up with tears as she tells the story of parting
her mouth to speak throughout her first half year in Tai- from her children.
wan. With the support of her employer, who suggested This time in Taiwan, Pindy was once again assigned
she watch Chinese-language television and encouraged work as a caregiver, but what she didnt anticipate was
her to speak out and learn by practice, along with her own how a spell nursing her patient in a hospital would
active learning through reading and study, she eventually open the door on a whole new life.
mastered Chinese and even understands Taiwanese. In the neighboring bed an elderly woman was being
She returned to Indonesia with her hard-earned sav- attended to by her son, Young Ching jen, a master in
ings after reaching the three-year limit under the regula- the art of dough sculpture. Young, who understood
tions for migrant workers at that time. She stayed there the endless hours of hard work that go into invalid
for five years, during which time she got married and care and had long been deeply committed to the issues
gave birth to two children. But what should have been a of migrant workers, invited Pindy to take on dough
happy life back home ended in divorce. sculpting as a leisure activity to help her unwind.
At first Pindy just thought it was fun and didnt con-
sider her toy figures all that attractive. Through Youngs
constant encouragement and her first attempts at craft-
ing subjects from Indonesian culture, though, Pindy
Pindy soon discovered a passion for the art form.

Pindy incorporates images There are essentially five pigments used in dough
from Indonesian culture into sculpture: red, white, blue, yellow and black. In order
her works, sculpting exquisite
one-of-a-kind creations. to bring out the vivid colors of the traditional wedding
attire worn in her native land, Pindy studied advanced
119

Pindy

Pindy Pindy

Pindy
Pindy
Pindy

Pindy
Pindy

P i n d y
Pindy (back row, center) takes the stage for a group photo
after the fashion show at the Indonesian Pageant she
organized for the Bazaar Asia Tenggara in Taichung.
Pindy

color-mixing techniques with Young. For example, if she
had a need for the color brown, she could make it by

mixing yellow, red and black into the sculpting media. Pindy
Colorful hues in a variety of shades and tones can all be Pindys dedication and skill are on display in the lively
expressions of her figures, the vivid motifs of their
achieved by adjusting the ratio of the basic colors used. costumes and the Indonesian essence of her backgrounds.
Pindys skillful hands have transformed subjects that

combine memories of her local region with photos of
Indonesia from all over, into dough sculptures. Her cre-
ations capture the distinctive essence of her native cul- highly malleable dough miniatures were to incorporate
ture. The subject matter for Pindys creations is replen- Indonesian themes they would surely add to the appeal
ished from the deep wells of diverse cultural content of Indonesias tourist destinations. Their contribution
that originates in the myriad islands of the Indonesian to employment opportunities within the country might
archipelago. also have a transformative effect upon the fate of her
Kneading hope to share joy fellow Indonesians, currently forced to seek work over-
Pindy doesnt only make dough figures on request seas. With this in mind venues such as the Indonesian
for friends, but has also gotten many of her migrant- Economic and Trade Office in Taipei and Taichungs
work sisters involved in the craft. She relates how ASEAN Square have welcomed educational visits by
Indonesia also has a similar craft but the quality is not Pindy the dough sculptor. Even during holiday visits
as good as Taiwans. If these minutely detailed and back to Indonesia she takes time out to promote her
121
craft by teaching small
Pindy children dough sculpt-

ing at kindergartens.

Pindy hopes to In April of this year,
through the support
use her dough-art
creations to sculpt
out a future for of Taiwanese friends,
herself and for her
compatriots. Pindy organized a
dough figurine exhibi-
tion, Fingers Creating
Brilliance, in Taichung.
At the invitation of the
Taichung City Govern-
ment she also organized
an Indonesian Pageant
at the citys Bazaar Asia

4Pindy Te n g g a r a ( A S E A N
Market) in August. The
event showcased Indo-
nesian fashion, music,
dance and ethnic cui-
sine, successfully realiz-
ing Pindys hope of giv-
ing her Taiwan-based
compatriots a stage to
promote greater under-
8Pindy standing of Indonesian
culture amongst the
people of Taiwan.
Pindys passion
for helping her fellow
Indonesians has earned
her the sobriquet of

teacher amongst
many of her countrys
migrant workers in
Taiwan. In the view of Young Chingjen, Pindys deter-
mination and focused effort have resulted in unique
works that stand out from the crowd. For the future,
Pindy
Pindy will continue to promote dough sculpture in both
Pindy
countries, with plans in the future to open a small shop
in Indonesia. When viewing Pindys extreme focus and

Pindy confidence in sculpting dough we can see in her an
example of unfettered hope. l
Pindy (Chen Chun-fang/
photos by Jimmy Lin/
tr. by Scott Faul)
l

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10612 42 12

Vol. 42 No. 12 December 2017

Looking at Indonesias EDITORS NOTE

A s the Southeast-Asian market captures

to our islands environment. world and be noticed. l

Postcards from Home

mous market and an engine for growth within the

recently created ASEAN Economic Community.

892 TaiwaneseIndonesian exchanges are on the rise.

in May, and more than 20 Taiwanese groups from

fields as diverse as education, culture, and agricul-

10 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

12 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

14 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

A Jakarta pedicab driver

This years AsiaPacific Culture Day festivities boosted

16 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

S urabaya, with a population of 3 million, is Indone-

Of all the Taiwanese who have written their stories

Lin, who was in the first class to graduate from the

Chemical Engineering at Chinese Culture University

cruit Lin onto their team.

18 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

In Surabaya, which is steadily

20 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

22 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

At that time Yens small factory in New Taipei Citys

Xindian had only 30 employees, but its labor-intensive

form of production meant that it came under pressure

US. Today IDP employs 800 people, and produces hun-

dreds of types of bags, on its 3.6hectare factory site in

The starting point of Lees story in Indonesia is sim-

people. Before coming to Indonesia, Lee had a small

shoe factory in Taiwan, and sold most of his products

friends he turned to Surabaya to build his factory.

At that time, Taiwanese businesspeople all came

here singlehandedly. The pain behind the success that

mainly produced shoes for American golfing brands,

24 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

(right) Lezen Indonesia president

(below) Because its labor costs

26 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

they bring in members of the younger generation, who

Back in the day, the first wave of Taiwanese firms

all built in recent years. In the early days Indonesias

vices was patchy.

built one after another.

Theres still room for improvement, but Indonesia

shuttle among the boulevards and alleyways.

sprang up in Taiwan in recent years and has at-

30 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

Just identify your location via an app, and

32 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

to its huge market potential, they were attracted by the

34 Taiwan Panorama 2017/12

merce is no longer a focal point; providing customer

solutions is now key.

Daniel Liu, whose firm has helped Taiwan enterprises

Rocketindos one-stop service model is intimately

connected with Lius startup failure when he first came

which he investedthe mining businessand coupled

gering loss of NT$20 million. The biggest challenge

facing most other Taiwan businesses as they prepare to

dealing with an unfamiliar language and culture, or of