Taiwan Cultural Creative Industry, Taiwan Cultural Creativity, Taiwan Soft Power, cultural creative industries


com Taiwan cultural & creative industry (Taiwan Soft Power) ....... ★ this site's world No. 1 in 2020~24, 2017~19, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010~12 ★ Top since 1998	fights for rights

home Taiwan TW OP democracy tour medical restaurants night-markets love personality women speech mental-control privacy fraud judiciary police corruption net-army univ foreign-labor death penalty prosecutors soft power diplomacy pres. president brief happiness housing prostitutes massage supermarket transport avia. cult-creativity human-rights intl-Human rights judicial-persecution oppression trans-justice larceny military drugs food buffet wealth image culture US-cartoons US-designs Japan-comics Chn-creativity EXPO cartoons-WWII humor political-cartoons CovID migrant fb music movies ♣ Is 'cannibalism' legal in a 'cannibal'-led country ?

◎★

Taiwan

Taiwan's poor creativity

not competitive with Korea, etc

★

jump to: ads. animation music product design arts cartoon movie architecture visual comm. tour food medical

<IMDb> "Greatest Chinese Movies of All Time" , only one Taiwanese movie 《Yi Yi》selected. Most winners are movies from Hong Kong and China.

♣ AFP, 2023-11-26: after a Taiwanese director voiced support for the island's independence in an acceptance speech in 2018's Golden Horse Film awards, There were no mainland films in the 2019 nomination list and several Hong Kong movies dropped out that year, while big commercial productions were conspicuously absent at both the 2020 and 2021 awards.

♣ Variety, 2023-11-26: After Chinese industry to boycott Golden Horse, parts of the Hong Kong industry have stayed away too. Many Hong Kong film folks find themselves torn between the developing political and financial realities back home and Taiwan's indie-spirited film industry. Tsai's government has unveiled a succession of policies seemingly designed to use culture and entertainment to give the island territory a larger profile on the world stage. It remains to be seen if more of the TAICCA-seeded projects come to fruition. And if Taiwan's film and TV companies are willing and able to fill the gap in the market created by Hong Kong's production slowdown and by mainland Chinese entertainment's inward turn of the past five years... brief msn.com/en-us/news/other/taiwan-drifts-towards-cultural-power-as-golden-horse-film-awards-cap-month-of-industry-activity/ar-AA1kvpBA Patrick Frater

♣ abc news (Australia), 2022-9-8: Amid China's military and diplomatic isolation, Taiwan turns to films and games to reconnect with the world. Taiwan was still "in its early days" of building soft power. While Taiwan's government had been aware of investing in soft power for a long time, there was a lack of coordinated strategy between different ministerial departments. "The DPP did put more of a focus on things like multiculturalism and democracy, whereas the KMT focuses a little bit more on the Chinese base to Taiwanese culture" ; In 2020, Taiwan reported $44.7 billion in revenue from its creative industry, with a 9.83 per cent increase in overseas sales on the previous year. msn.com/en-au/news/australia/amid-chinas-military-and-diplomatic-isolation-taiwan-turns-to-films-and-games-to-reconnect-with-the-world/ar-AA11zOGi

ISSF's Global Entertainment & Media Penetration
ranks	countries
1	US
2	S. Korea
3	Japan
4	India
5	UK
6	France
7	Spain
8	Mexico
9	Turkey
10	Italy


ISSF's Global Soft Power Index 2023
Ranks	countries	ranks	countries
1	US	14	Australia
2	France	15	Sweden
3	UK	16	Denmark
4	Japan	17	Norway
5	Germany	18	UAE
6	Swiss	19	Holland
7	S. Korea	20	Turkey
8	Spain	21	Belgium
9	Canada	22	Austria
10	China	23	Saudi Arabia
11	India	24	Finland
12	Singapore	25	Qatar
13	Italy	img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/905bb114-a609-4bd0-a33b-dabe335781b0/downloads/ISSF-WSPI-2023-FINAL.pdf?ver=1692105020621

♣ news:

cultural artifacts of Taiwan's National Palace Museum
Global Times, 2022-10-31	Those cultural treasures in NPM have become the cultural link and historical bonds that cannot be cut off between the Taiwan island and the Chinese mainland. Signs indicate that it's no accident that such incidents have happened one after another in recent years. The root cause is that the DPP authorities' promotion of "de-Sinicization" in the Taiwan island has seriously affected the protection and management of cultural relics globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1278338.shtml
DW (Germany), 2022-8-17	Taiwan considers evacuating cultural artifacts amid China tensions; National Palace Museum denied these rumors in a statement dw.com/en/taiwan-considers-evacuating-cultural-artifacts-amid-china-tensions/a-62836646
Global Times, 2022-8-9	CNN on July 30 revealed that "in the event of an evacuation, the museum said it would focus on saving around 90,000 relics from its 700,000-strong collection, prioritizing artifacts of higher value and those that take up less space... to the US and Japan....it hard to dispel public concerns....The relics are cultural heritage of the 5,000 years of Chinese history, and once sent abroad, it will be difficult to get them back, The museum's collection will be better off if it remains where it is in the event of an "attack from the Chinese mainland," suggested Feng Ming-chu, former curator of the museum globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272494.shtml
China Times, 2022-8-13	"真正的護國神山在故宮" / according to world scholars' opinions, China won't attack Taiwan by nuclear bomb as long as those cultural artifacts remain in Taiwan. chinatimes.com/opinion/20220813002769-262101?chdtv

♣ Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2022-5-30: Taiwan makes soft power grab for Europe's Mandarin learners - Push comes as China's Confucius Institutes face global headwinds. asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-makes-soft-power-grab-for-Europe-s-Mandarin-learners

♣ United Daily (Taiwan 經濟日報), 2022-12-21: Taiwan's cultural& creative industry faces some key issues: How to attract business or capitalists to invest the industry、Artists are disdainful of commercial operations, 16 areas need to be promoted by different methods, how to enter international market、and - film industry has been fettered by politics , prosperity no longer exists.(影視作品受到政治羈絆，榮景已不復存焉)。udn.com/news/story/7338/6853439?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2

♣ Taiwan Plus, 2022-12-21: Taiwan Aims To Match South Korea's Film and TV Success / Leading local media executives want to turn Taiwan into a film and TV powerhouse like South Korea to boost the country's soft power msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/taiwan-aims-to-match-south-koreas-film-and-tv-success-taiwanplus-news/vi-AA15v4Y1?category=foryou
　

♣ ISSF's World Soft Power Index 2022
Brand Recognition

1 USA

2 Japan

3 Germany

4 S. Korea

5 UK

6 France

7 Italy

8 Swiss

9 China

10 India

img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/905bb114-a609-4bd0-a33b-dabe335781b0/downloads/ISSF_s%20World%20Soft%20Power%20Index%202022.pdf?ver=1660547924817

ISSF's World Soft Power Index 2022
Entertainment & Media Penetration

1 USA

2 Japan

3 India

4 S. Korea

5 UK

6 France

7 Turkey

8 China

9 Italy

10 Spain

img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/905bb114-a609-4bd0-a33b-dabe335781b0/downloads/ISSF_s%20World%20Soft%20Power%20Index%202022.pdf?ver=1660547924817

pic. : This website-group was ranked No.1 "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Yandex of Russia, 2023-11-18, 2023-9-4
pic. : This website-group was ranked No.1 "Taiwan soft power" on Yandex of Russia, 2023-11-18, 2023-9-4

pic. : This website-group was ranked No.1 "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Yandex, 2023-9-4

pic. : This website-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Microsoft Bing, 2023-9-4, 2022-12-12, 2022-10-9, 2022-5-31, 2021-8-9, 2021-6-24, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18, 12-3-2020, 2019-10-23, 2018-10-1; pic.: No.2 "Taiwan soft power" on US Bing at 2022-12-12; No.1 "Taiwan soft power" on US Bing at 12-3-2020, 10-23-2019, 11-28-2018; This website-group was ranked No.1 "Taiwan soft power" on Microsoft Bing, 2023-9-4, 2021-6-24, 12-3-2020 ; This website-group was ranked No.2 "Taiwan creativity", on US Bing, 2022-12-12; No.1 at 12-3-2020, 10-23-2019, Oct. 1, 2018

● pic.: This website-group was ranked No.1 or top by keyword "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Yahoo search engine, 2022-10-9, 2022-5-31, 2021-8-9, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18, 12-3-2020, 4-26-2020, Oct. 23, 2019, Oct. 1, 2018
　

● pic. left: This website-group was ranked No.2 "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Bing, 2022-10-9; No.1 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Bing, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18, 12-3-2020, 4-26-2020
　

● pic.: This website was ranked No. 2 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Yahoo ,2022-10-9; No.1, 2,3 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Yahoo search engine, 2021-5-9, Oct. 23, 2019

♣ Taiwan won some important film awards 10 years ago, but not in recent years
List of Asians' big-wins in Oscar 2016 - 2021
Best Picture	2021- Japan (nominated); 2020- China (won); 2019 - S. Korea (won)
Best Actor	2020 - S. Korea/USA (nominated)
Best Actress	2016 - Israel/USA (nominated)
Best Supporting Actor	2016 - India/UK (nominated)
Best Supporting Actress	2020 - S. Korea (won)
Best Director	2021 - Japan (nominated); 2020 - China (won), S. Korea/USA (nominated); 2019 - S. Korea (won)
Best Original ScreenPlay	2020 - S. Korea/USA (nominated); 2019 - S. Korea (won); 2017 - Pakistan/USA (nominated)
Best Adapted ScreenPlay	2021 - Japan (nominated); 2020 - China (nominated), Iran/USA (nominated); Armenia/USA (nominated)
Best Int'l Feature Film	2021 - Japan (won), Bhutan (nominated); 2020 - Hong Kong (nominated); 2019 - S. Korea (won); 2018 - Japan, Lebanon (nominated); 2017 - Lebanon (nominated); 2016 - Lebanon (won)

List of Asians' big-wins at Cannes Film Festival 2016 - 2021
"Palme d'Or"	2019 - S. Korea (Parasite)
	2018- Japan (Shoplifters)
Best Actor	2022 - S. Korea
	2016 - Iran
Best Actress	2022 - Iran
	2018 - Kazakh
	2016 - Philippines
Best Director	2022 - S. Korea

List of Asians' Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival 2016 - 2021
Best Picture	2016 - Philippines
een.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Lion

List of Asians' Best Animated Feature in Oscar 2016 - 2021
2020	China/USA (nominated)
2018	Japan (nominated)	won Annie Awards
2016	Japan (nominated)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Animated_Feature

List of Asians' winners in SIGGRAPH 2016 - 2021
2020	India (Computer Graphics Achievement Award)
2017	India (Computer Graphics Achievement Award)
2020	Australia (Distinguished Artist Award)

List of Asians' British Academic Film Awards 2016 ~ 2021
2021	Australia, New Zealand (BAFTA Award for Best Film)
2019	S. Korea (BAFTA Award for Best Film)
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not In English
2021	Japan (won)
2019	S. Korea (won)
2018	Japan, Lebanon (nominated)
2017	S. Korea (won), Cambodia (nominated)

	★ No. 1 "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Google, 2021-11-1, 2021-8-9, 2021-6-24, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18, 2-18-2021; top 5 at 2022-10-9 　 This website-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Baidu of China, 2021-11-1, 2021-8-9, 2021-6-24, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18, 12-3-2020
Dr. Joseph Nye said hard & soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. (Dec. 8, 2010) The Diplomat 10-5-2020 (https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/us-presidential-elections-2020-the-taiwan-factor/) advises that Taiwan’s strategic calculus could double down on its use of soft power. Washington Post, 2-17-2021:Today, 98 % of Taiwanese are ethnic Han Chinese... there has been a shift among younger generations who increasingly do not feel China’s emotional pull but rather embrace their home island’s history, and its Indigenous culture, as an expression of being distinctly Taiwanese. Indigenous artists (related to the Austronesian peoples) shine as Taiwan’s mainstream embraces its island identity. Hollywood Reporter, 2021-11-1: While China becomes increasingly reclusive and unwelcoming of Western content, Taiwan has thrown the door open to international co-productions with new incentive schemes hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/taiwan-entertainment-sector-leverages-creative-freedoms-mainland-china-1235038510/ bangkok post, 2021-11-25: With no mainstream Chinese films showing for the third year running, Taiwan's top film festival may have lost some lustre...a Taiwanese director calling for the island's independence in an acceptance speech at the 2018 ceremony triggered an official boycott the following year.
Taiwan stated "Taiwan is small, but our 'soft power' is big ! " , "Culture makes Taiwan great ! "
However, Taiwan's culture like a mouse in circles still stay in same place. United Daily, 2022-7-5: too much controls by the gov. results in uninteresting TV show, and industry suffering udn.com/news/story/121823/6425508?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2 A column article of United Daily 2-21-2019: Taiwan's cultural and creative industry almost become an endangered industry. Taiwan's cultural & creative industry has nothing but slogans and many argues. The total value of Taiwan's cultural & creative production was far behind of that of Korea, Korea's value in publication is about 6 times larger than Taiwan's, Film industry 6 times, TV 3.5 times, Advertising 3 times, Pop-music 6 times bigger than Taiwan's, according to statistics by Taiwan government and reports by headline news of the China Times at 12-24-2017. CTN comments that Taiwan lacks of updated related laws and policy ― no focus, no direction, no institute, original creativity is not encouraged, the industry field is divided, without integrated marketing. Taiwan's De-Sinicization policy gave up rich Chinese cultural background and history ...... so as to lose advantage in cultural-creativity battlefield. Critics in UDN (10-24-2019) : Design field thinks culture & arts are nothing but decorative, fine arts belittle commercial arts, etc ... the arts should take the lead for the fusion of tech. and culture ( for details pls. read https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4122342 ) . The output value of Taiwan's cultural & creative production in '12 - '13 declined 9.28%, in contrast, Taiwan's neighbor countries increased, China 14.27%, Malaysia, Philippines 8+%, Korea 0.65% ... Taiwan's cultural & creative industry even failed to create a "bubble", the reason is lacking of original creativity. / The China Times, 8-15-2017 Apple Daily, editorial, 10-3-2020: Taiwan president Tsai said "The power of design is the nation's power". From today on, "design" is no longer just an actor, but a "leading actor". Hope so ! https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20201003/Y3KEHXF4CRDRLJNNY2ZOJUMZ3I/
( ps: "Hard Power" means military power, etc ― Taiwan has not invented any top weapons. )

◎

● pic. : No. 1 "Taiwan cultural creativity" on Google, 2021-8-8, 2021-6-23, 2021-5-8, 2021-4-17, 2-11-2021, 1-1-2021
pic. : This website-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "Taiwan cultural creative industry" on Baidu of China, 2021-5-9

　

　

● UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage / https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists

ranks
Asian country heritage items selected

1 China 40

2 Korea 24

3 Japan 20

4 Mongolia 15

5 India 13

6 Indonesia 10

7 Saudi Arabia 8

8 Cambodia 5

9 Philippines 4

10 Qatar 3

10 Malaysia 3

10 Pakistan 3

13 Thai 2

14 Singapore 1

14 Sri Lanka 1

14 Vietnam 1

14 UAE 1

18~2X
Myanmar, Laos, Nepal 0

　 Taiwan 0

◆ Taiwan is doing De-sinicization (getting rid of Chinese culture) for political reason.
◆ sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-hawker-culture-gets-nod-included-unesco-intangible-cultural-heritage-list-140941296.html 12-16-2020: Singapore’s hawker culture was officially approved on Wednesday (16 December) to be inscribed into UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits. Taiwan is proud of its night market culture, but was not selected.

pic: No.2 "Taiwan creativity" on Baidu of China, 2021-5-9
pic. left : The websites-group was ranked No.1 "Taiwan soft power" on Baidu of China, 2021-8-9, 2021-6-24, 2021-5-9
pic. middle: Taiwan VS Korea, in Publications, Movies, TV, Ads., Pop music , CTN 12-24-2017
(Korea -red bar, Taiwan - blue bar ); ps: China's OTT broke in TW in large scale, Taiwan cultural industries are not competitive / Liberty Times, 3-16-2019
pic. right: The websites-group was ranked No.2 "Taiwan creativity" on Baidu of China, 2021-5-9

● pic. :   This websites group was ranked No.1 on US Bing by keyword "Taiwan soft power" at 2021-6-23, 12-3-2020, 4-24-2020, 10-23-2019, 2-5-2019, 11-28-2018

● pic.: This websites-group was ranked No.1 on Yahoo search engine
by keyword "Taiwan soft power" at 12-3-2020, 4-24-2020, 10-23-2019, 2-5-2019, 11-28-2018; No.2 at 2021-4-18

●

Taiwan's soft power vs. Asia's soft power

Till 2020, Taiwan has not been included in Portland or USC Soft Power survey ranking list, so Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's "world top 20" nations , including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE. for details : click Soft Power
　

world best surveys	Taiwan's rankings in top 25~30 list	comparison with other Asia & Pacific countries
Brand Finance - Global soft power Index 2022	failed	1. US, 2. UK, 3. Germany, 4. China, 5. Japan, 6. France, 7. Canada, 8. Swiss, 9. Russia, 10. Italy
Brand Finance - Global soft power Index 2021	failed	1. Germany, 2. Japan, 3. UK, 4. Canada, 5. Swiss, 6. US, 7 France, 8. China, 9. Sweden, 10. Australia, 11. Korea, 12 Holland, 13. Russia, 14. Norway, 15. Denmark, 16 NZ, 17. UAE, 18. Iceland, 19. Italia, 20. Singapore
US News: 2021 Best Countries Overall	failed top 10	2. Japan, 5. Australia 7. New Zealand
Brand Finance - Global soft power Index 2020, top 60	n/c	https://brandirectory.com
2019/2020 Top 30 SOFT POWER by Portland	failed	No. 8 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 17 New Zealand, No. 19 S Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2020 Best Countries Overall The Best Countries in the World	n/c	No.3 Japan, No.5 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No. 15 China, No. 16 Singapore , No. 20 Korea, No.22 UAE , No.25 India, No. 26 Thailand, No. 30 Qatar
2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.8 Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 21 Singapore, No. 25 India
2018/2019 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.5 Japan, No. 10 Australia, No. 18 NZ, No. 20 S. Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2017/2018 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 19 China, No. 22 Singapore, No. 24 India
2017/2018 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy	failed	No.6. Japan, No. 8. Australia, 18. NZ, No. 20 Singapore, No. 21 S. Korea, No. 25. China
2016/2017 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 3 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 20 China, No. 23 Singapore, No. 24 India
2015/2016 Monocle's Soft Power survey	failed	No. 4 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 21 China, No. 23 Singapore

★ According to a survey of 2020, Singapore ranks No.1, Japan No.7, Korea No. 9 on "enterprise", Japan ranks No. 5, China No.10 on "engagement", Korea ranks No. 5 on "digital", Japan ranks No.6, China No. 8 on "culture", No any Asian country ranks top 10 on "education" and "govt."
　

★ Best Countries overall in 2020: 1 Swiss 2 Canada 3 Japan 4 Germany 5 Australia 6 UK 7 USA 8 Sweden 9 Nederland 10 Norway 11 NZ 12 France 13 Denmark 14 Finland 15 China 16 Singapore 17 Italy 18 Austria 19 Spain 20 Korea 21 Luxembourg 22 UAE 23 Russia 24 Portugal 25 India 26 Thailand 27 Greece 28 Brazil 29 Israel 30 Qatar 31 Saudi Arabia 32 Malaysia 33 Mexico 34 Poland 35 Turkey

Taiwan's cultural creativity on food

pic.: In World's Best Restaurants list, In Asia area, Australia, Singapore, Japan, India, Thailand, China, Korea are winners

pic.: In Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Singapore, China, Japan, Thailand are big winners

pic. above: Taiwan's restaurants were loser or behind in EATER's "world best restaurants awards", CNN "world's best new restaurants" and Economists EIU "Global Food Security Index".

★ Taiwan's cultural creativity : artists―shortage of creativity & vivid imagination ! government―lacking of forward thinking ... Liberty Times 4-6-2016: Government took the lead to plagiarize, and ignored copy-rights, Taiwan becomes "an island of Plagiarism".

★ Taiwan's soft power : click to see Taiwan Soft Power, Human Rights

2019/2020 THE SOFT POWER by Portland
1	France	16	Austria
2	UK	17	New Zealand
3	Germany	18	Belgium
4	Sweden	19	Korea
5	USA	20	Ireland
6	Swiss	21	Singapore
7	Canada	22	Portugal
8	Japan	23	Poland
9	Australia	24	Czech
10	Nederland	25	Greece
11	Italia	26 Brazil
12	Norway	27 China
13	Spain	28 Hungary
14	Denmark	29 Turkey
15	Finland	30 Russia

2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey
1	France	16	Nederland
2	Germany	17	Finland
3	Japan	18	Norway
4	Canada	19	China
5	Swiss	20	Belgium
6	UK	21	Singapore
7	Sweden	22	Ireland
8	Australia	23	Austria
9	USA	24	India
10	Portugal	25	Brasil
11	New Zealand	ps: Asia & Pacific countries marked
12	Italia
13	Spain
14	Denmark
15	Korea

2017/2018 Monocle's Soft Power survey
1	Canada	16	Nederland
2	Germany	17	Korea
3	France	18	Finland
4	Japan	19	China
5	UK	20	Belgium
6	Swiss	21	Austria
7	USA	22	Singapore
8	Sweden	23	Ireland
9	Australia	24	India
10	Italia	25	Brasil
11	Denmark	ps: Asia & Pacific countries marked
12	Portugal
13	New Zealand
14	Spain
15	Norway

2016/2017 Monocle's Soft Power survey
1	USA	16	Norway
2	Germany	17	Korea
3	Japan	18	Finland
4	UK	19	Brasil
5	France	20	China
6	Australia	21	Austria
7	Canada	22	Belgium
8	Sweden	23	Singapore
9	Swiss	24	India
10	Danmark	25	Poland
11	Italy	ps: Asia & Pacific countries marked yellow
12	Spain
13	New Zealand
14	Holland
15	Portugal

★ Understand Taiwan ― Please click "see Taiwan in one minute" and "Understand Taiwan in full aspects" ! top rankings !

★ Review Taiwan ― "review Taiwan" top rankings !

◆★

◆

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"Understand Taiwan " on Google, 3-1-2018, 9-30-2017, 1-6-2017　

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"comment Taiwan" on Google at 3-1-2018, 9-30-2017, 12-4-2016, 1-1-2017
review Taiwan ranks top on Bing, Google at 8-15-2017, 9-30-2017, 3-1-2018

◎

★

Tourism full analysis pls. click TaiwanTour & Travel

◎ WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> of 2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness, Taiwan ranks 10th in Asia, Taiwan's prioritization of travel & tourism ranks world No.75 ; World Economic Forum (WEF) 2017 <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's most important indexes for promoting tourism, like "Attractiveness of Natural Assets" (parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc) ranks world No.87, "Natural Resources" ranks No.55, "Environmental Sustainability" ranks No.75 (No.69 in 2015), "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015), Taiwan got "n/a" on China's strong indexes such as "World heritage natural sites" as well as "World heritage cultural sites" (world top 5). Taiwan has excellent scores on "Mobile Network coverage", "ATM", etc, but those least likely are main attractiveness to international sightseers that Taiwan needs most.

◎

◆ 2015 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report

Taiwan's weakness :
Index	Taiwan's world rankings
Country Brand Strategy	No.125
Prioritization of Travel & Tourism	No.82
Hotel price index	No.82
Tourist service infrastructure	No.77
Environmental Sustainability	No.69
Natural Resource	No.62
Purchasing power parity	No.64
World heritage cultural sites	the last position, n/a (China No.5)
World heritage natural sites	the last position, n/a (China No.3)
major car rental companies	No.120
Travel and tourism industry development	No.53

http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2015

◎

◆ Country Brands Index 2014/2015

Taiwan's score :

Taiwan's score location - "Countries" (left lower place)

Taiwan locates in "Countries" category, a lowest area ― having below average perceptions in both the Status and Experience dimensions.

Critera :
◎tourism / Value for money, Range of attractions, Resort & lodging options, Would like to visit for a vacation, Food ;
◎HERITAGE & CULTURE / Historical points of interest, Heritage, art & culture, Natural beauty;
etc.

◎“Country brands” – Countries that have above average perceptions across both the Status and Experience dimensions and have measurable competitive advantages over their peers as a result.
◎ “Experience countries” – Countries whose perception strength is biased towards dimensions relating to Heritage & Culture, Tourism and Made In.
◎ “Status countries” – Countries whose perception strength is biased towards attributes relating to Value System, Quality Of Life and Business Potential.

http://www.futurebrand.com/news/futurebrand-launches-the-country-brand-index-2014-15

◎ top 20 countries: Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Norway, United States, Australia, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Finland,Singapore, Iceland, Netherlands, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, South Korea.

◎ top 20 most influential cities: NY, London, Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Shanghai, Dubai, HK, Singapore, New Delhi, SaoPaulo, Rio De Janeiro, LA, Rome, Toronto, Seoul, Mumbai

◎

★

Food - poisonous/ black hearted food in Taiwan for 20-30 years, click for details
　

◆ best restaurants click to see Taiwan restaurants (top rankings)
◎

1. Luc Besson's movie "Lucy" shooting in Taiwan particularly includes Din Tai Fung ― which is not only the most famous Taiwanese restaurant but also even a landmark of Taiwan, however,

● (1) Din Tai Fung admitted at 5-9-2012 having used Monosodium Glutamate / sodium glutamate (M.S.G.) as addictive in some foods there - and they won't change this policy so as to keep major cuisine (e.g., steamed bun/bao (小籠包), chicken soup) delicious (according to United Daily News 5.9.2013). According to National Health Research Institutes and United Daily News (8-15-2015) "Horrible foods for dining out": Taiwan's food (in restaurants, cafeteria, etc) problems include using MSG. Taiwan's 5 star restaurants like Sherwood Hotel announced any chefs using MSG will be fired. According to int'l medical studies, using Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is controversial. (ref to "The Dangers of MSG" : http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/the-dangers-of-monosodium-glutamate.htm) Some claimed it may causes asthma, headache, even brain damage. )
　

● (2) Din Tai Fung was suspicious of being involved in Taiwanese food scandal, Apple Daily (蘋果日報)10-10-2014 reported that one Taiwanese Dept. of Health found out Din Tai Fung imported some oil products from King's Cook which bought lard oil (mixing animal feed with cooking oil) from Ting Hsin Int'l. ( http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20141010/485241/ 台中市衛生局調查發現，鼎泰豐曾向購買頂新正義油品的台中金品調理(KingsCook) 公司進貨，恐中鏢。)
　

● (3) Din Tai Fung admitted having used G.M.(genetic modified) soy material(豆類) for a long time (until July 2015). The China Times, (3.29.2013) reported professor Kuo H. J. (National Taiwan University, Department of Agronomy) comments - Taiwan using G.M.(genetic modified) is "national scandal" (「國家級醜聞」), French scholar Seralini found G.M. foods may cause cancer with higher probability, BBC (6.6.2013)<Taiwan diet danger everywhere>: Taiwan is the only country eating cured products made by animal-feed, G.M.(genetic modified) soya beans. (主妇联盟说台湾是世界上唯一直接食用饲料级基改黄豆加工的豆制品国家。) But Din Tai Fung still used the "scandalous" G.M. stuff for 2+ years after the news being spread island-wide. Recently, CNN (7-24-2015) dropped Din Tai Fung down to No.20 position in Taiwanese foods list.

The Brand Personality ?

Din Tai Fung's Hong Kong branches were just eliminated their Michelin star
title at Oct. 31, 2014, (lost again in Dec. 2015)
Taiwan's Din Tai Fung never won any Michelin star title, but it is advertising itself a Michelin star restaurant by posters at front of largest Japanese mall, Mitsukoshi Dpt. Store in Taipei. (photo Aug. 22 2015)

Din Tai Fung USA website (http://DinTaiFungusa.com) has also been advertising a similar one in its front-page. (tests till present at 9-17-2015)

ps: the China Times analyzed losing Michelin most likely it's because of inconsistent quality problem. (http://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20141031001358-260405)

pic.: In Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Singapore, China, Japan, Thailand are big winners

pic.: In World's Best Restaurants list, In Asia area, Australia, Singapore, Japan, India, Thailand, China, Korea are winners

2. Michelin Guide Taipei was released at 3-14-2018, Taiwanese cuisine was not valued high, The number of stars Taiwan obtained is much less than those of Shanghai, HK, Macao, and Singapore. Furthermore, unlike those in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Taiwan's night-market, street food failed to won any Michelin star.

3. According to "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" (2018) , Thailand Bangkok's Gaggan consecutively got in the first place, the number of Japanese restaurants selected is 11, Hong Kong & Macao 10, Thailand 9、Singapore 7, Korea and Taiwan both are 3, but Korea won the 11th grade, the best ever position that Taiwan got in this year is the 15th (RAW, 18th MUME, 47th Shoun Ryugin), China got the 8th position. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-50-best-restaurants-2018/index.html

4. According to The World's Best Restaurants (2017) , Taiwan is not included in the list, Thailand got No.7, Singapore No.14, Japan 18th, HK 24th, Shanghai 41th. In total, 5 Japanese , 4 Chinese, 3 Singapore, 2 Thailand, 1 Korean, 1 India restaurant(s) entered top 100. http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners#t51-100.

5. Miele Guide (2012) : No any Taiwanese restaurant is included in top 20 Asian restaurants list.

◎
◆ Food - night markets
● Yahoo News, 12-16-2020: Singapore’s hawker culture was officially approved (Dec.16, 2020) to be inscribed into UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. But Taiwan's night market hawker culture was not selected ● China Times 7-15-2020, till now the govt. only work on night market's toilet room, the rest is far behind the standard int'l metro's needs... ● Taipei mayor Ko: Our night markets and markets are too dirty ! ● The best-known expert in toxic study, professor Yen: Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health !

● The United Daily (3-1-2017): Many Taiwanese night markets closed down due to lacking of distinguishing feature or quality, and the number of Chinese tourists sudden decreasing. Taiwan night market cuisines

◆ Food - scandals

Taiwan's food safety scandals : black hearted food in Taiwan

● Financial Times (UK), 8-28-2020: Taiwan eventually eases restrictions on US pork and beef imports. Must bear in mind you may eat beef and pork with controversial Ractopamine from 2021 on, the cost of local meat is much more expensive. ● Reuters , 11-23-2020: Thousands of people took to Taipei's streets with much of the anger focused on the government's decision to ease restrictions on imports of U.S. pork.
"Taiwanese pigs don't eat ractopamine and yet you are asking Taiwanese people to?" ● Associated Press, 11-23-2020: The drug is banned by the European Union, but is legal in the United States... “I feel these days many who do business are not ethical. If they mix the U.S. pork with Taiwan pork and then sell it to us average consumers, we as individuals have no way to know the source of the pork.” https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-tsai-ing-wen-trade-agreements-taiwan-food-safety-cf76e2db33063462632bfd383e0b7dbf

● 83% of Taiwan's Michelin 2~3 star restaurants, and 33% of Taiwan's Michelin star restaurants, failed to pass sanitary/health inspection (kitchen things/equipment not clean, food materials on the floor, without staffs' health examination proof ) , but they passed second inspection, such as 3 star restaurant Le Palais, 2 star restaurants RAW、態芮-Tairroir、祥雲龍吟( RyuGin Taipei )、鮨天本(Sushi Amamoto). ref. to Liberty Times, 3-30-2020, Apple Daily 3-31-2020. Chang Gung Mem. Hospital Toxicology expert professor Yen Tzung-Hai M.D. (顏宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health ! ( ref. to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>("how to survive in this bad food-security time", April '16))

● Even Taiwan's Michelin 3 star winner Le Palais was found snacks containing Hydrogen peroxide (過氧化氫) and Benzoic acid (苯甲酸), besides, many tourism hotels / 5 star hotels were found food hygiene not up to standard, e.g., 5 star hotels used expired no-good ingredients, such as HsinChu and Taipei's Ambassador Hotel, The Grand Hotel, Regent Formosa, and so on, reported by CTV evening news, BCC , LTN (12-19-2019) https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/3014179 . ● United Daily 1-20-2020: Taipei mayor Ko: Our night markets and markets are too dirty ! ● Liberty Times , 1-6-2019 : Taipei City Hall's "Model Night Markets" project, aims at " Japanese tourists are willing to sit down to eat "，however, quite many stalls opposed, in that elevating the hygienic level and class increases their running costs...

● 5 star hotel restaurants scandals - A book (Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital's physician Jiang So-San M.D. 江守山 "食在安心" (10-2014)) said many 5 star hotel restaurants don't wash vegetables ... some 5 star hotels made sashimi raw fish slices by using fresh-water fishes, this may increase the probability to get cancer (for details 台灣餐廳 or 台灣美食Taiwan Night Markets ) ; Epoch Times (大紀元, 3-14-2017):Okura Prestige Tpe (大倉久和, a 5 star hotel) sold expired frozen shrimps, molded taro (vegetable 芋) etc; SETN news ( 三立新聞 5-16-2016): Some 5 star hotels in northern Taiwan sold black-hearted expired seafoods ; LTN (5-17-2016): 5 star hotels Ambassador and Howard (國賓、福華) clarified this news; Apple Daily (蘋果日報 6-7-2016): Sheraton (喜來登) 's white shrimps contained bleaching agent (漂白劑)，4 times higher than the legal standard，Ranina (Spanner crabs 旭蟹) contained heavy medal Cadmium poisoning (重金屬镉) 14% higher than the standard...; Apple Daily (蘋果日報 7-2-'13): Taiwan's tourist hotels' food ingredients expired 2 years, only 3 out of 21 hotels passed the security check and sanitary examination etc conducting by Taiwan Administration, e.g., Shangri-La's (tnn) did not separate their cutting tools for cooked foods and raw foods; FTV news, 5-18-2017: 13 ingredients / materials expired in a 5 star hotel in Taiwan; CTI TV news (5-17-2017, 19:33): What can we eat in Taiwan? people are uneasy for food here... ○

● Taiwan administration's Dioxin ("poison of the century") control system crashed completely / FTV news, 4-22-2017.
Major world media like The Economist (11.29.2014) comment a series of food safety scandals is one of few main factors causing the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party, has suffered one of its worst electoral defeats since Chiang Kai-shek and his forces fled to the island at the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.

● Chang Gung Mem. Hospital professor Yin M.D. (顏宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health ! ( ref. to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>("how to survive in this bad food-security time", April 2016))

● Dean of National Taiwan Normal University - graduate school of Chemistry, Dr. Gaston J. C. Wu (化學所長吳家誠教授)'s book <Those black-heart products toxin-experts never buy ("毒物專家絕不買的黑心商品")> (Nov. 2013): Most of the time I eat at home, and has never dined out in street-side shops / small-eat markets (路邊攤), because those small-eat shops usually/always do not meet the minimum standards of cleanliness.

● Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan Veterans General Hospital's physician Jiang So-San M.D. : Most 5 star hotel restaurants in Taiwan don't wash the vegetables ... ref. to the book "食在安心"

◎

Taiwan's Food safety scandals

TW food

◎ 2015 :
Since its worst ever electoral defeats, Taiwanese government never does some soul searching and corrects the wrong, "It's weirdo !!, Taiwanese government only focuses on 3 dried products - dried daylily, dried radish, and preserved fruits (snacks)", NTU professor Wu K.Y. stated "Completely evading the crucial point", "those 3 items are very low risky products".
● Apple Daily 8-28-2015: The incidence rate of Taiwanese people suffering colon/rectal cancer was ranked world No.1 (2nd is Korea, 3rd Slovakia) , Taipei Medical University Hospital's director of surgeons expressed Taiwan's food scandals constantly happened in recent years, many black-heart tainted foods containing Carcinogen (cancer producer) is a factor causing high incidence rate.

◎ 2014 Taiwan food scandals
        ● The New York times (9.8.2014): The authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to control a tainted-cooking-oil scandal that has affected hundreds of manufacturers and raised fears about health risks posed in many commonly consumed food items... the new scandal shows that there is still not enough being done to eliminate lawbreaking production lines,” The Taipei Times said ...
          ● TIME (9.8.2014): Gutter Oil' Scandal Raises Food-Safety Fears Once Again in Greater China. A Taiwanese food-safety scare has spread to Hong Kong...
          ● Bloomberg BusinessWeek (9.8.2014): Tainted Lard: China's Latest Food-Safety Scare Comes From Taiwan       The case is the second major food-safety scandal by a Taiwan-based company in the past year,...The new gutter-oil scandal has “shocked local consumers” in Taiwan who expect more from their government, ...“I hope the law could be revised to impose tougher punishment on those who breach food safety regulations,”...
       ● The China Times (9.5.2014, head-page headline news): Disgusting ... Even pigs don't eat those tainted oil we Taiwanese ate !

ps: For full text pls. ref. to Taiwan food scandals.

◎

Taiwan's Food safety scandals 2013, 2014

★

Advertisement a long time loser

My article in <the United Daily News> (Oct. 2007) mentions Taiwan's ad. creativity has been lousy for a long time, In the past 10 years, Taiwan is about in the last place in Cannes Ad. festival, world best ad. contest. (Even Vietnam, Philippines, red China are bit better than Taiwan) Till 2020, Taiwan still only has small number of winnings in int'l ads & creativity contests.

Taiwan's most important ad.

Take Taiwan's national ads : "UN for Taiwan" (Taiwan to join the UN ) , as an example :

who said ?

said what ?

This site's comment

2007Taiwan government :

UN for Taiwan ad. is "un-limited creativity"

(1) Those are quite old ideas.

(2) click to read details

National ChenChi University, ad. professor book

using puns in UN series is " very creative and witty idea"

◎

Taiwan's int'l winning ads.

As for Taiwan's business ads. or TV commercials obtaining winning records in int'l ad. festivals, are not all so original,..... or/and not very sharp-witty, e.g., making love with an insect symbolizes insecure sex, or stick out (very out) the tongue to make a funny face, ...... are student-level ideas.

◎

★

◎Animation (comment Taiwan's best awards in world's best contests)

Taiwan's Top Institution(ps)	animation	World's top contest, prize & honors, and university's opinions	This site's comments
National Taiwan University of Science & Tech.	Cubic Tragedy	ACM SIGGRAPH People' Choice Award	Experts won't feel the idea, girl face-lifting resulting in Picasso's cubism a <weeping woman>, unexpected .
National Yuan-lin University of Science & Tech.	Cubic Tragedy	NYLU's graduate school paper concluded this animation as "Picasso-inspired idea ..... contrary to our expectation".	experts suppose won't feel this idea "un-expected".
National Taiwan Univ. of arts	A fish with a smile	Berlin international Film Festival, children's section, Special Prize of jury committee	(1) it's just a story for children. (2) elegant drawing style, but those pictures don't look like any city in Taiwan.
National Tainan Univ. of arts	After the rainy day	winning in UK	Just like most Taiwan's films, boring obscure-meaning codes, hence most people are hard to understand or may make over-interpretation.
National Palace Museum	Adventures of NPM	(1) grand prize, 2008 Tokyo International Anim. Fair. (2) anim. goal : " bridging the gap between ancient artworks and modern audiences.	(1) it's a story for children, not for modern adults. (2) the film is showing in children's center of National Palace Museum, Taipei Taiwan.

Tamkang Univ.'s paper concludes Taiwan animation's 1st problem is "short of creativity". Very few Taiwan's researches 're working on this subject - creativity. (Taiwan animation currently is only expertise at drawing tech.)

◎ comment Taiwan's international winning animation films in 2011.

Picasso cartoon Cubism

2 examples (pic. above) let us learn Picasso-Cubism inspired cartoons already having existed long time ago
(<The World encyclopedia Cartoons>，中國戲劇出版社)

More clever Picasso-inspired ideas have already been developed years ago, please click to see!

◎

★

Music/songs

An essay <China Tames Rebellious Side of Rock "n" Roll> in <New York Times>, likened today's Red Chinese pop music culture to the politically enforced conformity of the Cultural Revolution, the core of songs is "have fun", culture has become an empty vessel, there are few hints of angst, alienation , or any but the mildest expression of teenage rebellion.

Washington Post, 5-29-2020

On mainland singing competition shows, contestants often perform songs by Hong Kong or Taiwanese artists.

Taiwan's pop music was tamed by political pressure in the past, the "opposition culture" in Taiwan's music field was almost eliminated.

Today's music is in a money-oriented environment.

Very few people notes an usual case : two most popular singers, Wu-bai and S.H.E. (hottest in China too) sing 2 same-name songs, namely all the same as Chinese translation of "Brave New World" - a classic literature regarding man-handled white-terror tyranny. S.H.E. seems so happy and exciting while singing this song.

In contrast, Apple Computer's famous commercial <1984> comes from another white-terror literature "1984" written by Orwellian. Ad. research papers mention one reason it succeeds ( the most remarkable US ad campaign, although aired only once ) is that people are curious about the mystery/puzzle - a tyranny in a free country.

Certainly, the <1984> despises human-controlled tyranny.

Apple <1984> TV commercial	<Brave New World>	<Brave New World> Chinese translation book

everybody in a blue-smog (mock IBM CIS color) "jail" are under control by big-brother in a big screen . try http://Youtube.com !	(1) A literature by A. Huxley (2) http://futuresteve.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/brave-new-world/	book cover

◎

★

Arts Taiwan creativity

United Daily 10-31-2019: Plagiarism again in Taiwanese design field !! an art-work in Tai-Nan art festival copied UK's, another art-work on train (government's project) copied Russian's ...... All Taiwanese designers should respect themselves and take these cases as a lesson.

Apple Daily, opinion, 7-20-2018 : Taiwan ( Taiwanese everywhere) lacks of aesthetics accomplishments, particularly those in power can allocate resources have "really turn me off" taste (倒盡胃口), Taiwan's public art works are too vulgar to be endured (俗不可耐), and some are sort of cheap-copy works (仿冒竊).

Critics in UDN (10-24-2019) : Design field thinks culture & arts are nothing but decorative, fine arts belittle commercial arts, etc ... the arts should take the lead for the fusion of tech. and culture ( for details pls. read https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4122342 ) .

Dec. 8, 2012 : To everyone's surprise, 2 out of 3 artists in Taiwan government's selection for participating Italia Venice Biennale are foreigners ! This means Taiwan does not have talented artists??

Many Asian countries have great ambition to do city-marketing by arts expo., there're 8 arts biennales will be taken place in Sept. 2008.

Taiwan is one of them - <Asia Arts Biennale > was held till Feb. 2008.

Taiwan's largest news introduced (with a large-sized picture) an expo. artwork - world brand's logos are spread on human bodies, this work seems to symbolize "Globalizing" phenomenon.

However, the idea "logo body" already appeared a number of times in, i.e., <Your Logo Here, photos from S. Cal. 2004-2006>, and some logo tattoo works .......

More sharp-witty and more difficult ideas appeared in cartooning field at least 13 years ago, i.e., Japanese Yomiuri international cartoon contest.

logos body

pic. left: "number" logos on athletes, pic. right: similar idea intro. by Taiwan's major newspaper

◎

★

Architecture no aesthetical & creative astonishment

◆ Taipei Performing Arts Center was selected as one among "the transformative buildings set to shape the world" in 2021, in that the eye-catching building has a planet-like sphere protruding from one side - will undoubtedly serve as a contemporary landmark for the Taiwanese capital; however, some look-alike sphere buildings were already designed earlier ― all "plug" into a central cube.

Taipei Performing Arts Center

www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/insight/year-in-architecture-2020

slideshare.net/manishkhageeshrestha/desing-concept

ge.com/news/reports/sphere-of-turbulence-whats-hiding-inside-a

◆ Taiwanese architects were forced to be "construction supervisors" instead of "designers" by the government's policy, this finally rouse architects' angers after enduring 10 + years, most major public architecture projects went to international architects for "unjust treaties" made by the administration. / head-line news of The United Daily, 7-17-2017


	pic. United Daily : Taiwanese architects protest "unequal treaty" which benefits foreigners

◆ United Daily 8-8-2020, editorial: Taiwanese government most welcomes international architecture works, but its double standard angers local architects who criticizing foreigners are not familiar at Taiwan's history and geo. culture.
(Chinese text: 國際競圖原意是希望帶動台灣建築師創作力，但後來在執行面出現不少問題，最普遍的就是國外建築師不熟悉台灣歷史、地理，就把既有想法塞進來。尤其，國際競圖機制往往埋著國內建築師與國外相比的兩大不平等條約。各級政府國際競圖時，為吸引國外建築師，將設計費率提高二、三倍至百分之十三起跳，更可議的是，近年又冒出「變相國際標」，鼓勵國內建築師事務所找國外建築師設計，若獲選，設計費就可從原一般造價費的百分之四到五，略增到百分之六點二，評分總分還可加分。建築界痛批把國內建築師當「文化買辦、仲介」。)

◆ UDN (聯合報) 10-23-2019: Taiwan is far behind in urban construction, in contrast, some metro in Asia always have astonishing architectures ... (brief)

below are Taiwan's "Face" buildings :

architecture	This site's comment
Taipei 101 building	Ugliest skyscraper in the world : NOT very exquisite & aesthetic appearance
Tao-yuan international airport	1st Hall : copied U.S. airport. 2nd Hall : shortage of spirit breadth and arts atmosphere.

An article by VIP professor in Taiwan major newspaper (2002) asserted : " Copy is humanism spirits" 、 " How can we bear and even enjoy those original designed architecture by Taiwanese, our own people !? "

ps1: Taiwan's Pavilion at Shanghai's World Expo. 2010 (China) ― an ordinary architecture, far worse than UK's Pavilion (based on same construction cost and same land-space).

ps2: another contrast

Can you tell which is US Washington Dulles int'l airport, or Taiwan Taoyuan int'l airport ?

			ps: Taiwan eventually was ashamed of this stealing and modified its look recently ... already after many many years

◎

★

Visual Communication

Taiwan government logo, UN for Taiwan logo, state-run enterprises logo, Taiwan's universities annual event logo ...... etc, suspiciously are cheap-copy works. Similar visual designs're everywhere in Taiwan.

Some examples are listed as below:

(1)		(2)

world logo appeared earlier	logo of Taiwan's government	Korea metro's logo (appeared earlier)	design by Taiwan's best university

◎

● Pic. left is the logo of Taiwan government, since 11-9-1993, next 3 are logo of Canadian Pacific Rail, since 1968.

In addition to cheap-copy suspect, Taiwan's official document states their logo "easy to identify and associate with Taiwan's brand ... a simple shape and modernized & internationalized, aesthetic design " ; but, exactly on the contrary, it's neither modernized, nor as aesthetical simple as CPR's logo...

◎

(3) Taiwan's cultural landmark

knife as tree, lawn, mountain

left : Silk Cut ad. in UK, appeared earlier right: poster for Taiwan's cultural government and Eslite book store (ps)

ps: Both use same ideas ― "sharp knife tree, dangerous gear-wheel lawn"
Pic. at right side is an ad. for <Creative Ideas Exhibition of Taiwan Cultural Industry, Taiwan>, Eslite bookstore ( Taiwan's pride, a cultural landmark of Taiwan)

◎

(4)

pic. left above: logo and emblem of KMT
presidential election 2019/2020

pic. left blow: a design for FCCLA (USA)
(ps: appeared earlier)

KMT denied it's a cheap-copying work,
but ROC design association
(中華民國設計師協會榮譽理事)
expressed "UP" is an obvious Plagiarism !

besides, Taiwan's head was cut out

ref. to LTN, 11-15-2019

◎

★

Film/movie Taiwan's film almost dead

● France 24, 11-21-2020: Chinese cinematic talents used to dominate the Golden Horse nominations but China boycotted the event last year after a Taiwanese director called for the island's independence during an award acceptance speech. ref to: france24.com/en/live-news/20201121-two-hong-kong-political-films-win-at-taiwan-golden-horse-awards

● Till now 2020, Taiwan has submitted 46 films for Oscar consideration. Three Taiwanese films (The Wedding Banquet (1993), Eat Drink Man Woman(1994), and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)) have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ― all were directed by Ang Lee.

● New York Times, 5-29-2020 "Looking for an Introduction to Taiwan’s Greatest Filmmaker?"

NY Times introduces Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s work : “Millennium Mambo”(千年曼波), ,“The Assassin”(刺客) , “The Time to Live and the Time to Die” and “Dust in the Wind”(風中的塵埃), etc. "Much of the acclaim for Hou rests on the implicit challenge that his movies pose to conventional narrative filmmaking. They are less rooted in story than in motion, space and time — the fundamentals of cinema. "
Cinephiles scoffed: Maybe Hou was simply too challenging, too singular and too uncommercial for any distributor here to touch... But scholar Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh noted that Hou himself likened his style to liubai 留白, the Chinese ink-painting technique of leaving space blank. full details pls. read https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/movies/Hou-Hsiao-Hsien.html

● Washington Post, 5-29-2020
Even today, Hong Kong artists and Taiwanese celebrities hold considerable cultural clout, working in the mainland and appearing and performing on variety shows and television dramas.

● Taiwan's film industry got 3 major troubles :

(1) Taiwan government used to do political propaganda/comm. by using movies, till now Taiwan's government still thinks highly of things helpful to win political elections, besides, Taiwan government's movie policy already gave up to WTO, U.S., Hollywood.

(2) Taiwan likes to 'create' some abstract/obscure symbols attracting very very few people. Using Eastern exotic flavor was another very useful strategy for attending world film contest. Lacking witty & creative idea led to Taiwan film industry's death.

         ⊙ Taiwan's movies fail to create better humour like "Lost in Beijing" ( red Chinese film banned by CHN gov.) .
         ⊙ Taiwan's all-time grossing film, <Cape No.7>, is not a stylish witty comedy (some world best media positioned this film as comedy), but attracts lots of Taiwanese (particularly southern Taiwanese) by some simple ideas( i.e., sort of slapstick) and Taiwanese grass-roots culture elements.
         ⊙ Taiwan's <You are the Apple of My Eye> of 2011 was very popular in TW, HK and Chn, but most of it's boyish humors are not witty & stylish, this film attracts audiences by stoking collective memory of their youngsters age.
         In 2012, Taiwan's films only won 2 awards in Taiwan's Golden Horse film festival (China and HK won most awards), which is the worst in latest 20 years.   In 2014, Taiwan was bit better, won 3 out of 23 awards in total.

(3) Taiwanese are rich, but spent little on arts, and taste not too good - many people prefer real things, like money. International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported 2010 Taiwanese GDP (USD 35,604) ranked world no. 21.(news 9/23/2011)

	per person per year (200X)
movie	NT470 (about US 15)
drama	NT91 (US 3)
dancing show	NT65 (US 2)

● TV soap opera series : Taiwan's TV opera series focus on "charming leading-actors/actress" (not giving importance to the content) to attract audiences, so, Korean, Japanese, red Chinese TV series are better & more popular. United Daily (12-28-2014): Taiwan's TV opera are not original. UDN (critique C2, 6-21-2015): Taiwan's drama crisis/ lacking of budge, passion, actor/actress.

● Variety show/program of assorted entertainment: this sort of shows were very popular and was the reason or excuse that Taiwanese people don't like going to theater and watching movies, but till 2013, those stuffs were not fresh enough and already behind China's, some paper even questioned Taiwan's variety show/program of assorted entertainment : "Are they incurable?" (4/7/'13 UND). United Daily (12-26-2014): Taiwan needs creativity. Apple Daily (8-31-2015) : Taiwan's entertainment show from bad to worse, the gap between Taiwan and China becomes bigger, Taiwan's TV field in risk ! BBC (UK), 1-13-2013: Taiwan's pop culture leaps Chinese hurdles - Millions in China watch the Taiwanese variety talk show Kang Xi Lai Le - but not on television. it's not just a reluctance to embrace a different kind of TV humour. Chinese regulations forbid all types of Taiwanese talk shows from being aired in their original state.

◎

★

Cartooning

About 10 years ago, ROC on Taiwan government together with <The United News> system organized a Taiwanese team to participate in Euro's largest humour contest, ＜Kokke Heist Humour & Cartoon Festival ＞，only 3 artists (including Zola Zu) were selected.

Recently Taiwanese cartoon artists have shown little talents on Taiwan International Cartoon Contest sponsored by Taiwanese government,

Almost all juries withdrawn from <Courage World Cartoon Contest> (ranking world No. 1 for some years) , due to "seems political" reasons .

Both animation and cartooning need creativity, but at present Taiwan doesn't have that environment.

Taiwan youngsters like "Kuso" stuffs, however, formula/routine mind is not good enough for cartoon creativity.

◎

Japanese winning art in Knokke Heist, Belgium 1st prize work in contest held by MinSen Daily

pic. left: Knokke Heist winner, appeared earlier.
pic. right: Taiwan's 1st prize cartoon was sent to Knokke Heist and lost.

ps: Taiwan has (only a few) world class cartoonists : i.e., T.Y. Ju (Ron Chu) .

◎

★

Product Design

(1 ) Taiwan's best-selling cultural creativity :

Recently, Taiwan's best-selling & widely known product , "Chinese Fortune(or Rich) God figure toy", is based on Taiwanese superstition (Apple Daily: 88%of college students believe ghost existing ), and eagerness for money,

Taiwan's figure-toy design just simplified Chinese Gods' complicated appearance to little cute mascot, in contrast, int'l designs for gods are more witty, i.e.,


⊙ Europe, Belgium rug Co.	installed a special compass in each product, its needle points to Islam's holy land instead of pointing South/North － this created a lot of business.
⊙ Japan	made a watch converting 114 world major cities' time to Islam holy land's time, with time-alarm function for Muslims' prayer.

( 2 ) best-selling cultural products for int'l tourists

A major design periodical comments: <National Palace Museum>'s rich treasures is the key to success of Taiwan's Cultural & Creative Industry.

However, <NPM> seems to look down upon the talent of Taiwanese designers.

<NPM> product	short comments
Alessi "the Chin Family"	(1) <NPM> cooperates with Japan, Italy, hence, NPM's products are not purely Taiwanese or Chinese flavor. (2) Mr. Chin got slant eye (or "raising eyebrows"), it's western view-point, the Oriental usually don't draw that way.	Taiwan's tourists guidebook/ pamphlets (pic. above) calls 5000 yrs treasures "Chinese Creativity" . How about "Chinese Creativity" in today's Taiwan ??
"Jadeite Cabbage" tray-pillow for chop-sticks to rest on	(1) most products directly use antique-art shape. (2) At least 20 years ago, various assorted dedicated vegetables and fruits glass chopsticks tray-pillow already were made-in-Japan (best-sellers too) .
Don Dynasty ladies picture slippers	just directly applied antique pictures on products.

<NPM> should designs Chinese treasures, and makes witty, humorous artworks to represent Taiwan's modern arts. Western tourists suppose like to buy souvenir with Chinese culture & flavor created by ourselves. "Mercenaries" cannot represent Taiwan to Olympics.

◎

<NPM>merchandises： slippers, mugs, etc with Don Dynasty Ladies Picture	Zola Zu's design ： (1) expo. in Europe like Holland, Turkey, and was printed in best-collection albums. (2) printed in <the China Times>.
directly use antique pictures（or simplify a little bit）	I choose the theme : When the East encounters the West, Fine arts meets Cartooning, to integrate 2 major cultures.

ps: "tech. oriented" product design like <idea> contest, <if> contest is not discussed in here

◎

★

Medical

● Guardian (UK), 10-31-2020: Now, Taipei's people browse, busk and greet each other with handshakes and hugs. It feels normal. However, Taiwan has already "exported" dozens COVID-19 infected cases to a number of foreign countries, not sure yet who should be responsible for this, according to United Daily, editorial, 10-31-2020
https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4977422?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

● New York Post 4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.". Taiwanese govt. responded at 4-28-2020 that Taiwanese would like to cooperate with our policy. But the truth is Taiwan's "Big Brother" already sneaked into numerous families in the name of Epidemic Prevention, by an injunction violating Tort Law and domineering over Constitution (凌駕憲法的侵權禁令) , without having noticed all nationals, in accordance with United Daily, editorial at 5-7-2020. The ironic thing is after lifting Coronavirus Lockdown, Japan doesn't trust Taiwan's Epidemic Prevention, and has not put "democratic" Taiwan on their welcome list, many other countries did same thing to Taiwan. The China Times, editorial (6-6-2020, 6-25-2020) analyzed one main reason is Taiwan rejects mass testing, even small-scale testing, the number of test per million people is 3000+, ranked world No. 138, about same level as that of African countries, even African Luanda tested double number of Taiwan's. A famous National Taiwan University M.D. expert endorsed for Taiwan's policy : there's no any CovID-19 in Taiwan, 3 weeks later, a Japanese girl staying Taiwan for 4 months was detected positive in Japan's airport. Therefore, those free flow of information can be suspicious and may endanger the world people. According to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, USA, "somewhere between 25% and 50%" of people infected with the new coronavirus may never show symptoms or fall ill — but can still transmit the illness to others (4-15-2020, Business Insider). Bill Gates in the New England Journal of Medicine: The prevalence of asymptomatic transmission doesn't bode well for global containment efforts. All studies (CNBC 5-7-2020, Singapore's Blackbox Research and Toluna, Forbes 6-5-2020, 4-16-2020: The Deep Knowledge Group) concluded China is better than Taiwan on CovID-19 safety countries rankings. The China Times 6-25-2020 editorial: Taiwan has no same capacity and experience as Beijing does to face something serious, it will be horrible in case CovID-19 epidemic break out. https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200624003961-262101?chdtv

● According to WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 9-4-2019), Taiwan's Health & Hygiene score 6.0, is worse than that of Korea, Japan, Mongolia.

● Taiwan only ranks world 45th position in Lancet's Healthcare Access and Quality Index released in 2017

Taiwan ranks world 45th in Lancet's Healthcare Access and Quality Index released in 2017

● FTV (4-16-2017) comments medical Doctors' social status is lower than before.
● The book "Exposing the truth of modern medical circle in Taiwan" ("誤診誤醫", published by the China Times, 2012; by Xu Da-Fu ) criticizes : Taiwan's hospitals focus on profit/benefit and ignore patients' rights , The whole medical circle already went the wrong route...

◎ Surgery / Taiwan's excellent surgeons perform many operations simultaneously - happened quite often in Taiwan...
◎ Medicines / the quality of prescription medicines in Taiwan is from bad to worse...
◎ Bribery / the institution needed to be paid bribery most is judiciary system, second is Taiwan's medical and health services ...
◎ full text pls. ref. to Taiwan Medical services or http://Courageworld.ch/TaiwanHospitalsMD.htm

◎

★

Women's rights

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-11-2020 : In the new legislature, a record 38 percent of lawmakers were women. ABC Radio National, Australia, 2- 27-2020: 42 per cent of Taiwan's legislators (law makers) are women; it's the only Asian nation to have legislated same-sex marriage.

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that Victims of rape and domestic violence did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families. <The United Daily >, 3-16-2018: Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go ! Taiwan passed (United Nations already passed 30+ years ago at 1979) the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , valid from Jan. 1, 2012, but, Taiwan's women rights status is still similar according to the US report released in 2013 ~ 2018, In 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault is only 850 less than that in previous year. The Gov. study showed (3-2-2019) the number of Domestic Violence in 2018 is 138637, which increases about 1% compared to previous year.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 4-20-2018

Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various NGO and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.

women work: Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than men, earning on average 83 percent of their male counterparts’ income in 2015... a survey in 2016 showed 3.5 percent of women have been sexually harassed at work, yet 80 percent of these cases went unreported.

● <The United Daily 聯合報>, 3-16-2018 (prime news edition)

         Taiwan president Tsai I. W. : Taiwan still have a not short way to reach gender equality (台灣離性別平等還有一段路要走)
         <The United Daily 聯合報>, 3-16-2018 (林志潔, professor and member of national judicial reform committee)
          The judge made mistakes again and again, Taiwan's gender equality - A long long way to go !

● The China Times <中國時報> 3-8-2018: according to investigation/survey, 80% female physicians met sexual harassment, ... a female physician of Cathy Hospital had different views and said the percentage of harassment to nurse probably higher because they are young and in lower status (8成女醫曾遭性騷擾, 女醫反應兩極 ... brief)

● <Apple Daily>, 4-3-2018: According to a survey by Taiwanese government, 180 thousands of career women suffered sexual harassment, only 40-50 thousands reported to their company, others chose to keep silence... <蘋果日報> 4-7-2018: The number of sexual harassment on campus reported is up to 1400 per year.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 3-3-2017 (new report of 4-20-2018 is about same) : Violence & discrimination against women is one of Taiwanese principal human rights problems for years. In 2015, the number of reporting for rape or sexual assault is only 850 less than that in previous year. Apple Daily news (12. 25. '14) reported that the percentage of those Taiwanese male aged above 20 visiting porn business (2.33 million men per yr. ) ranked world No.1. The annual value of production of Taiwan's sex industry's is at least USD 200 million. Prostitution is violence against women / ref to <Prostitution : violence with no name>, "Prostitution et Societe", 2010, "Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against women", 11-25-2016 France. Taiwan government is the main criminal to harm women's rights in large scale.

● The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , released at 3-3-2017: spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police. Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions,...

◎

★

Sports/Athletics

● olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/medal-standings.htm Taiwan in Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 : zero medal.

● Tokyo Olympic Games medal rankings : countries of Asia & Pacific - No. 2. China, No. 3 Japan, 6 Australia, 13 NZ, 16 S Korea, 27 Iran, 34 Chinese Taipei (2 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze) . Fox News, 2021-8-14 : China alters medal count to include Hong Kong, Taiwan to unofficially claim gold medal dominance over US.

● According to Wikipedia (May 2020), Taiwan in Olympics (summer) has won 5 gold 7 silver, 12 bronze, was ranked world no. 66.

● In 2016 Rio Olympics medal tally statistics, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) only got 1 gold, 2 bronze, ranks world No. 50, compare to previous years, 5 medals in 2000, 2004, 4 medals in 2008, 2 medals in 2012；Other Asian nations - China ranks No.3, Japan No.6, Korea No. 8, Australia No 10, N.Z. No.19, Iran 25, North Korea No. 34, Thailand No. 35, Indonesia No. 46, Vietnam No.48, Taiwan No. 50.

● Taiwanese baseball team lost all games in 1st round and was eliminated in World Baseball Classic 2017, the leader of Athletics government stepped down. Expert comments the system weakness is obvious but we just can't improve it, patriotism is no longer working on this issue ...

● Taiwan just held 2 world scaled athletic events that have ever seen in Taiwan's history :

World Games Kaohsiung Taiwan & Deaflympics Taipei : comments/critiques click to see how they showed Taiwan's culture and creativity.

◎

★

Publications

The number of new book publication keeps dropping to hit lowest in 18 years. Some say "Taiwan's literature us dead !".

◎

★

other Soft Power
As for other items of Taiwan's soft power, according to Reporters without Borders (RSF), Taiwan's press freedom (speech freedom) ranks No. 45 (always behind No. 45 since 2008), Taiwan's human rights, judicial system, high-ranking officials' corruption, women's rights, abuses of international/foreign workers, death penalty ( capital punishment ) etc need to be improved.

Comment Taiwan

★ this site's world No. 1 in 2020~22, 2017~19, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010~12 ★

home brief Taiwan TW FB tour personality food medical diplomacy restaurants night markets buffet women market speech massage watching u fraud judiciary police corruption illegal migrants foreign labor prosecutors soft power death penalty happiness housing avia image creativity human rights US cartoons US Design intl Human rights judicial persecution oppressionon bully univ drugs military news democracy

◎

★

Summary

(1) Not easy to upgrade "Made in Taiwan" to "Create in Taiwan", since Taiwan has very few experts in creativity. (government does not think highly of them)

(2) Most Taiwanese professors (PhD) do theoretical studies, don't have talent (some even are not interested ) on witty creativity/design.

(3) Ph.D usually is required for college teacher position, it's one criterion for Taiwan government to evaluate all schools. Un-talented teachers can't train students to be talented.

(4) Taiwan's society and people don't think important of arts, culture, creativity, etc.

(5) Taiwan government official in univ. paper said Taiwan doesn't have that kind of environment for creativity.
Creativity needs freedom, democracy, and people's independent personality, government officers don't like creativity, which means extra risk.

(6) Taiwan should fight "diamond cut diamond" with western nations in major fields , instead of going backdoor (or side-door) by exotic local culture, Eastern mysterious flavor, obscure codes, etc.

(7) Taiwan government used to give less budget to cultural field, and use e.g., movie as propaganda/comm. tool. Taiwan needs int'l friends, but uncreative films won't attract enough audiences.

(8) Taiwanese government kicks cultural creativity to the corner , in that creativity seems no use for political election, but requires extra efforts on social controls/adm.

(9) Taiwan's government prefers to use his own men.

(10) Taiwanese youngsters love heavy slapstick 、silly "Kuso" stuffs ("young-designers" policy is wrong).
Taiwanese adults' imaginative power is bounded, thinking in a roundabout/evasive way, their tastes are lousy ....... pls. see 2 examples as below :

◎◎◎

	artworks introduced by Taiwan's largest news:	western artwork earlier

	Merging Mao's photo & Tian-an-men Square of Beijing with "Miki mouse" (to symbolize Red China's westernization )	Morphing Mao with "Miki mouse" (to symbolize China's westernization )
		is Biro Mihaly: A haboru borzalmai ellen, Plakat Budapest, Europe, at 1912. http://www.hnm.hu/utils/Gallery.php?ItemID=213&PicNum=9
	fighter planes pass Tian-an-men Square, and drop human-beings as bombs ps: this painting price 10 times from 2005 to 2008	using youngsters as artillery bullets (appeared earlier)

to be continued, if necessary

◎◎

Taiwan needs medicine, not cosmetic

ps2: Other researches : finger-pointing moon results in that ear will be cut (28.3%) , chopstick knock bowl results in being a beggar (22.3%), swimming in July (Lunar) results in un-luck (64.7%), whistling after sunset will encounter ghost (37%), pregnant woman using scissors will give birth to an abnormal baby(32%) - reported by <Apple Daily>5.29.2005 (largest and best news evaluated by university)

Taiwan Cultural & Creative Industry (Taiwan Soft Power)

animation ad. music product design arts cartooning movie architecture visual comm. tour food home

◎

ps: Taiwan Animation, int'l contest winners

anim

◎

★ <Adventures of National Palace Museum>

NPM web-site (English version)	This site comments
the winner of the prize "animation of the year" Tokyo Int'ernational Anim. Fair of 2008.	(1) The NPM Chinese version web-page mentions: the film obtains "grand prize exhibition", a weird grammar sentence. (2) Japan's web-pages: "Animation of the Year" award goes to <1.0: You are (not) Alone> I have no idea which is right ...
describes this animation as "an exciting story of their (the leading actor, "ceramic child pillow") search for a katydid that has flown away from another of the NPM's treasure, Jadeite Cabbage".	(1) Not an exciting story. (2) The NPM is in Chaos after night, it can be an exciting story, why was the child only interested in that insect? (3) Suggest readers to compare with some other films like <Night at the Museum>, or classic animation ＜Statues Que＞.
This film "bridges the gap between modern audiences and ancient artworks".	(1) It's for kids, not for modern audiences. The film is showing in children's centre of NPM. Almost all audiences are children when I was there at July 4, 2008. (2) Children usually love vivid colorful film, not like this film .

◎

★ <Cubic Tragedy>: ACM SIGGRAPH Peoples' choice no.1

(1) About 10 years ago <TIME>'s article stated Japanese comic strips show a sense of inferiority about their Eastern face ( many Japanese hero-characters look like western person's feature & body structure ), Cubic Tragedy's Oriental face-lifting story may interests Western audiences.

(2) Attendees might feel "proud" when recognizing (or figure out) it's a Picasso's painting, so as to vote this film as People's Choice award winner.

(3) The author's strategy is smart, however, the Picasso-inspired idea won't surprise creativity experts, because lots of fine-arts inspired and Picasso inspired ideas have already been developed long long time ago, in both West and Asia. ( see pic. below)

(4) The author tried to "design" the girl's face (to avoid "yellow skin") and the Asian eyes (described in the book "Survival of the Prettiest" , or any look like soap "Ugly Betty" ), <Cubic Tragedy> gives the girl a polygonian (square,cubic), pink face just same as certain background.

(5) Americans invest more money in their looks (beauty) than in education, around 1/2 the number of global M.D.s in plastic surgery are living in USA, the surgery may be treated as just a make-up or hair-coloring in the near future. Hence, the pink color may be sarcastic on that girl and many females, however, changing background-color may broaden the theme.

(6) In 1990, there's a widely-known concept arts : a French artist did a plastic surgery on face, and live show to world arts museums, people can buy this DVD or some skins cut ...... is it an art, a stunt, or a tragedy with various hidden meaning ?

Lots of fine-arts and Picasso inspired ideas're already published long time ago.

◎

★ <After the rainy days> winning in UK

(1) A western saying : "Chinese are inscrutable", and many western juries, audiences favor stereotyped image of Eastern world - so, many Taiwan's films are on purpose full of exotic flavor, mysterious atmosphere, etc, or go even further : obscure/abstract codes, philosophical arts, poetry like a dream .........

(2) The "arts" are usually decoded to various meanings, depending upon audiences' knowledge and life experience ....... Picasso and a kid both can create same "art-work" i.e., displaying a M. Duchamp toilet, but the kid doesn't mean too much. An empty museum is a concept art, randomly shooting in the street is a Surrealism art. (quoted by John Carey, Oxford U. professor, to comment arts)

(3) Famous Ad book <Visual Persuasion> (U. Penn. USA) mentions Surrealism is sometimes thought of as a representation of dream (lack of logic) imagery and a source of various hidden meanings. However, attempt to read these hidden meaning may run into a problem of over-interpretation. It's mainly an art of eye-grabbing visual paradoxes.

(4) Most audiences only want entertainment, instead of spending efforts in taking a boring philosophy class, or in escaping from a maze.

(5) Great arts can be understandable and popular, i.e., Polish <fallen art>, Canadian <Special delivery>, Korean <Birthday Boy>, are easily understood, and may touch many people's hearts.

(6) Some symbolic tokens seem not so fresh, i.e., a flying graffiti, or fish soaring to the sky. Many times it seems to be easy : for instance, "graffiti" symbolizes rebellion, "flying" symbolizes set to free (or release from tyranny), so, combine both to get a flying graffiti.

(7) Sometimes lyric stuffs may needs obscure (but not too obscure) codes, but, why does mocking-politics kind of film need camouflage?

(8) <After the rainy day> is sort of "arts" animation.

(9) For so many years, Taiwan government loves to do some political propaganda/comm. by attending int'l film festivals with this kind of obscure-meaning films, so that Taiwan fails to communicate with million times of world audiences, this style of movie already led to Taiwan film industry's death.

◎

★ <A Fish with a Smile> (10 min. short film) Jury Committee Special prize, Children's Jury Short Film, Berlinale int'l film Festival 2005

(1) director : C Jay Shih, Alan Tuan, Poliang Lin

(2) brief - "I once had a fish that was as loyal as a dog, as amicable as a cat, as attentive as a lover". This animation is kind of surrealism languages - deconstructed, inconsistent, hallucinatory, etc.

(3) If you like this anim., also try "EEL", a Japanese made Cannes award winner.

(4) The drawing style is elegant, however, this city looks like Euro's more than Taiwan's.

(5) The nature of animation is closely related to poetry, poetry is related to thinking in nature. I feel university should produce great themed art-works.

(6) I guess "fish is crying" is a more witty phrase than "fish is smiling". (because fish is in water)

ps: a few other winning anim. can't be found in Youtube, or their school sites

◎

Summary:

Taiwan is struggling from OEM to OBM (for Pixar 3D films and China's cheap labor), Taiwan's animation is skilled in drawing tech., but is short of creativity.

1. Taiwan's society :
Taiwanese people don't think important of arts, culture, creativity, etc.

2. Taiwan government :
Taiwan doesn't have that kind of environment for creativity.
Creativity needs freedom, democracy, and people's independent personality. Government officials don't like creativity, which means extra risk.

3. Taiwan's universities :
They made very few research on creativity, produced very very few sharp-witty or entertaining animations.

Wikipedia encyclopedia concluded that Taiwan government has not worked a lot on cultivating college potential ones in animation field, currently is far behind Japan, S. Korea, and even Red China.

◎

part of article commenting Taiwan cultural creativity s in <United Daily News>

● pic.: This website was ranked top 2 by keyword "Taiwan cultural and creative industry",
on US Google, Oct. 1, 2018
　

● pic.: This websites group was ranked No.1 on US Bing
by keyword "Taiwan soft power" in Chinese at 11-28-2018

● pic.: This websites group was ranked No.1 on US Google and Bing
by keyword "Taiwan soft power" in Chinese at 11-28-2018

◎◎