ABC’s The Bachelorette Highlights Taiwan

http://www.hulu.com/watch/257322/the-bachelorette-week-7-part-1

In last week’s episode, The Bachelorette took the remaining bachelors and The Bachelorette, Ashley, on a tour through Taiwan. As a Taiwanese American, I am always happy to see Taiwan highlighted in American mainstream media since I don’t think most Americans have any idea about Taiwan, especially when compared to Japan, China or Korea, etc. Ashley described Taiwan as Asia’s “hidden treasure.” Though if I were an American interested in visiting Asia, I can understand why one might want to visit Beijing, Shanghai or Tokyo first before Taipei. But I have to think that this is probably the biggest PR coup for Taiwan tourism to date (only a season of Survivor would highlight Taiwan even more).

While growing up, I remember my father always trying to explain the complicated modern history of Taiwan – about the civil war in China, the fleeing of Chiang Kai-Shek and the KMT to Taiwan, the United Nations switching recognition from the Republic of China (R.O.C., Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C., China), and the United States’ diplomatically recognizing China over Taiwan. Growing up in the Eighties, I think the only thing that Americans knew about Taiwan was that many items of all sorts were “Made in Taiwan.” In this episode, host Chris Harrison noted that Taiwan was celebrating its 100 year anniversary – which was not necessarily entirely correct. The founding of the Republic of China by Sun Yat-Sen, which happened in 1911. Taiwan, the people, country and culture had existed long before 1911.

In The Bachelorette, Ashley and the bachelors explored different parts of the island (as well as Taipei), including visiting a small village called Ping-Shi which apparently has an annual lantern festival as well as visiting Taroko Gorge. The only parts of Taipei I saw during the episode was Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Plaza and scenes of Taipei 101 from afar. I was hoping that the show would highlight one of my all time favorite restaurants, Din Tai Fung!

You can catch the second half of the episode here:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/250141/the-bachelorette-week-7-part-2