Bookish Asia
with Plum Rain Press
Plum Rain Press is dedicated to highlighting the best fiction and non-fiction on the East Asia region, whether they’re our books or not. Our weekly Bookish Asia podcast looks at both new releases and old classics.
It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.
01
Veteran Hong Kong-based journalist and prolific author Mark O'Neill tells us what Taiwan was like in the early 1980s, when he first came to study Chinese. Despite a mysterious knife attack and various authoritarian elements (such as “mail boxes” for reporting spies and subversives), he loved the country. Over the next four decades, he made numerous trips back, witnessing and reporting on Taiwan’s transformation from one party rule to an admirable democracy. “The Island” is not Mark’s first Taiwan book – earlier works include ones on Buddhist charity Tzu Chi and the National Palace Museum – so he brings both depth and breadth to his entertaining look at the country. As such, it’s our pleasure for Mark to kick off the Bookish Asia podcast.
02
Ever dream of owning a vineyard? Yorkshireman Chris Ruffle did, and to make things even more interesting he decided to do it from scratch in the countryside of Shandong Province. And don’t forget the castle, a Scottish castle, which he built at the site. Chris’ adventure was often more nightmare than rural idyll, but it certainly gave him lots of stories and great insights into the country and people. It’s one thing to live and work in a country, but investing all your savings in a business gives a unique experience and perspective. “A Decent Bottle of Wine in China” is a unique book which joins the ranks of foreigner accounts such as Tim Clissold’s “Mr. China” and Mark Kitto’s “China Cuckoo.” Thankfully, this tale has a happy ending, and his Treaty Port Vineyards is flourishing.
03
John talks with Chris Bates about one of Taiwan’s greatest ever martial artists, Hong Yixiang 洪懿祥 (1925–1993). He was Taiwan’s foremost master of the Chinese internal martial arts (which consist of baguazhang 八卦掌, xingyiquan 形意拳 and taijiquan 太極拳.) The Hong family learnt these fighting forms from exiled Mainlanders who fled the communists in the late 1940s. These skills were put to good use in dealing with local gangsters in the turbulent post-WWII years in Taipei.
Chris, who trained with Hong and his sons, translated his biography “Blurred Boundaries,” written by son Hong Ze-han, into English. Like the book, this Bookish Asia episode is not just a conversation about kung fu, but a rich cultural dive down little-known alleys.
(Note: This is a slightly longer version – with added mentions of the translation and publisher – of an edition which ran on the Formosa Files podcast on June 13/2024. Chris also previously spoke with John about his own martial arts odyssey in Taiwan: “Bonus Episode: Way of the Warrior - Martial Arts Master Chris Bates,” May 25, 2023.)
04
Thomas Bird was living in Southern China when he decided to explore the country by train and write a book about it. A great idea – and long overdue; the last notable railway-flavored China travelogue was Paul Theroux’s “Riding the Iron Rooster” (1988). Taking advantage of China’s rapidly expanding high-speed train network, Thomas journeyed far and wide. He also sought out the old lines and trains. Although framed around trains, “Harmony Express” is above all an account of the people he meets along the way and what China is like today. The book and this podcast episode will be of interest not just to train enthusiasts but for anyone interested in China (and those who think Bruce Chatwin is overrated).
05
John talks with John Saeki about tigers in Hong Kong. The big cats once made frequent and sometimes deadly forays into the territory, even reaching islands such as Lamma and Lantau. Listen and learn about the 1911 Stanley Tiger, the Sheung Shui Tiger of 1915 which left two British policemen dead, and the Shing Mun Rambler of 1965, possibly the last tiger to stalk the hills of Hong Kong. They also discuss the fabled “Blue Tiger” of Fujian Province.
06
American Kim Liao describes unraveling her family’s mysterious history. Her grandfather was Taiwanese independence movement leader Thomas Liao (1910–1986); Kim, who grew up with family members and relatives silent on this remarkable man, set out to investigate. The resulting book covers multiple stories; that of her family and also Taiwan’s fight for freedom in the White Terror years.
(Note: John also recorded another episode with Kim focusing on Thomas Liao – see Formosa Files S4-E23)
