30/08/2026

theSunday Special III ON SUNDAY AUG 30, 2026

Taking in the grandeur of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. – HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN/THESUN

deeper than the consumer electronics sitting on store shelves. Yet, the aspect of Taiwanese society that resonated most deeply was an initiative that had nothing to do with microchips, high-speed rail or towering skyscrapers, it was its progressive approach to migrant worker welfare. Through a visit to One-Forty, we saw another side of Taiwan, its efforts to support migrant workers, particularly those from Indonesia and the Philippines. The NGO provides education and community programmes, including Mandarin and financial literacy classes, vocational skills and support for those preparing to return home. What stood out was the emphasis on empowerment, rather than simply viewing migrant workers as labour. In an issue often reduced to numbers and economic contribution, One-Forty’s work was a reminder that behind every worker is a person, with skills to develop, a family to support and a future beyond the job that Taiwan is disciplined without feeling rigid, modern without losing character, and technologically advanced without spurning people. There is a quiet confidence to the country, an understanding that progress is not only about how high you can build, how fast you can move or how advanced your technology can become, but also about how you treat the people who live and work there. I arrived in Taipei looking at Taiwan through a journalist’s lens. I left seeing it a little differently, as a place that does not need to shout to make an impression. Perhaps that is why I want to return. Not simply to see more of Taiwan but to understand it better. And of course, to make more pineapple cakes. brought them to Taiwan. WHAT I TOOK HOME After a week of moving between meetings, streets, temples and kitchens, what stayed with me most was a sense of balance.

We had all seen the iconic tower in photographs and travel magazines, but seeing it in person was another matter. Rising above the city with its distinctive pagoda inspired design, it was difficult not to stop and look up. And as we made our way around its sprawling base, we had one of those familiar travel moments – stopping, checking our phones and working out which way we needed to go next. Nothing dramatic, just a brief case of getting our bearings. But it was one of those small, unscripted moments that never makes it onto an itinerary and somehow becomes part of the memory of a place. From page II Learning the art of making the country’s famous bubble tea. – HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN/THESUN

A look at the drones manufactured at Thunder Tiger during a visit to its facility in Taichung City. – HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN/THESUN

TECHNOLOGICAL

MIGHT

AND

We balanced that ground-level wanderlust with a bird’s-eye perspective at the iRide Flying Theater, a cutting-edge 5D immersive experience that completely redefines urban sightseeing. Strapped into dynamic motion-platform seats positioned inside a massive spherical screen, complete with synchronised sensory effects that included rushing wind, ocean mist, ambient scents and smooth directional movements, the experience transcended simple film viewing. For thirty thrilling minutes, we weren’t just observing Taiwan from a distance, we were soaring through its lush mountain valleys, gliding over its coastal lines and sweeping through its vibrant neon-lit avenues.

EMPOWERING PEOPLE When the itinerary turned toward Taiwan’s strategic industrial and social developments, the insights gained were equally profound and thought-provoking. A visit to Thunder Tiger offered an eye-opening look into the impressive scale of the nation’s indigenous drone manufacturing and technological capabilities. For anyone accustomed to thinking of unmanned aerial vehicles primarily as tools for aerial photography or hobbyist gadgets, seeing industrial-grade defence and commercial tech up close reframed the conversation entirely. Taiwan’s technological identity is clearly vast, sophisticated and far