"Crazy Taiwan All-Stars" in Taitung – Janet: This Is My Favorite Utopia

By MOOK Traveler Family Travel & Living Network, compiled and reported by Chen Guanxin

 

TLC Travel & Living Channel has been broadcasting in Taiwan for ten years. This year, it once again collaborates with the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, to produce a brand-new season of "Crazy Taiwan All-Stars." Janet brings together well-known hosts from around the world to “go crazy for Taiwan,” letting international stars experience local culture through various themed itineraries. This season specially invites internationally acclaimed host Anita Kapoor of "Anita Loot Asia" to join the filming. The two travel to Taitung’s Dulan Sugar Factory, where Anita, visiting eastern Taiwan for the first time, excitedly exclaims, “The endless Pacific Ocean is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve completely fallen in love with this pristine land!” Janet also says that Taitung is her favorite utopia.

Tree bark cloth is a precursor to textiles, made through pounding, stripping, soaking, and air-drying—a traditional craft used to create clothing for warmth and coverage. The pair visits 70-year-old young tree bark artist Chen Ruolin from the Amis tribe in Donghe, Taitung’s Dulan Sugar Factory, to experience the rare traditional culture of making clothes from tree bark. They learn how young people rely on memory to recreate the tree bark hunting outfits once hung in work sheds—studying the material, crafting bark garments, hats, and even handmade books—to showcase ancient wisdom to the world. Not only do they follow their teacher into the forest to cut down the raw material for bark clothing—paper mulberry—but they also take up hammers and start crafting their own unique bark designs. Janet jokes that wearing bark clothes on the street definitely ensures you won’t have a fashion duplicate.

 

Anita Kapoor, the show’s host from Singapore, was born in Mumbai, India. She is eloquent, energetic, witty, and humorous. Her show "Anita Loot Asia" is beloved by Asian audiences, as she takes viewers to explore emerging prosperity zones in Asia—whether Manila, Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur, Anita always discovers hidden gems off the beaten path for food, fun, and adventure. Visiting Taiwan this time and getting to explore beyond Taipei, she joyfully shares, “Many friends recommended places in Taipei, but I want to tell them that there’s so much more charm beyond the capital. Visiting many places here, seeing Taiwanese people proudly and passionately introduce their land and culture, it’s impossible not to feel that this is truly a happy country. I spent two or three days in Taitung, ate so much delicious food, and saw amazing mountain and sea views. I’ll definitely plan to spend some time here in the future.”

 

Experience making tree bark clothes in Taitung, and feel the historical warmth of Taiwan’s traditional craftsmanship with your own hands. Anita and Janet learn how to use indigenous tribal patterns and self-designed motifs to create bark paintings using techniques such as painting, stencil cutting, woodblock printing, roller printing, and silk screening. They also make tree bark clothes and vests—especially popular among women. Anita says, “Although I’ve seen tree bark clothing in South Pacific islands before, what’s moving here is that the new generation of young bark artists in Taiwan combines ancestral wisdom and a commitment to handcrafting, integrating traditional skills into modern fashion. Seeing young people working hard to promote such a precious culture is truly touching!”

 

The brand-new season of TLC Travel & Living Channel’s "Crazy Taiwan All-Stars" will be grandly launched early next year. Additionally,

a special encore of "Anita Loot Asia" will air every Tuesday at 23:30 from November 19 to December 10, with the witty and humorous Anita taking everyone on a journey to discover new facets of Asia.

 

 

●  Extended Reading:

"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" in Taiwan – Anthony: Taipei Isn’t Beautiful, But It Hides Something Wonderful.

http://goo.gl/EuRgpa