"Crazy for Taiwan All-Stars": Janet's Favorite Paradise in Taitung

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

TLC Travel & Living Channel is marking its 10th anniversary of broadcasting in Taiwan. This year, it has once again partnered with the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to produce a brand-new season of "Crazy for Taiwan All-Stars." Janet takes renowned hosts from around the world on a "Crazy for Taiwan" adventure, allowing international stars to experience Taiwan’s local cultural highlights through various themed itineraries. This season specially invites internationally acclaimed host Anita Kapoor of "Anita Mumbo Jumbo Asia" to join the filming. The two traveled to the Taitung Dulan Sugar Factory, where Anita, visiting eastern Taiwan for the first time, excitedly exclaimed, "The endless Pacific Ocean is absolutely stunning. I’ve completely fallen in love with this pristine land!" Janet also said that Taitung is her favorite paradise.

Tree bark cloth is a precursor to human textile use. It is made through processes such as pounding, stripping, soaking, and air-drying—an ancient craft used to create clothing for warmth and coverage. The pair visited the Taitung Donghe Amis tribe in Dulan Sugar Factory to meet 70-year-young tree bark artist Chen Ruolin, experiencing the rare traditional culture of making clothes from tree bark. They learned how young people draw upon memory to recreate the tree bark hunting outfits once hung in work sheds—studying the material and crafting tree bark garments, hats, and handmade books, showcasing ancient wisdom to the world. Not only did they accompany their teacher into the forest to cut down the raw material for tree bark clothing—paper mulberry—but they also directly picked up hammers to pound out their own unique tree bark designs. Janet joked that wearing tree bark clothing on the street definitely ensures you won’t have a fashion duplicate.

 

Anita Kapoor, the show host from Singapore, was born in Mumbai, India. She is articulate, energetic, witty, and humorous. Her program "Anita Mumbo Jumbo Asia" is beloved by Asian audiences, as she takes viewers to explore emerging and prosperous regions in Asia. Whether in Manila, Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur, Anita discovers hidden gems for food, fun, and activities that most tourists don’t know about. Visiting Taiwan this time gave her the opportunity to step outside Taipei and experience the local culture of other parts of the island. She joyfully shared, "Many friends have recommended places in Taipei, but I want to tell them there’s a whole different charm beyond Taipei. Visiting many places this time, I saw how passionate and proud Taiwanese people are about introducing their land and culture—it’s impossible not to feel that this is truly a happy country. I stayed in Taitung for two or three days, ate so much delicious food, and saw amazing mountain and sea views. I definitely need to plan some time to stay in Taitung for a while in the future."

 

Experience making tree bark clothes in Taitung firsthand, and feel the historical warmth of Taiwan’s traditional crafts with your own hands. Anita and Janet learned how to use indigenous tribal totems and original patterns to create tree bark paintings using methods such as hand-painting, stencil cutting, woodblock printing, roller printing, and silk-screening. There were also tree bark clothes popular among women, as well as small tree bark vests. Anita said, "Although I’ve seen tree bark clothing in South Pacific islands before, in Taiwan, a new generation of young tree bark artists combines ancestral wisdom and adheres to the spirit of handmade craftsmanship, blending traditional arts with modern fashion. Seeing young people working hard to promote such a precious culture is truly moving!"

 

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

a special rerun of "Anita Mumbo Jumbo Asia" is scheduled from November 19 to December 10, airing every Tuesday at 23:30, where the witty and humorous Anita will take everyone on a journey to discover new faces across Asia.

 

 

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