On August 2, our trip led us from Toufen to Tongxiao to catch the famous Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival (which we have been to previously, blog post HERE). Back at home, the weather had been perfect - bright blue skies, warm sun. Yet when we arrived in Tongxiao, the sky turned ominously dark and it sprinkled rain just as the kite show was about to begin.
Thankfully, after a short shower, the clouds parted and the sky cleared just in time. The kites soared vividly in the crisp light above the towering sand sculptures.
This summer, Taiwan has suffered unusually heavy rainfall and widespread damage (at least in my 8 years living here). Around late July 2025, torrential rains battered southern Taiwan, forcing over 3,000 residents to evacuate, shuttering businesses, and triggering school closures across Tainan, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung.
Just days earlier, Typhoon Danas struck the west coast in early July, killing two people, injuring more than 500, cutting power to around 660,000 households, and causing over NT$1 billion in damage. Authorities warned of continuing severe flooding and potential landslides across the island.
Right before the kite show we decided to grab some local beef noodle soup. Just a few bites in - a cockroach surfaced in my bowl. I recoiled in disgust. That nightmare presence destroyed my appetite and dampened my mood completely. I had hoped to film some footage of food and the festival, but after that incident, the mood was gone - no vlog, no content (I've a few shorts tho - YouTube).
This isn’t the first time I’ve found something in my food - there have been hairs, strings, or other random items, which I’d usually just take out and continue eating. But I guess a cockroach crosses the line. I’ve even eaten in places where cockroaches or rats were running around and I don’t mean open-air stalls, I mean indoors! But seriously, after eight years here, it feels like things in Taiwan are getting worse, not better. And it’s not just the food hygiene, the traffic is getting out of hand too.
Taiwan has been under scrutiny for recent food safety scandals. Just a few recent examples:
- In Taichung, a Cold Stone Creamery outlet was ordered shut after four people accidentally drank bleach mixed in with their ice cream toppings.
- At the Breeze Xinyi branch of INPARADISE, 59 people fell ill between January 5–7, 2025. Over 70% had consumed raw fish.
- A popular Tan Zuo Ma Li outlet near the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts was ordered to close for seven days after 22 diners reported gastrointestinal symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- In mid‑2024, authorities uncovered 11.4 tons of frozen meat—including goose meat that was up to 14 years past its expiration date—being relabelled and sold.
What began as a promising, sunny travel adventure turned into a cautionary tale of unpredictability - both in the weather and in food safety, the experience left a bitter aftertaste.
Taiwan remains a place of incredible beauty and cultural richness - but current events suggest there's a pressing need for more vigilance in food hygiene and stronger enforcement of safety standards.
