Long before 1988, Taiwan’s beauty pageants had been mired in rumors — winners accused of marrying into political dynasties, whispers of contests doubling as “wife buffets” for the elite, and government crackdowns on such events being too frivolous in austere times.

Even beauty standards themselves were contested as Western pageants favored tall frames and bold features, while traditional Chinese ideals prized delicacy, modesty, and the “melon-seed face.” By the time Miss Universe came to Taipei, the stage was set for both spectacle and controversy.

Yet for Taiwan’s government, the payoff was irresistible. Hosting Miss Universe meant sixteen minutes of global airtime to present the Republic of China’s culture, heritage, and landmarks from Taroko Gorge to Yehliu’s Queen’s Head. For a country fighting for recognition, this beauty show was also showtime for “Free China.”

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From Chiang Kai-shek’s nuclear ambitions to the fallout from Chernobyl and Fukushima, Taiwan’s nuclear story has always been controversial. The ROC once came within months of being nuclear-bomb ready, but today, fission is gone from even civilian atomic power generation. This Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, voters face a radioactive referendum. The core question?

Whether to restart the recently decommissioned Ma’anshan Nuclear Power Plant 馬鞍山核能發電廠 in Kenting, Pingtung County. After years of splitting atoms over this hot topic, a critical mass is forming in a debate that may reveal just how divided the island remains on atomic energy. Join us as we explore the chain-reaction politics of Taiwan’s nuclear dilemma and the referendum which may trigger a U-turn on uranium.

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This episode was released on August 15th, 2025, exactly 80 years after the Empire of Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, we bring you a largely forgotten story.

In 1944, Japan launched its biggest land campaign of the war. It was called “Operation Ichi-Go (Operation #1)” – a massive push through China with half a million troops. It shattered Chiang Kai-shek’s armies, changed Allied strategy, and helped set the stage for the ROC’s retreat to Taiwan.

But the spark for this offensive began not on a battlefield in China, but in what’s today Hsinchu, Taiwan. This “big picture” episode has surprise U.S. bombing raids, brutal battles, Roosevelt’s strategy meetings in Hawaii, the collapse of China’s wartime economy, and lots more twists and turns that would lead to Mao Zedong proclaiming the People’s Republic of China in 1949 – and the Republic of China retreating to Taiwan.