Are you looking for a fun way to improve your Chinese reading skills while exploring Taiwanese culture? Comics, or Manhua (漫畫), are a fantastic resource for language learners. They provide visual context to help you understand new vocabulary and offer a glimpse into the daily life, history, and folklore of Taiwan.
In our latest video, Fiona and Iona introduce three incredible Taiwanese graphic novels that are perfect for learners. Whether you are interested in nature, history, or music, there is something here for you.
Let’s dive in!
1. 尋山人 (The Ranger)
Author: 艸肅 (Cǎo Sù) | Publisher: 台灣角川 (Kadokawa Taiwan)
Our first recommendation is 尋山人. The story follows a young man who is having a hard time finding a job after graduating college. In Taiwan, we call someone in this stage of life a 社會新鮮人 (shèhuì xīnxiānrén), literally a “freshman of society.”
By chance, he becomes a forest ranger (森林護管員) in Hsinchu. Did you know that two-thirds of Taiwan is forested? With over 268 mountains exceeding 3,000 meters, protecting these natural resources is a dangerous job. The protagonist has to deal with steep terrain and illegal loggers, known locally as 山老鼠 (shān lǎoshǔ), or “mountain rats.”
Why read it? The vocabulary is accessible for intermediate learners, and the art is stunning. It’s a great look into a little-known profession in Taiwan.
2. 雲之獸 (The Cloud Beast)
Author: 漢寶包 (Hàn Bǎo Bāo) | Publisher: 蓋亞文化 (Gaea Books)
If you want a story that might make you cry, this is the one. 雲之獸 (Cloud Beast) tells the story of the Formosan Clouded Leopard (台灣雲豹), a species native to Taiwan that is now considered extinct.
In Taiwanese Indigenous cultures, the Clouded Leopard holds immense spiritual significance and is often seen as the ruler of the mountains or a guardian spirit. The comic spans a long timeline, featuring characters from Indigenous tribes, the Qing Dynasty, Western missionaries, and the Japanese colonial period.
Why read it? While the vocabulary is slightly more challenging than The Ranger, it offers a deep dive into Taiwan’s history and ecology. You’ll learn cultural terms like 祖靈 (ancestral spirits) and 部落 (tribe).
3. 島嶼狂想曲 (Island Rhapsody)
Publisher: 蓋亞文化 (Gaea Books)
For music lovers, we recommend 島嶼狂想曲 (Island Rhapsody). This unique series consists of short stories drawn by different artists, each titled after and inspired by a real Taiwanese song.
Why read it? It captures the emotional and cultural landscape of Taiwan perfectly. While it includes some Taiwanese (Hokkien) phrases, the context—and the accompanying music—makes it easy to follow. We recommend reading one story a night while listening to the song that inspired it!
📝 Key Vocabulary
Here are the key words taught in the video to help you get started with these comics.
| Traditional | Simplified | Pinyin | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 社會新鮮人 | 社会新鲜人 | shè huì xīn xiān rén | Fresh graduate / Workforce newbie | Used to describe the main character in The Ranger. |
| 森林護管員 | 森林护管员 | sēn lín hù guǎn yuán | Forest Ranger | The profession of patrolling and protecting the mountains. |
| 山老鼠 | 山老鼠 | shān lǎo shǔ | Illegal loggers | Literally “Mountain Rats”; criminals who steal timber. |
| 失蹤 | 失踪 | shī zōng | To disappear / Go missing | A risk faced by rangers when confronting loggers. |
| 雲豹 | 云豹 | yún bào | Clouded Leopard | An extinct wild cat native to Taiwan. |
| 祖靈 | 祖灵 | zǔ líng | Ancestral Spirits | Important concept in Taiwanese Indigenous culture. |
| 部落 | 部落 | bù luò | Tribe | A community of Indigenous people. |
| 頭目 | 头目 | tóu mù | Chief / Leader | The leader of a tribe. |
| 島嶼 | 岛屿 | dǎo yǔ | Island | Refers to Taiwan in the title Island Rhapsody. |
| 狂想曲 | 狂想曲 | kuáng xiǎng qǔ | Rhapsody | An effusive or enthusiastic musical composition. |
Want to master these words? We’ve created a deck in the Skritter App containing all the key terms from these comics. Download the app today to start learning!
Study the deck on Skritter. Download our app on iOS or Google Play. Open Directly in Skritter here.