Journalist finds Taiwan elections not for the faint-hearted
In Taiwan to cover the presidential elections, The Post journalist Justin Wong found himself caught up in the electrifying energy of a Taiwanese election campaign - joining candidates on the campaign trail and getting among the crowds at political rallies. Justin was supported to cover the election with help from a Foundation Media Travel Grant.
Media accompanied politicians on the backs of trucks as they hit the streets for votes
My eyes narrowed at the sight of the vehicle that I was about to spend the next 20 minutes in.
I was shooting a campaign convoy on wheels of Gary Huang, a Kuomintang (KMT) candidate running for Taiwan’s legislature, the Legislative Yuan, in the central city of Taichung - a campaign format known locally as “street-sweeping”.
The vehicle in question was leading the convoy: a mini truck where photographers, campaign staff and local councillors crammed the open-air back. The elected officials were harnessed to handrails with safety belts; the rest of us were just managing the best we could.
It was a literal balancing act when the convoy set off. I had to battle to get a good shot of Huang standing on the truck waving at locals along the route, some of whom were setting off firecrackers, while trying hard not to lose balance when the truck turned or braked without warning.
Attending a Kuomintang (KMT) rally in Taipei
Campaigning in Taiwan is nothing like what you'd see in New Zealand - rather than the odd pamphlet or billboard, it's fireworks, loud hailers and energy.
When I first approached Huang for an interview about his campaign through messaging app Line, he greeted me with a custom-made sticker of himself saying hello (his supporters could purchase the full range of 24 stickers).
Caricatures also dominated the presidential campaigns: doodles of president-elect and current Vice President William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and his pet dog Luke - who passed away during the campaign - were splashed all over his social media pages and campaign materials.
Elections are far more vibrant and energetic in Taiwan than what you'd see in New Zealand
Supporters of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je even made a cartoon likeness of him on a balloon and hoisted it around the island for two weeks.
Two days after Huang’s convoy, I headed north to Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, to attend Vice President William Lai Ching-te’s rally on Ketagalan Boulevard, the main road leading to Taiwan's presidential offices.
It was a loud, flashy and highly energetic two-hour spectacle that 200,000 supporters showed up for.
At times, it felt more like a show than a political rally: a rock band, pop singer and dancers warmed up the crowd before the politicians emerged onto stage - something that’s unheard of in New Zealand and likely won’t ever happen.
Taiwan People’s Party supporters gather to hear speeches
The KMT’s candidate Hou Yu-ih’s event in Taichung had cheerleaders and even a live edition of a rap song accusing the DPP of corruption. Ko’s final rally before election day featured endorsements from hoards of Taiwanese social media influencers.
At its high point when Lai and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim were introduced, the party faithful roared out “dongsuan” - meaning “frozen garlic” literally in Taiwanese but could also be interpreted as “get elected”.
“Lai Ching-te! Lai Ching-te! Lai Ching-te!” belted out the MC.
“Dongsuan! Dongsuan! Dongsuan!” the crowd responded.
I grew up an hour’s plane ride away from Taiwan in Hong Kong and I remember seeing these campaigns unfold on TV, from Ma Ying-jeou reclaiming the presidency for the KMT in 2008 to incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen making history as the first female president in the Chinese-speaking world in 2016. It’s completely different experiencing it first-hand.
Justin: "...[Taiwan] is more than Taiwan Strait tensions, but a politically active, multi-faceted country..."
One thing I wanted to convey in my articles for The Post is that the island is more than Taiwan Strait tensions, but a politically active, multi-faceted country where its citizens are concerned about all sorts of issues.
A concern raised by Taiwanese New Zealanders in Asia New Zealand Foundation's 2023 Perceptions of Asia and Asian People survey was that the New Zealand media weren’t covering Taiwan enough. I hope my time in Taiwan went some way towards addressing this.
The Foundation's Media Programme helps New Zealand journalists cover stories that shed light on Asia and on New Zealand’s ties to the region.
Our Media Travel Grants provide New Zealand journalists with funding to travel independently to Asia to research and prepare stories – to help demystify Asia for New Zealand audiences.
