Articles by Chiang Hsun

Why city living starves the soul: I left Taipei to find the earth again

Chishang in Taitung county brought Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun back to the land. After decades of urban life, he rediscovers dawn, dusk and the seasons — and reflects on how reconnecting with the land might help us recover something we have lost.

Chiang Hsun

04 Sep 2026

How my Aquarian mother survived state-made absurdity [Part 2]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun’s mother fled bombings, displacement and political upheaval to keep the family alive through war, before rebuilding a life from scratch in Dalongdong, where survival slowly became home.

Chiang Hsun

14 Aug 2026

My Aquarian mother who ran with bound feet [Part 1]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun pieces together the life of the woman who raised him — a daughter of a fallen Manchu family whose memories survived revolution, war and displacement.

Chiang Hsun

07 Aug 2026

Taiwanese art historian: My Aquarian friend Hualing who embraced everyone [Part 2]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun continues reminiscing about his time in Iowa, US, with Hualing Nieh Engle, as well as other prominent literary figures such as Wang Zengqi and Ah Cheng. Through ups and downs, Nieh’s Aquarian character shines through, strong and resilient.

Chiang Hsun

02 Jan 2026

Taiwan art historian: My Aquarian friend Hualing who embraced everyone [Part 1]

Taiwan art historian Chiang Hsun remembers his time in Iowa, US, with Hualing Nieh Engle, reminiscing on her ability to embrace people from all walks of life — a perfect example of an Aquarian. Such is the breadth and depth of the Aquarius’s rushing waters, endlessly flowing, with the water bearer’s energy always being given away to all living creatures.

Chiang Hsun

26 Dec 2025

A Taiwanese boy named Thomas and the faith he made his own

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun reflects on his spiritual journey, from youthful devotion to quiet estrangement, contemplating the place of Catholic faith in modern life in the wake of Pope Francis’s passing.

Chiang Hsun

12 Dec 2025

Taiwanese art historian: What do Su Shi, Mao Zedong and Jesus have in common?

Defamed by villains, ostracised by the imperial court and repeatedly demoted to barren lands — was Song dynasty poet and essayist Su Shi’s dire fate truly dictated by the stars of Capricorn? Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun muses on the rumblings and trivialities in Su Shi’s life.

Chiang Hsun

17 Apr 2025

Remembering Xiaohei, the Capricorn dog of Taipei [Part 2]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun remembers the dog that he dubbed Xiaohei, or Little Black. From walks to feeding to encounters with other dogs (including potential suitors), to the day she disappeared with her puppies, Xiaohei was a stray, and yet not a stray.

Chiang Hsun

10 Jan 2025

Remembering Xiaohei, the Capricorn dog of Taipei [Part 1]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun remembers long walks in New York City, Paris, and along the river in Taipei, where he came across a little puppy that he dubbed Xiaohei, or Little Black. Despite a conscious effort to walk away and not get attached, perhaps it was destiny that brought them together?

Chiang Hsun

03 Jan 2025

Taiwan art historian: My brother, my Scorpio hero [Part 2]

Taiwan art historian Chiang Hsun reflects on his older brother’s later years, from a military man to a Peking opera performer, and as a man who cared for his family until the end.

Chiang Hsun

26 Jul 2024

Taiwan art historian: My brother, my Scorpio hero [Part 1]

Taiwan art historian Chiang Hsun looks back at the early life of his elder brother Gene, who embodied the charm of a Scorpio.

Chiang Hsun

19 Jul 2024

The Japanese colonial-era principal and his wooden house in rural Chishang, Taiwan

As Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun sits by the window of a restored wooden building in Chishang, Taiwan, he watches the shadows under the moonlight. He muses: is there a story behind every old building? Are stories an important part of an old building?

Chiang Hsun

07 Jun 2024