David on Formosa

Candlelight vigil for Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi. 7-8pm Monday 18 May at the park opposite Watson’s in Shi-Da Road in Taipei. Organised by the Taiwan Free Burma Network and AI Taiwan. Details in Chinese or bilingual at Facebook.

• The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato on why “foreigners” should get involved in Taiwanese politics.
• Darren has great photos of an opera performance.
• Taiwanrocks! on the links between Taiwan and India.
• Michael Turton on Tsai Ing-wen’s US visit.
• Letters from Taiwan on the issue of Chinese students in Taiwan universities.
• Reports and photos of the 517 protest from Michael Turton, Stocks and Politics and DEMO!
• Lief in Taiwan on Taiwanese temple divination.
• Pashan hikes the Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail.
• Diva has a bilingual review of the vegetarian restaurant Blossoming.
• Check out Kaohsiung Daily for photos of Kaohsiung.
• Todd visits the Wangyou Forest in Nantou.

News: Lu I-Ming on the real players in cross-strait politics. Jonathan Adams looks at how Chinese investment will impact Taiwan. Activists urge President Ma to take action on human rights. Ma signs rights covenants amidst criticism and protest. Taiwan News has more on the human rights hypocrisy. Academics say White Terror has not been put to rest. John Tkacik on Taiwan’s undetermined status. Lin Cho-shui says people are living in the past on the status issue.

Time magazine on one year of Ma. Nine Taiwanese universities ranked in Asia’s top 100. Natalie Tso looks at bike sharing and Taiwan’s environmental problems. Kaohsiung gets a solar energy testing centre. Kaohsiung’s solar-powered World Games stadium is also attracting attention. Formosa Betrayed star James Van Der Beek coming to St Louis.

Events: ChthoniC (閃靈) play at The Wall on 23 May. World Press Photo Exhibition continues until 31 May at the Eslite Dunhua Store in Taipei.

Bob Log III will return to Taipei for a performance at The Wall on 9 June. The first annual Air Guitar Competition for Taiwan will be held at Carnegies in Taipei on 11 July. More details at Facebook.