When he became a vegetarian 18 years ago, Lin Hung-jui (林紘睿) never imagined his chosen lifestyle would eventually become his livelihood.
Then, in 1997, he founded the Web site Suiis, which has evolved into a popular online source of information for vegetarians.
His latest project is the release of a new updated version of his pocket-sized vegetarian restaurant guide, last published in 2006. The edition, which sold out all 15,000 copies printed online, was a remarkable success story, especially for a book that did not have a single picture. Volumes with sales of 10,000 copies in bookstores are generally considered best sellers in Taiwan.
The book’s success reflects the rapidly growing number of vegetarians in the country and the increasing demand for information on vegetarian restaurants because volumes with sales of 10,000 copies in bookstores are considered best sellers in Taiwan.
The Almanac of Food Consumption Survey in Taiwan last year showed that vegetarians — using the broadest definition that includes individuals who eat vegetarian only at specific times — accounted for almost 10 percent, or 2.3 million, of Taiwan’s 23 million people.
In its first six years, Lin’s Web site featured a free restaurant search, but the model failed to generate revenue for the site. That changed when Lin launched an online market for vegetarians.
As the company evolved, so did interest, 40 year-old Lin said.
“Just a few years ago, some people would flee when they heard the word ‘vegetarian.’ But now people have started to feel that being a vegetarian can benefit both their health and the environment,” he said.
Of his main business lines, Lin started the first online travel agency dedicated to vegetarians, whom Lin said usually feel uncomfortable or less respected in regular tour groups because they usually sit separately during meals and have less variety to choose from.
Lin acknowledged, however, that it could be extremely challenging to organize overseas vegetarian tours, especially to Japan and South Korea, which are among the most popular destinations for Taiwanese tourists.
To prevent his customers from being exposed to non-vegan ingredients, Lin sends vegetarian recipes to restaurants in Japan. And for tours in South Korea, Lin has even asked his partner there to visit local restaurants in advance to make sure their food is vegetarian before signing any contracts.
To get people to support the concept of a vegetarian diet, Lin said the food industry should improve itself first.
One of his suggestions would be to require all restaurants to specify the ingredients in each dish and prepare a separate menu for vegetarian customers.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
RSS