Hidden Details in 'Taiwan Travelogue' Cover Art: Recreating the Lost 'Double Dragon Waterfall'
The International Booker Prize-winning 'Taiwan Travelogue' features intricate cover art and illustrations that reconstruct historical landscapes and symbolic imagery.
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- 📰 Published: May 30, 2026 at 17:54
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Central News Agency, Taipei, May 30. The International Booker Prize-winning 'Taiwan Travelogue' is not only compelling in its story but also in its thoughtful book design and illustrations. The cover art recreates the lost "Double Dragon Waterfall," once one of the "Eight Views of Keelung," with imagery of trains, waterfalls, and chinaberry flowers echoing the narrative.
The illustrations were created by artist and designer Chiang Yi-shan. Based on the description in Chapter 9, "Vegetable Soup," she used her imagination to recreate the waterfall, which was a famous scenic spot before being lost to post-war road construction. Editor-in-chief Chuang Jui-lin of Spring Hill Publishing mentioned that since no old photos of the waterfall existed, they chose to challenge themselves by making it the main visual.
The chinaberry flowers on the cover symbolize separation, serving as the "graduation flower" of that era. The characters' clothing was referenced from old photos by Japanese-era Taiwanese photographer Li Huo-tseng to convey the period's atmosphere. Additionally, the back cover features Taiwanese dishes inspired by food writer Huang Wan-ling's "A-She Banquet," and the flyleaves depict foods mentioned in the book, such as melon seeds and rice noodles, reflecting the book's elegant literary quality.
The illustrations were created by artist and designer Chiang Yi-shan. Based on the description in Chapter 9, "Vegetable Soup," she used her imagination to recreate the waterfall, which was a famous scenic spot before being lost to post-war road construction. Editor-in-chief Chuang Jui-lin of Spring Hill Publishing mentioned that since no old photos of the waterfall existed, they chose to challenge themselves by making it the main visual.
The chinaberry flowers on the cover symbolize separation, serving as the "graduation flower" of that era. The characters' clothing was referenced from old photos by Japanese-era Taiwanese photographer Li Huo-tseng to convey the period's atmosphere. Additionally, the back cover features Taiwanese dishes inspired by food writer Huang Wan-ling's "A-She Banquet," and the flyleaves depict foods mentioned in the book, such as melon seeds and rice noodles, reflecting the book's elegant literary quality.
FAQ
Who is the author of 'Taiwan Travelogue'?
Yang Shuang-zi.