Help Launch a New Cross-Strait Documentary Journey

I’m Xiangyu, political commentator and host of a podcast called Strait Talk with Xiangyu . For years I've explored history, politics, and culture in the Taiwan Strait and beyond through conversations and commentary. Now, I'm ready to take the next step: documentary filmmaking.

This fundraiser isn't just for one project, but the funds to help me get started creating a series of documentaries that bring overlooked stories to life on-site. With your support, I can invest in the basic tools and resources needed to film, travel, and produce these stories independently.

Here are some of the projects I plan to begin with in no particular order:

Koxinga's Legacy – Retracing the footsteps of Zheng Chenggong, the Ming loyalist who expelled the Dutch from Taiwan.

Frontlines of the Taiwan Strait – Exploring Matsu, Kinmen, and Xiamen, once Cold War flashpoints that resembled Korea's DMZ.

Political Prisons of the Martial Law Era – Visiting sites tied to the White Terror, when Taiwan's dissidents were silenced or worse.

The Sino-Japanese Wars – On-site storytelling at key locations from the First and Second Sino-Japanese Wars.

The Sino-Korean Borderlands – Documenting the crossroads where two civilizations have long interacted and created something unique.

Both Sides of the Strait – Offering perspectives and stories rarely seen in mainstream media, showing the human side of Cross-Strait life.

I am not funded by any institution or sponsor. My work is supported only by my very generous patrons, along with revenue from my show and my music. I want to keep it this way to preserve complete creative freedom and to give people a glimpse of what I see on the ground, unfiltered.

This fundraiser which will cover essential equipment, transportation, and initial production costs to get this project off the ground.

By supporting this campaign, you're helping me launch an independent, long-term storytelling project dedicated to history, culture, and perspectives too often left out of mainstream narratives. My promise to everyone who donates or shares is to turn your support into content you can be proud to have made possible, and I'll keep creating it for as long as I’m able.