Although Taiwan is a small island, its landscape is exceptional. High mountains stretch from the north to the south, and more than two hundred peaks are over three thousand meters tall. On the coldest winter nights, frost covers the highest areas, while people in the south may still wear T-shirts. Taipei, by contrast, lies in a basin surrounded by hills, so its summers feel hot and damp. Near the city, you can even find old volcanoes that have been quiet for thousands of years. Few places on the globe offer so many kinds of scenery in such a small area.

In 2021, Taiwan suffered its worst drought in more than fifty years. Because no typhoons had hit the island the summer before, the water behind many dams dropped to very low levels. Farmers in some areas were asked to stop growing rice so that water could be saved for homes and factories. In the fields, the dry soil cracked like an old plate. Some schools even asked students to bring their own drinking water. When heavy rain finally arrived in late May, people across the island cheered. The drought reminded everyone that water is a necessity, not something we should waste.